Former President Donald Trump’s “hush money” trial continues in New York on May 14.
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What Happened Today
Michael Cohen returned to the witness stand for questioning by prosecutors, who outlined his last years of working for the Trumps before he broke publicly and became a vocal critic of President Trump.
Mr. Cohen said he was paid $420,000 throughout 2017 even though he did minimal work for the Trumps, totaling maybe 10 hours, because the payment was reimbursement.
Mr. Cohen said he was still “loyal” to President Trump through most of 2018, defending him in the media when Ms. Clifford went public with her story.
Mr. Cohen said he was “pressured” to stay loyal to President Trump, but after conversations with his family he decided to plead guilty to charges brought by federal prosecutors and broke from President Trump. These charges included a campaign violation, the payment the Ms. Clifford, and tax evasion for $4 million in income.
Prosecutors also allowed Mr. Cohen explain his latest admission of lying under oath, when he took the witness stand last fall at another trial against President Trump. Mr. Cohen said he disputed the charges but not the underlying facts.
Mr. Cohen began cooperating with the Manhattan District Attorney while in prison.
Under cross-examination, he confirmed he wanted a letter from the district attorney announcing his cooperation, so he could reduce his sentence. He is on supervised release until November.
Defense attorneys highlighted Mr. Cohen’s financial streams, like his podcast, online store, books, media appearances, and livestreams, regularly feature Mr. Cohen attacking President Trump. Mr. Cohen confirmed he has said in various public statements he hoped to see President Trump in prison, and sells merchandise reflecting this sentiment.
There is no trial Wednesday, and cross-examination of Mr. Cohen will continue on Thursday. Trial ends early on Thursday, and there is no court on Friday.
President Trump is expected to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation on Friday.
Trump Says Trial a ‘Disgrace,’ Businesses ‘Fleeing’
President Trump spoke for about 10 minutes after court adjourned, largely reading from commentary published about his case, and called it “election interference.”
“That’s what they wanted to do, keep me here as long as possible,” he said.
“All around the world they’re watching this trial, and they’re seeing what a disgrace this is and a big disgrace to New York. I love this state, I love this city, but they’ve got to get it back, they’ve got to get the legal system back because businesses are fleeing.”
Cohen Made Millions From Anti-Trump Books
2 hours ago
Mr. Cohen testified that he has made about $3.4 million from his two books over four years.
“You talk in [‘Revenge’] about your frustration about President Trump not being prosecuted, right?” Mr. Blanche asked. “And you say you don’t understand why no one will hold President Trump accountable?”
“Sounds correct, yes,” Mr. Cohen said.
Mr. Cohen affirmed he referred to himself as a fixer in the book.
“Are you fixing things that you broke?” Mr. Blanche asked, referencing what Ms. Hicks testified about Mr. Cohen.
“No sir,” Mr. Cohen said.
“Did there come a time when you became concerned that the new DA was circulating negative stories about you?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“Yes,” Mr. Cohen said.
Cohen on Supervised Release Until November
Mr. Cohen confirmed that he met with the new district attorney team in 2021 and thanked them for continuing the investigation, because he had a strong desire to hold President Trump accountable. He affirmed he met twice in February 2021 with Mark Pomerantz.
“You wanted the DA’s office to publicly acknowledge that you were cooperating, correct?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“I would say so,” Mr. Cohen said.
“I’m not trying to put words in your mouth. Do you have any doubt that you would say that?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“No,” Mr. Cohen said.
Mr. Cohen confirmed that during home confinement, he was allowed for three hours a day every day to go anywhere in Manhattan.
He confirmed he wanted to be released but the district attorney’s office did not issue a letter or announcement of his cooperation.
During this time, he was doing media interviews and his podcast and meeting with the district attorney’s office.
Mr. Cohen is still on supervised release until November 2024.
Cohen Started Podcast on House Arrest
Mr. Cohen confirmed he had called President Trump several names on his podcast and said he hoped President Trump went to prison.
“August 2021, your podcast topped 10 million downloads, is that right?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“I think it’s more,” Mr. Cohen said.
“And you make money off your podcasts, right?” Mr. Blanche asked. “And is it fair to say that you are motivated by fame?”
“I don’t think that’s fair to say, sir,” Mr. Cohen said.
“Do you recall saying in ‘Disloyal’ that you had wealth but you wanted power, the good life, public acclaim, fast cars, the excess and zest and glamor for life?” Mr. Blanche asked, referring to Mr. Cohen’s prison memoir.
“Yes, sir,” Mr. Cohen said.
“So is that what motivates you, those words that I just read?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“Yes, sir,” Mr. Cohen said.
Mr. Blanche asked about Mr. Cohen’s regular media appearances on CNN and MSNBC. Mr. Cohen said he loved it when he was protecting President Trump, and less so now.
“So the answer is yes you love it, although less now than you used to,” Mr. Blanche said.
Cohen Sought DA Help in Reducing Federal Sentence
Mr. Cohen first met with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office in Otisville prison in New York.
“Do you recall the first thing or one of the first things you wanted to talk to the prosecutors about when you were in Otisville was what was the benefit for you of meeting with them?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“I did ask that,” Mr. Cohen said.
Mr. Cohen said he did not remember discussing when charges would be brought against President Trump, but he did recall his attorneys asking whether the district attorney could help with a Rule 35 motion in federal court.
A Rule 35 motion needs to be made within a year of sentencing, and allows a judge to lower a sentence for reasons including cooperation.
Short Trial Week
Justice Merchan reminded jurors that court ends at 4 p.m. on Thursday because one of the jurors has a dentist appointment, and there is no trial on Friday.
President Trump is expected to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation on Friday.
Cohen Separated From Trumps in 2017
In a 2017 Vanity Fair article, Mr. Cohen said he was the guy who stopped the leaks, the guy who protects the president and the family, and the oft-quoted line where he said he would take a bullet for President Trump.
“And you were offered $10 million to write a tell-all book. And your counter offer was $100 million. but according to the article at the time … you were just pushing them to see how high they would go in for a book offer, right?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“I had no intention of writing a book at that time,” Mr. Cohen said.
“And you also said, not only about President Trump, that there was no money in the world that would cause you to write about his family?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“About his family, yes,” Mr. Cohen said.
“You described them in 2017 as a surrogate family of yours, correct?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“Correct,” Mr. Cohen said.
Mr. Blanche said that in 2017, Mr. Cohen was not spending as much time with the family as he had the decade prior.
“For example, you told Hope Hicks in June 2017 that you missed being around the folks you worked with for years and years, correct?” Mr. Blanche said.
“I did have a great relationship with my colleagues,” Mr. Cohen said.
Mr. Cohen affirmed that in September 2017, there was an ongoing investigation and he was advised not to speak to President Trump.
“You then testified in Congress on October 24 of that year, this is the testimony you talked about on direct where you lied,” Mr. Blanche continued.
“That’s in 2017?” Mr. Cohen asked.
“Yes, in October 2017. Did you lie in other parts of your testimony, or only that part?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“I believe in that part,” Mr. Cohen said.
Mr. Blanche asked Mr. Cohen about when the FBI raided the hotel room in which he was staying in April 2018.
“Do you recall saying on the phone that you really missed the ‘boss,’ ‘boss I miss you so much’?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“I don’t recall that,” Mr. Cohen said.
Cohen Describes His Admiration for Trump Like a ‘Cult’
“And you were obsessed with President Trump, weren’t you?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“I wouldn’t say that would be wrong, but I don’t know if I used that word,” Mr. Cohen said. He confirmed it began before he met or began working for the Trumps.
Mr. Cohen also affirmed that he supported him publicly in 2015 after he announced his campaign.
“And at that time, you weren’t lying, were you?” Mr. Blanche said.
“At that time, I was knee-deep into the cult of Donald Trump,” Mr. Cohen said. “I was expressing feelings.”
Cohen Testifies About Flipping on Trump
Mr. Blanche asked Mr. Cohen when he changed his view on President Trump.
“It was around the time I had gone on George Stephanopoulos,” Mr. Cohen said, confirming it would have been the summer 2018.
He confirmed that he initially met Donald Trump Jr. at his apartment building, and helped resolve a construction issue. Mr. Cohen confirmed he still lives in a building with Trump’s name on it and previously had several Trump properties.
He affirmed that he admired President Trump when he was working for him, and that he had read “The Art of the Deal” at least twice.
“I do view it as an excellent book,” Mr. Cohen said.
“And you saw a little bit of yourself in President Trump, correct? Ambitious, hardworking dealmaker,” Mr. Blanche said.
“Innovative,” Mr. Cohen added.
Cohen Sells Trump Conviction Merchandise
“You’ve also talked, extensively, on Mea Culpa, your desire that President Trump get convicted in this case?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“Sounds like something I would say,” Mr. Cohen said. “Yes, probably.”
“Do you want President Trump to get convicted in this case?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“Sure,” Mr. Cohen said.
Mr. Blanche showed in court merchandise Mr. Cohen sells on his website, including a shirt with President Trump in an orange prison jumpsuit, and a coffee mug that reads “Send him to the big house, not the White House.”
Cohen Says He Talks About Trump Every Podcast Episode
Mr. Blanche asked how many times Mr. Cohen had been on TV. “More than 20?”
“It could be,” Mr. Cohen said.
“And you’ve also also recorded hundreds of episodes of the podcast you talked about earlier today?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“Yes, sir,” Mr. Cohen said. “Each podcast is done twice a week.”
He affirmed that he would have recorded about 15 to 20 episodes a month, and it would have been hundreds of episodes since the start of the investigation.
“You have talked about President Trump in every single one,” Mr. Blanche said.
“Yes,” Mr. Cohen said.
“And you’re also active on TikTok,” Mr. Blanche said.
“That’s correct,” Mr. Cohen said, affirming that he was streaming more than an hour per night.
“What’s the goal of doing that?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“To build an audience, to create a community, to find a time to vent,” Mr. Cohen said.
He confirmed that to subscribe, people have to pay a small fee.
Mr. Cohen said he talked about President Trump “six days a week” on TikTok, and also talked about him on Twitter, now X, and his two podcasts Mea Culpa and Political Beatdown.
Cohen Says He Can’t Recall 2023 CNN Interview
Mr. Cohen said he did not recall leaking to CNN that he had given his cell phones to the Manhattan District Attorney in January 2023, and did not recall the prosecutors being frustrated with him about his commenting on the case in media appearances.
“I don’t even recall having conversations with Lanny Davis about not going on TV,” he said. “I don’t recall ever agreeing not to go on TV.”
“You don’t recall the DA telling you that you were unwittingly helping President Trump by going on TV?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“No, sir,” Mr. Cohen said.
He said he did recall that the prosecutors told him and his attorney “please don’t talk about the case.”
“They have said it to me, yes,” Mr. Cohen said.
“So they don’t direct you not to speak, they just say it’s probably better not to speak?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“Well, I do have a First Amendment right,” Mr. Cohen said. “They say it in a manner, we’re asking you not to speak.”
Cohen Says He Was Asked to Stop Talking About the Case
After a lunch break, defense attorney Todd Blanche began cross-examination of Mr. Cohen. He asked Mr. Cohen if he had watched MSNBC and CNN coverage of the trial, and whether he referred to President Trump as a derogatory term recently in a TikTok video.
“It sounds like something I said,” Mr. Cohen said.
“Now over the past several years, let’s go back to January 2021, is it fair to say that the government, meaning the Manhattan DA’s office, has repeatedly asked you to stop talking about the case,” Mr. Blanche asked.
“They might have, yes,” Mr. Cohen said.
“I’m not asking you if they might have. The prosecutors, not the ones sitting here next to me but the DA’s office, have repeatedly asked you to stop talking about this case?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“Yes,” Mr. Cohen said.
Mr. Cohen was previously represented by attorney Lanny Davis, and said that ended in 2022.
Mr. Blanche showed emails that, after a leak to the Associated Press in January 2021, Mr. Cohen and his attorney had to deny they were the source of the leak.
“February 2021, do you remember at that time the DA’s office was frustrated that when they would say something to you or your lawyer about the investigation, you would talk about it on TV?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“I don’t remember that, no,” Mr. Cohen said.
“Do you remember in February 2021 you were going on TV talking about the investigation?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“I do on TV often, so I’m not sure what the topic was,” Mr. Cohen said.
Mr. Blanche began to ask about Mr. Cohen’s attorney promising to the district attorney Mr. Cohen would stop talking about the case, and prosecutors objected.
“Do you remember at that time the DA’s office being frustrated with you, that you would not stop talking to the press?” Mr. Blanche asked.
“Yes sir,” Mr. Cohen said.
“But you continued to talk to the press?” Mr. Blanche said.
“Yes, continued to talk to the press,” Mr. Cohen said, affirming that it included this case.
Court Denies Trump Gag Order Appeal
An appeals court denied President Trump’s appeal of Justice Merchan’s gag order.
The defense had filed the appeal ahead of Mr. Cohen’s testimony, arguing that Mr. Cohen did not need a protective order as he continues to attack President Trump publicly and court viewership through livestream sessions about the trial. The judge had declined to narrow his order to exclude Mr. Cohen or Ms. Clifford, who had finished her testimony.
“We find that Justice Merchan properly weighed petitioner’s First Amendment Rights against the court’s historical commitment to ensuring the fair administration of justice in criminal cases, and the right of persons related or tangentially related to the criminal proceedings from being free from threats, intimidation, harassment, and harm,” the order reads.
Cohen Testifies About Book, Podcast, Regret
Defense attorneys are expected to cast Mr. Cohen as financially motivated against President Trump, pointing to the amount of money he has made attacking him, and prosecutors are asking about Mr. Cohen’s ventures to get ahead of this.
“Michaen Cohen, are you still a practicing attorney?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“No ma’am,” he said. “I lost my license as a direct result of all this.”
He affirmed that he sold most of his real estate, and retains one apartment and his primary residence.
“While I was on home confinement, I started my first podcast, Mea Culpa,” he said.
“What do you discuss on those podcast?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“News of the day,” Mr. Cohen said.
“Do you also spend a good deal of time on those podcasts discussing Mr. Trump and your experiences with him?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“I do,” Mr. Cohen said.
He also testified that he has written two books. His memoir “Disloyal” was written in prison, and affirmed he has made money from it. He said his other book “Revenge” is a forensic indictment of a weaponized criminal justice system.
He affirmed that he invited Ms. Clifford to his podcast in February 2021, and this was the first time they had spoken.
“Do you continue to be on the receiving end of negative comments from Mr. Trump?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“I do,” Mr. Cohen said.
“Mr. Cohen, do you have any regrets about your past work and your association with Mr. Trump?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“I do. I regret doing things for him that I should not have done. Lying. Bullying people in order to effectuate a goal,” Mr. Cohen said. “I don’t regret working for The Trump Organization. There were some very interesting, great times. But to keep the loyalty and do the things he asked me to do, I violated the moral compass and I suffered the penalty, as has my family.”
The court took a break for lunch.
Prosecutors Let Cohen Explain Previous Statement Denying Tax Evasion
Mr. Cohen last fall testified he had never committed tax evasion, blaming his accountants for error, and saying that he did lie to a federal judge in taking a plea bargain.
“Are you disputing the facts of those underlying charges, of making false statements to a bank?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“No, what I did dispute and continue to dispute, was that as a first time offender who has consistently paid taxes on the due date and never been audited, that this would go immediately to a criminal charge,” Mr. Cohen said. “I was given 48 hours within which to plead guilty, or the Southern District of New York was going to file an 80-page indictment that included my wife.
Ms. Hoffinger asked about Mr. Cohen’s testimony in the civil fraud case against President Trump last fall.
“Did you admit under questioning, that yes, you told Judge Pauley that it was a lie when you agreed to plead guilty to those counts?” she asked.
“What I was saying, I was going to take responsibility because the underlying fact that I’ve never disputed, but it goes back again to the issue that I was given 48 hours to accept their plea offer, or they were going to file an 80-page indictment that included my wife. And I was going to protect my wife,” he repeated.
“Did you ever life about whether you were guilty of those campaign finance violations?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“No ma’am,” Mr. Cohen said.
Cohen Cooperated With DA From Prison
“Now, at various times you mentioned that you provided information to special counsel’s office. Did you also provide information to other offices at their request?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“Yes,” Mr. Cohen said.
“In fact, the first time that you met with the DA’s office of New York, was that when you were still in prison? Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“Yes,” Mr. Cohen said.
He confirmed he continued to provide information on many occasions and received immunity.
Mr. Cohen also confirmed he applied for a reduced sentence in the Southern District of New York, and sought a letter from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office supporting this. The federal prosecutor declined the letter as a basis for reducing his sentence.
“Did it impact your telling the truth here in court?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“No ma’am,” Mr. Cohen said.
He affirmed that after he returned home his two cell phones were returned to him and he might have powered them on to see that they were still working.
“One of them remained in one of the many boxes that were returned, and the other one was in a pouch that went into a drawer with a bunch of cell phones that were taken,” he said.
He affirmed that he did not modify or alter the recording he made of his conversation with Mr. Trump submitted into evidence.
Cohen Recalls Prison Sentence
Then in May 2019, he surrendered to prison pursuant to his guilty plea. He served 13 months and then because of COVID-19 and his comorbidities, he served the remainder under house arrest.
He affirmed that he was sent back to prison at one point, because of paperwork to do with his ankle monitor. Mr. Cohen shared a lot of details about the agreement that he felt were suspicious, and the judge sustained an objection about this line of questioning.
Mr. Cohen was subsequently sent back to prison in solitary confinement.
Cohen Recounts 2019 Congressional Testimony
Then in February 2019, Mr. Cohen testified before Congress that Mr. Trump directed him to pay off Ms. Clifford before the election.
“I testified about the reimbursement of the $130,000 with the payments being made to me on a monthly basis,” Mr. Cohen said. “I apologized to Congress, I apologized to the country, I apologized to my family.”
“What did you apologize to the American public for?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“For lying to them, for acting in a way that suppressed information that the citizenry had a right to know in order to make a determination on the individual who was seeking the highest office in the land,” he said.
Cohen Says He Pleaded Guilty After Family Conversations
“At that point in time we didn’t even know what the SDNY was even looking at, and the conversation with my family was what to do in this unique situation, never experience, and my family, my wife, my daughter, my son, all said to me, why are you holding onto his loyalty? What are you doing? We’re supposed to be your first loyalty,” Mr. Cohen said.
“What decision did you make?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“That it was time to listen to them,” Mr. Cohen said.
“Did you plead guilty in the Southern District of New York to a number of federal crimes?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“I did,” Mr. Cohen said. “Made a decision, based on the conversation I had with my family, that I would not lie for President Trump anymore.”
Mr. Cohen affirmed he pleaded guilty to a federal campaign finance violation, and tax evasion. He described it as “the worst day of my life.”
Justice Merchan instructed the jury that Mr. Cohen’s plea is not evidence of President Trump’s guilt or innocence, but mean to assist in assessing his credibility.
Prosecutors showed tweets from President Trump the day Mr. Cohen pleaded guilty, writing “If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen.”
Mr. Cohen said said he felt “a lot of anxiety” read that.
He affirmed he also pleaded guilty in December 2018 to making false statements to Congress during the Mueller investigation.
“Thirty-six months of incarceration,” he said. “Followed by 36 months of supervised release.”
He was also to pay $1,394,000 restitution for taxes not paid from 2012 to 2016 on $4 million in income, and two $50,000 fines for his payment to Ms. Clifford and the campaign finance violation.
Cohen Says Costello Part of ‘Pressure Campaign’
On June 14, 2018, Mr. Costello emailed Mr. Cohen a YouTube link of a video of Mr. Giuliani talking about the possibility of Mr. Cohen cooperating on the Mueller investigation.
Mr. Cohen wrote back, “Why send this to me?”
Mr. Costello wrote back, “The answer to your question will be found in watching the video. It seems clear to me that you are under the impression that Trump and Rudy G. are trying to discredit you and throw you under the bus to use your phrase. I think you are wrong because you are believing the narrative promoted by the left wing media.”
“You are making a very big mistake if you believe the stories these journalists are writing about you. They want you to cave. They want you to fail. They do not want you to persevere and succeed. If you really believe you are not being supported properly by your former boss, then you should make your position known.”
Mr. Cohen said that “this is all part of the pressure campaign: stay in the fold, don’t flip, don’t speak, don’t cooperate.”
Mr. Cohen said he “still remained loyal to Mr. Trump” but did not hire or confide in Mr. Costello because he did not trust him.
Cohen Says He Was Pressured to Hire Giuliani Lawyer
Mr. Cohen said FBI agents were around for hours, and then told him that there were things he needed to know about criminal law, which Mr. Cohen had never practiced.
“They asked me to consider Robert Costello for my representation,” Mr. Cohen said. He said Mr. Costello told him he had worked in with federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York and was incredibly close with Rudy Giuliani.
“Mr. Giuliani at the time was spending a lot of time with President Trump,” Mr. Cohen said. “He also explained to me, this would be a great way to have a back-channel communication to the president, in order to ensure that you’re still good and you’re still secure.”
Ms. Hoffinger asked, “Did you tell Mr. Costello the truth about Mr. Trump’s involvement in the Stormy Daniels matter?”
“No,” Mr. Cohen said. “First of all, I wasn’t sure I was going to hire him. There was something about him that was very sketchy and very wrong.”
“I was also concerned, when he started talking about his incredibly close relation to Rudy Giuliani, that anything I spoke to him about was going to be told to Rudy,” Mr. Cohen said.
Email exchanges between Mr. Costello and Mr. Cohen were shown in court.
On April 19, 2018, Mr. Costello wrote: “I am sure you saw the news that Rudy is joining the Trump legal team. I told you my relationship with Rudy which could be very, very useful for you.”
On April 21, 2018, Mr. Costello wrote: “Michael I just spoke to Rudy Giuliani and told him I was on this. Rudy was thrilled and said this could not be a better situation for the president or you. He asked me if it was okay to call the President and Jay Sekulow and I said fine. We discussed the facts, Jay Goldberg’s stupid remarks etc. He said I can’t tell you how pleased I am that I can work with someone I know and trust.”
in another email that day, Mr. Costello wrote: “I spoke with Rudy. Very very positive. You are ‘loved.’ If you want to call me I will give you the details… Rudy said the communication channel must be maintained. … Sleep well tonight. You have friends in high places. … P.S. Some very positive comments about you from the White House.”
Mr. Cohen said this reinforced the idea that Mr. Costello was a backchannel to President Trump through Mr. Giuliani.
Prosecutors showed these emails were sent the same dates as President Trump’s tweet about Mr. Cohen being a “fine person.”
Mr. Cohen said these comments “let me know that I was still important to the team and stated, of course, that the president have my back.”
On June 7, 2018, Mr. Costello sent an email saying Mr. Giuliani had called him. On June 13, 2018, Mr. Costello sent an email saying Mr. Cohen had gotten off the phone “rather abruptly” and he didn’t get a chance to mention his friend was meeting with his client that evening in case Mr. Cohen had anything he wanted to bring up.
Mr. Cohen said he had not retained Mr. Costello at that point.
Mr. Cohen continued reading the June 13 email:
“I must tell you quite frankly that I am not used to listening to abuse like today’s conversation. You have called me numerous times over the last month to discuss issues and I have always tried to be as helpful as I could. You told me back in April that I was part of the team and I have acted accordingly on your behalf. When I suggested that we meet and discuss a strategy following this news you suddenly took a new approach and stated: ‘That’s not going to happen.’”
Mr. Cohen said this was Mr. Costello “trying to put pressure on me.”
“He absolutely wanted to represent me in this matter,” Mr. Cohen said. “My concern here was that all of these conversations were being relayed back to Mr. Giuliani and, of course, his client President Trump.”
Cohen Recalls FBI Raid
“I was raided by the FBI. At the time I was residing at the Loews Regency because my apartment had been flooded by the apartment above. At 7:00 a.m. there’s a knock on the door, and I look through the peephole and saw a ton of people in the hallway, and I saw a badge,” he said.
“So I open the door and they identify themselves as the FBI and ask me to step out into the hallway so I did. And I found out they had raided my law office and a safe box I had put valuables in, because I didn’t want to keep them in my apartment while it was under construction.”
“Their search warrant gave them the right to take my two cell phones to take any all electronic devices as well as records. They took a series of my tax books as well as other documents. They packed up much of the documentation that was in my law office and took that as well.”
Mr. Cohen said he felt his “life turned upside down” and was “concerned, despondent, angry” and frightened.
Mr. Cohen said he called for President Trump, who returned his call “and he said to me, don’t worry, I’m the President of the United States, there’s nothing here, everything’s going to be OK. Stay tough, you’re going to be OK.”
“First time in my life anything like this, and I wanted some reassurance that Mr. Trump had my back, especially as this dealt with issues that related to him,” Mr. Cohen said. He said he “felt reassured that I remained in the camp. The Trump camp.”
Mr. Cohen said other reiterated that message. “You’re loved, don’t worry, he’s got your back, most powerful guy in the country if not the world, you’ll be OK.”
On April 21, 2018, President Trump tweeted a series of three posts in which he blasted Mr. Haberman for going after Mr. Cohen and called Mr. Cohen “a fine person with a wonderful family” and a businessman.
Mr. Cohen said this “reinforced my loyalty and my intention to stay in the gold.”
He affirmed that he understood from President Trump’s statements that he “did not want me to cooperate with the government, or to flip.”
The court took a break.
Cohen Details Stormy Lawsuit, Judge Strikes Answer
Mr. Cohen affirmed that it was Mr. Trump’s direction that he work with Larry Rosen to get a temporary restraining order.
“We filed the arbitration proceeding in California with an in-house attorney,” Mr. Cohen said.
Mr. Cohen said after obtaining the arbitration, you have to serve it upon the individual, and he didn’t have Mr. Clifford’s address so he tried to serve Mr. Davidson, but Mr. Davidson was no longer representing Ms. Clifford.
“He gave me the name of the other lawyer. It was ultimately provided to me that Michael Avenatti was going to represent her going forward,” Mr. Cohen said.
“Did Mr. Trump and yourself agree not to enforce the NDA?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“Yes,” Mr. Cohen said.
He affirmed that it was a civil case and said it would have required President Trump to sit for a deposition, and it was decided he would not, so the NDA was terminated. Defense attorneys objected and the judge sustained, instructing the jury to not consider that response.
Cohen Testifies About Pecker, Judge Gives Instructions
Mr. Cohen confirmed he was also contacted by the Wall Street Journal in February 2018 regarding an article about American Media Inc. and the contract with Karen McDougal.
“So David [Pecker] was very concerned because it was going to affect AMI, it was going to affect him, and so I told him that I would assist with this matter,” he said. “And I ultimately told him after conversations with the president, do not worry, we have this thing under control, it’s going to be taken care of.”
Justice Merchan told jurors that this testimony about Mr. Pecker was to help the jury assess Mr. Pecker’s credibility and for context only.
Mr. Cohen confirmed he had told Mr. Pecker that the matter was going to be “taken care of and the person who was going to do it was Jeff Sessions, the attorney general.”
“Had you previously been told that by President Trump?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“Yes ma’am,” Mr. Cohen said.
Prosecutors Ask About FEC Probe
Mr. Cohen affirmed he received a complaint letter from the FEC about his payment to Ms. Clifford.
His attorneys, paid for by The Trump Organizations, sent a response: “In a private transaction in 2016, before the US presidential election, Mr Cohen used his own personal funds to facilitate a payment of $130,000 to Ms. Stephanie Clifford. Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction.”
Mr. Cohen said that was “a true statement, but it’s deceptive, misleading.”
He affirmed he intended it to be misleading “in order to protect Mr. Trump.”
Mr. Cohen said Mr. Trump approved the statement and approved it to be sent out to the press as well.
Texts between Mr. Cohen and New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman were shown.
“Big boss just approved me responding to complaint and statement. Please start writing and I will call you soon,” Mr. Cohen had texted.
He said that he was going to provide the statement to Ms. Haberman first “so that she had the scoop.”
The judge admitted the letter into evidence, instructing the jury that it is mean to help them assess Mr. Cohen’s credibility and provide context, and that neither the FEC investigation or responses constitute evidence of President Trump’s guilt or innocence in this case.
Cohen Testifies About Stormy Daniels Story
“Did you continue to lie about Mr. Trump’s involvement in the Stormy Daniels payoff?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“Yes,” Mr. Cohen said, affirming that he also continued to pressure Keith Davidson to do the same.
“In early 2018 did you tell the truth about Mr. Trump’s role in the payoff?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“No ma’am,” Mr. Cohen said. He said he was still in touch with President Trump at this time, reaching out by contacting Madeleine Westerhout.
Mr. Cohen said he made statements “that I paid without his knowledge, that just because something isn’t true doesn’t mean it can’t hurt you.”
He said he expressed his anger at Mr. Davidson that the story had gotten out and sought a denial statement from Ms. Clifford.
Mr. Cohen said he sent that statement to the Wall Street Journal and several other people.
“Did you know that this statement by Stormy Daniels was false?” Ms. Hoffinger said.
“Yes,” Mr. Cohen said. “I wanted to get credit for … so that we could have this matter taken care of.”
Texts between Mr. Cohen and Mr. Davidson after the story broke were again shown in court.
Prosecutors Bring Up Cohen Perjury Conviction
“During the time you served as personal counsel to the president, did you continue to lie for him?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“Yes,” Mr. Cohen said. “Out of loyalty, and to protect him.”
He affirmed that he testified before Congress during the investigation into alleged collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign.
“It was about the Trump Tower – Moscow deal and the potential Russian connections to the campaign,” Mr. Cohen said. His affirmed his attorney was paid for by The Trump Organization.
“What, if anything, did you feel about wanting the power of the president to protect you?” Ms. Hoffinger said.
“In felt I needed it, it was extremely important,” Mr. Cohen said.
“Did you make false statements?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“I did. They dealt with the number of times I claimed to have spoken to Mr. Trump, as well as the time period for those conversations. I told them that it was a truncated time period and that I had only spoke to Mr. Trump about this project three times,” he said.
“In truth, how many had you?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“Ten times,” Mr. Cohen said. “I was sitting on Mr. Trump’s message, that there was no Russia, Russia, Russia, and in coordination with the joint defense team, that’s what was preferred.”
Cohen Says He Monetized His Title
Mr. Cohen continued to hold the title of personal attorney for Mr. Trump a few more months into 2018. He said he did more work in 2018 than 2017, and did not bill for his 2018 work.
“As a result of the Stormy Daniels matter and her electing to go public, Mr. Trump wanted an arbitration action to be filed against her for the breach of the NDA, so I was contacted by Eric Trump as well as Mr. Trump regarding how to go forward with this proceeding,” he said.
He said he earned about $4 million from other clients in 2017 and 2018, monetizing his title of personal attorney to the president. He said he was also contacted by managing partners of Patton Boggs, “and they were interested in having me on their letterhead, because of the title.”
“I created a working relationship, of counsel relationship with them,” he said. The agreement was for a half million dollars, he added.
Cohen Says He Did ‘Minimal’ Work for Trumps in 2017
“Did you do in the year 2017 any work for Mr. Trump or his wife Melania Trump?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“Minimal,” Mr. Cohen said. “There was a matter that dealt with an individual … I was working with Mark Kasowitz on that, I spoke with Mr. Trump in the Oval Office, gave him some documents that Mr. Kasowitz had given me to pass along.” He said he hadn’t done substantial work as Mr. Kasowitz did the work, and he wasn’t expecting to be paid for this.
Mr. Cohen said he reviewed an agreement that was sent to Mrs. Trump to create her likeness and image for a museum.
He said if he had to calculate hours spent in 2017 on legal work for the Trumps, it would be “less than 10.”
Mr. Cohen continued to hold the title of personal attorney for Mr. Trump a few more months into 2018. He said he did more work in 2018 than 2017, and did not bill for his 2018 work.
“As a result of the Stormy Daniels matter and her electing to go public, Mr. Trump wanted an arbitration action to be filed against her for the breach of the NDA, so I was contacted by Eric Trump as well as Mr. Trump regarding how to go forward with this proceeding,” he said.
Cohen Says His Invoices Were False Records
Mr. Cohen confirmed he submitted an invoice for $35,000 to be paid for services rendered in January and February 2017.
“And was this for any services rendered?” prosecuting attorney Susan Hoffinger asked.
“No ma’am,” he said.
He said the purpose was “the reimbursement of the hush money fee along with Red Finch and the bonus.”
“Was this invoice a false record?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“Yes ma’am,” Mr. Cohen said.
“And there was no retainer agreement?” Ms. Hoffinger later asked.
“No ma’am,” Mr. Cohen said.
“And who’s the check from, in other words, what account is it drawn from?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust account,” Mr. Cohen said, affirming that the check stubs were also false records.
Prosecutors walked Mr. Cohen through each of the 11 invoices he submitted in 2017. He confirmed each was a false record, and his checks were signed by President Trump.
“Were any of those checks in fact for work during the months described in those check stubs?” Ms. Hoffinger asked.
“No ma’am,” he said.
Cohen Back on Witness Stand
Attorneys conferred with the judge before Michael Cohen was brought back on the witness stand.
Mr. Cohen said he visited the White House on Feb. 8, 2017, and met with President Trump in the Oval Office.
“So I was sitting with President Trump and he asked me if I was okay, he asked me if I needed money, and I said no, I’m OK,” Mr. Cohen said. “He said alright, just make sure you deal with Allen.”
He said he didn’t always log meetings in his calendar but marked this one because it was important to him. He had also taken a picture of the Oval Office after the meeting.
He confirmed that former Trump Organization comptroller Jeffrey McConney emailed him asking him to send an invoice.
Trump Arrives With Supporters
President Trump entered the courthouse with several supporters, but told reporters he found out that he was the only allowed to speak to the media in the hallway.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Vivek Ramaswamy, Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) were spotted in the courthouse.
He continued to blast the case as politically motivated, sharing bits from legal commentators following the case. President Trump said his bookkeeper “called a legal expense a legal expense,” and that was the prosecutors’ “whole case.”
“The entire world is looking on. This is a very bad thing that’s happening in New York,” President Trump said.
“Everybody’s saying there’s been no crime, and I’ve been here, four weeks, in an icebox,” he said, referring to the low temperature at which the courtroom is kept.
What to Know
Prosecutors with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office will continue to question Michael Cohen on the witness stand as they aim to fill in the last pieces of their case against former President Donald Trump.
President Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records, which prosecutors allege was done to cover up a scheme to influence the 2016 election. This elevated the charges from misdemeanors to felonies.
Mr. Cohen has testified that he kept President Trump abreast of his efforts to kill negative stories during his 2016 campaign, claiming that the real estate mogul responded with praise when Mr. Cohen shared developments.
Mr. Cohen also secretly recorded conversations and phone calls with key players in the case, including President Trump. On Monday, some of these recordings were played for the jurors.
When defense attorneys cross-examine Mr. Cohen, they will aim to identify gaps in his testimony about President Trump’s involvement, argue that Mr. Cohen holds a grudge against his former employer, and emphasize his past record of lying under oath.
From The Epoch Times
