Donald Trump’s former confidant, Michael Cohen, took to the witness stand on Monday in a New York state criminal court in Manhattan, revealing clandestine arrangements he made with Trump and a tabloid publisher to suppress damaging stories during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Cohen’s testimony, a crucial aspect of the ongoing trial now in its fifth week, aims to establish Trump’s alleged involvement in concealing hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Cohen, once a staunch ally of Trump, divulged details of a $130,000 payment he made to Daniels just before the 2016 election to prevent her from disclosing her alleged affair with Trump in 2006.
He recounted how he, Trump, and National Enquirer publisher David Pecker colluded to leverage the tabloid’s influence to bolster Trump’s candidacy while squelching adverse publicity.
In June 2016, Cohen learned of former Playboy model Karen McDougal’s claims of a year-long affair with Trump, prompting Trump to instruct Cohen to ensure the story never surfaced.
Cohen revealed a recorded phone call in which Trump discussed reimbursing Pecker $150,000 for purchasing the exclusive rights to McDougal’s story, advising Cohen to make the payment in cash to evade detection.
Prosecutors contend that the Daniels payment, part of a broader “catch and kill” scheme orchestrated by Trump, Cohen, and Pecker, violated campaign finance laws.
They allege that Trump obscured the payment by reimbursing Cohen through a fictitious legal retainer fee, concealing the true nature of the transaction in his company’s records.
The charges against Trump, spanning 34 counts, carry the potential for felony convictions and a maximum prison sentence of four years.
Cohen, once considered Trump’s fixer, detailed his role in executing Trump’s directives, which included legal threats and media manipulation.
He testified to Trump’s aversion to email communication, citing concerns over incriminating evidence.
Despite his prior loyalty to Trump, Cohen’s allegiance waned amid federal investigations into Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Cohen’s testimony has cast a spotlight on Trump’s alleged involvement in the hush money payments, positioning the trial as a pivotal moment in Trump’s legal battles.
As the trial unfolds, prosecutors aim to establish Trump’s culpability in the alleged cover-up, presenting Cohen’s testimony as a cornerstone of their case.
