Former President Trump’s prison trial is anticipated to renew Monday with Michael Cohen on the stand for the third day of cross-examination by protection attorneys.
Cohen, who beforehand served as Trump’s lawyer and described himself as the previous president’s “fixer,” is ready to take the stand once more at 9:30 a.m. Monday in Decrease Manhattan.
Cohen, who is claimed to be Manhattan District Lawyer Alvin Bragg’s “star witness,” first took the stand final week, answering questions from New York prosecutors as they search to make their case towards the previous president and presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
Prosecutors should show past an affordable doubt that Trump falsified enterprise information 34 instances to hide a $130,000 fee to Stormy Daniels, a pornographic performer, within the lead-up to the 2016 election to silence her about an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.
Trump has pleaded not responsible to all expenses and maintains his innocence.
“I did not violate any regulation,” Trump stated after court docket on Thursday. “This can be a rip-off.”
Trump’s protection legal professional, Todd Blanche, started his cross-examination of Cohen on Tuesday, which continued via the day Thursday. Courtroom didn’t meet Friday so the previous president might attend his youngest son Barron Trump’s highschool commencement in Palm Seashore, Florida.
MICHAEL COHEN ONCE SWORE TRUMP WASN’T INVOLVED IN STORMY DANIELS PAYMENT, HIS EX-ATTORNEY TESTIFIES
Courtroom doesn’t meet on Wednesdays.
To date, Cohen has testified that he personally made the $130,000 fee to Daniels utilizing a house fairness line of credit score in an effort to hide the fee from his spouse. Cohen stated he did this as a result of Trump instructed him to “deal with it” and stop a damaging story from popping out forward of the election.
Cohen testified that he was “reimbursed $420,000” for the $130,000 he paid to Daniels. Cohen stated former Trump Group CFO Allen Weisselberg advised he “gross up” the funds and claimed that Trump knew the small print of that reimbursement.
The prosecution introduced Cohen with 11 checks totaling $420,000. Cohen confirmed that they have been all acquired and deposited. The checks had an outline of a “retainer,” which Cohen stated was false.
Trump protection legal professional Todd Blanche was capable of get Cohen to testify concerning the non-disclosure settlement signed by Daniels in October 2016.
Cohen confirmed that the contract, which Trump by no means signed, was lawful, and he admitted that non-disclosure agreements will not be uncommon. The contract was signed utilizing pseudonyms.
Cohen additionally testified that he despatched statements to reporters declaring that Trump was not a celebration to the Daniels fee.
Blanche additionally has highlighted Cohen’s historical past of mendacity beneath oath relationship again to 2017, together with to Congress a couple of Trump Tower Moscow mission and federal investigators from Particular Counsel Robert Mueller’s workplace.
Beneath oath final October, Cohen stated he lied beneath oath greater than as soon as in entrance of Choose William H. Pauley, who sentenced Cohen to a few years in jail in 2018 after he pleaded responsible to expenses that included marketing campaign finance fraud and mendacity to Congress.
Cohen agreed once more Thursday that he did certainly lie beneath oath to Pauley.
Blanche’s questioning additionally led Cohen to confess that he believes he should not have been charged with some federal crimes in 2018, together with tax evasion, associated to his investments in New York Metropolis taxi medallions.
“You felt that you just didn’t have interaction in tax fraud, however you needed to plead responsible to guard your spouse and household?” Blanche requested.
“Appropriate,” Cohen responded.
Blanche additionally stated Cohen lied about chatting with Trump on Oct. 24, 2016. Cohen claimed he spoke to then-candidate Trump concerning the Daniels fee.
MICHAEL COHEN TESTIFIES HE SECRETLY RECORDED TRUMP IN LEAD-UP TO 2016 ELECTION
Blanche once more accused Cohen of mendacity and insists he by no means spoke with Trump that day.
Cohen responded, “I at all times ran every thing by the boss instantly.”
“That was a lie, you didn’t speak to President Trump,” Blanche stated.
“I’m not sure that’s correct,” Cohen responded.
Cohen maintains, based mostly on the information that he was capable of evaluate, that he spoke with Trump’s former bodyguard Keith Schiller – but additionally believes he spoke with Trump concerning the Daniels deal.
“We’re not asking what you imagine,” Blanche responded.
Cohen additionally admitted that he “took some credit score” for Bragg’s indictment of Trump final 12 months, which led to the historic and unprecedented prison trial of a former U.S. president.
Blanche performed a clip in court docket of Cohen saying throughout a 2020 podcast interview, “I completely hope he results in jail…”
Requested by Blanche whether or not he believes he performed a task in Trump’s indictment from New York prosecutors, Cohen responded, “I took some credit score.”
Cohen additionally testified that he wished to be thought of for a prime function within the Trump administration, like legal professional normal or chief of employees, for “ego functions.”
Blanche stated the protection expects to wrap up cross-examination on Monday. Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger stated she could have lower than an hour on redirect questioning of Cohen.
The protection anticipates reaching a call on different witnesses quickly, and stated it is cheap that they may “get on and off” the stand on Monday.
It’s unclear, at this level, if Trump will testify in his personal protection.