Cohen resumes testifying at Trump trial

Prosecution wraps up questioning of witness

By: Aysha Bagchi
Bart Jansen
Kinsey Crowley
Sudlksha Lochi
and rachel Barber
USA Today

..... On the witness stand Tuesday, [05/14/2024] Michael Cohen spelled out the core of the prosecution's case in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial.
..... Why did he pay $130,000 to pron star Stormy Daniels?
..... "To ensure that the story would not come out, would not affect Mr. Trump's chances of becoming president of the United States," Cohen said.
..... Would Cohen have paid if not for the campaign?
..... "NO."
..... On whose behalf did he do it?
..... Mr. Trump."
..... Prosecutors are trying to prove that Trump falsified business records to cover up unlawfully interfering in the 2016 presidential election through a hush money payment to Daniels. Trump had pleaded not guilty. It is the first criminal trial of a former president.
..... However, Cohen's recored is spotty: He pleaded guilty to lying to Congress, among other crimes, and was disbarred.
..... The prosecution portrayed Cohen as remorseful, a brass-knuckled worm who turned and regretted his loyalty to "the Boss." But as Cohen spoke, defense lawyers sharpened their knives.
..... The presumptive GOP presidential nominee had support in the courtroom form his son Eric; Eric's wife Lara trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee; and rival-turned-vice president hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy.
..... And he had support outside, where House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke in a park, saying what Trump can't under a gag order that prohibits him from criticizing witness, jurors, court staff or the judge's families. An appeals court upheld the gag order Tuesday. [05/14/2024]
..... "The judicial system in our country has been weaponized against President Trump," the Louisiana Republican said. "the system is using all the tools at its disposal right now to punish one president, to provide cover for another."
..... There is no evidence that Biden is behind the hush money trial.
..... As for the prosecution's star witness, Cohen was "on a mission for personal revenge," Johanson said. "He has a history of perjury and is well known for it. No one should believe a word he says today. [05/14/2024]

Fake invoices

..... On the stand Tuesday [05/14/2024] morning, Cohen said he submitted invoices that falsely stated they were for a retainer agreement or services rendered in 2017.
..... He had already told jurors Monday [05/13/2024] these payments were in fact reimbursing him for paying Daniels 4130,000 as well as reimbursing him for another expense and padding his 2016 bonus.
..... Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger displayed a series of checks for those payments. Several had Trump's personal signature, Cohen said.
..... Anticipating the defense, Hollfinger addressed one lapse in honesty directly: a February 8, 2018, statement Cohen's lawyer made to the Federal Election Commission. The statement referred to <s. Clifford," Daniels' legal last name. It said: "Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transactions with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed Mr. Cohen for the payment directly or indirectly."
..... The sentence was literally true but intentionally misleading, Cohen said: Trump revocable trust and Trump himself reimbursed him.

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