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If Michael Cohen’s testimony yesterday had a well-recognized ring, that’s as a result of his foremost position on the outset was to verify the account of the Nationwide Enquirer’s writer.
Whereas there have been bits and items of stories, prosecutors walked by conferences, telephone calls, e-mails and texts with Donald Trump and others as he vouched for nearly all the pieces David Pecker had instructed the jury.
But when there’s one line that jumped out at me, it was this: When Trump confided he would quickly launch his first marketing campaign in 2015, Cohen says his boss instructed him: “There’s going to be plenty of girls coming ahead.” That may show to be prescient.
And the next 12 months, when Cohen warned Trump that former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal was alleging an affair, the long run president’s response was: “She’s very lovely.”
STORMY ALLEGES ONE-NIGHT STAND WITH TRUMP, AGREED TO LIE FOR HER $130,000 PAYOFF
Michael Cohen is questioned by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger throughout former President Donald Trump’s legal trial on prices that he falsified enterprise information to hide cash paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in Manhattan state courtroom in New York Metropolis, U.S. Might 13, 2024, on this courtroom sketch. (REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg )
Cohen’s credibility as Trump’s “fixer” – prosecutors raised the phrase, figuring out the protection would – will come beneath fierce assault. He’s a convicted liar who has served time in jail. That might be the ballgame. The trial might simply activate whether or not the Manhattan jury believes he’s telling the reality now.
There’s little query about Cohen’s motivation. He has been on a campaign in opposition to the person he served for 10 years ever since their public break. In truth, Choose Juan Merchan instructed the prosecution on Friday to warn Cohen to make no additional feedback, given Trump’s complaints that he was being attacked however beneath the gag order couldn’t reply.
This got here after Cohen posted a TikTok image of himself carrying a T-shirt displaying an orange head behind bars. No, not a lot thriller there.
One attention-grabbing tidbit got here up as Cohen described being “on high of the world” in the course of the decade he labored for Trump. He had billed $100,000 price of labor for a Trump leisure unit. The actual property developer then provided him a job, then mentioned, maybe half-jokingly, that he’d be fired the primary day if he introduced up the unpaid invoice. Cohen’s job was then to stress regulation companies into decreasing their payments.
Throughout this time, D.A. Alvin Bragg’s prosecutor requested, would Cohen lie for Trump? “Sure ma’am.” Would he bully for Trump? “Sure ma’am.”
Cohen’s description of a summer time 2015 assembly with Trump and Pecker matched the writer’s account. The Enquirer would run optimistic tales about Trump, unfavorable tales on a few of his opponents, and Pecker would warn the “Apprentice” star if another person had a unfavorable story and attempt to suppress it.
Cohen would preview articles and covers upfront, as Pecker had mentioned – resembling a false allegation that Hillary Clinton had a mind damage – and would inform Trump, partially, to get credit score.
The primary take a look at got here when the Trump Tower doorman who the Enquirer paid $30,000 for what proved to be an completely bogus story about what tabloids all the time name a love youngster. Cohen suggested they add a $1 million penalty if the person violated the settlement.
NY V. TRUMP: COHEN TESTIFIES TO PAYING STORMY DANIELS FROM HIS OWN POCKET
Subsequent up was Karen McDougal, who the prosecution has determined to not name as a witness, maybe to keep away from giving Trump a degree on which to attraction.
The catch-and-kill cost would value the Enquirer $150,000. Trump accredited, and within the name that Cohen taped, urged they pay in money, however his lawyer mentioned a test would make the transaction look official.
In the meantime, Pecker was “indignant’ and “upset,” saying that was an excessive amount of cash for him to cover from the CEO of his mother or father firm.
In the meantime, McDougal and her lawyer rejected the deal, Cohen feared she was speaking to ABC, however then they accepted the settlement.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump sits together with his eyes closed as Michael Cohen is questioned by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger throughout Trump’s legal trial on prices that he falsified enterprise information to hide cash paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in Manhattan state courtroom in New York Metropolis, U.S. Might 13, 2024 on this courtroom sketch. (REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg)
Pecker wound up telling Cohen to neglect the reimbursement. The explanation? A canopy shoot with McDaniel for Males’s Well being – which together with health columns was the quilt for the deal – bought higher than anticipated, and so they have been planning a second one. That was price at the least $150K, Cohen was instructed.
The opposite extraordinarily essential reply from Michael Cohen concerned the cost to Stormy Daniels, whose demand he thought to be “catastrophic” after the “Entry Hollywood” tape. Cohen requested Trump about his spouse.
In keeping with his testimony, Trump mentioned simply get it previous the election. If he received, the Stormy Daniels enterprise would change into irrelevant, and if he misplaced, nobody would care.
Cohen declared: “He wasn’t fascinated by Melania. This was all concerning the marketing campaign.”
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It is a essential distinction. For Trump to be frightened about defending his spouse and household – as former aide Hope Hicks, not a hostile witness, contended – was official. Doing it for marketing campaign causes opens the door to a political manipulation and finally the falsification of information cost.
The remainder of the story predictably performs out. Cohen stalled on offering the cash. Daniels canceled the deal, her lawyer telling Cohen she was going with the Each day Mail as a substitute. Trump was mad, telling Cohen he thought this had been taken care of. Then the deal was again on.
After chatting with Trump, Cohen went to the financial institution on Oct. 16, 2016 and transferred the cash from his dwelling fairness line of credit score, shopping for the life rights to Stormy’s story. Cohen testified that he wouldn’t have achieved this with out the approval of Trump, who mentioned, “Don’t fear, you’ll get your a reimbursement.” (And he ultimately did.)
A final scare: When the Wall Avenue Journal reported on Nov. 4, simply earlier than the election, on the Enquirer’s take care of McDougal, Cohen consulted a number of instances with Hicks on the very best spin for the press. He had Stormy’s denial however sat on it after concluding the story wasn’t getting a lot consideration.
Trump speaks to the media on Might 13. (SETH WENIG/POOL/AFP through Getty Pictures)
Cohen was relaxed in the course of the testimony, say reporters within the courtroom, however to me essentially the most salient level is that this:
What different model of occasions can Trump’s attorneys probably provide to Cohen’s testimony? His account is backed up by emails, texts, name information, encrypted Sign messages, financial institution transfers and one audiotape. These are past query. Can the protection argue that Cohen, David Pecker and Keith Davidson, the lawyer for each Daniels and McDougal, are all mendacity?
They will problem Cohen’s motivation, however not the well-documented sequence of occasions.
The Trump crew will clearly say that Cohen lied many, many different instances. That he bought concerned within the soiled taxi medallion enterprise. That he frolicked in jail. That he’s made cash by turning on Trump, that he’s change into a nationwide determine and cable pundit by turning on Trump. All true, and maybe that will probably be sufficient to discredit him.
The remainder of the day was spent inoculating Cohen in opposition to the eventual cross-examination. Cohen mentioned he was “past indignant…actually insulted, personally harm” when Trump reduce his 2016 bonus by two-thirds.
Cohen wished to be talked about for White Home chief of workers, although it wasn’t an excellent match, due to ego. He wished to be Trump’s private lawyer for no charge, which Trump granted on the final minute, which means Cohen might cost corporations massive bucks as somebody with entry to the brand new president. And he was reimbursed for the $130,000 hush cash cost, plus a bonus, at Trump’s path.
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Look, sleeping with a porn star or Playboy mannequin shouldn’t be a criminal offense. Signing an NDA shouldn’t be a criminal offense.
But when all 12 jurors agree that Michael Cohen was telling the reality on the stand, the previous fixer might get his repair in spite of everything.
Howard Kurtz is the host of FOX Information Channel’s MediaBuzz (Sundays 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET). Based mostly in Washington, D.C., he joined the community in July 2013 and often seems on Particular Report with Bret Baier and different packages.
