These Republican players keep showing up for a brief stay during the morning session, then after watching for a few minutes they walk outside and deliver public statements criticizing the judicial system.
Trump just strolled down the centre aisle of the courtroom, trailed by today's entourage: Lara Trump, Eric Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, Byron Donalds, Alina Habba, Boris Epshteyn, to name a few....
Trump's posse plays a game of musical chairs before things get started:
Boris Epshteyn gives up a prize corner spot on the front row to Byron Donalds.
Alina Habba switches to the seat next to Lara Trump.
As we wait for Justice Merchan, Trump has been whispering for several minutes with lawyer Todd Blanche, who appears poised to conduct the cross-examination of Michael Cohen.
Justice Juan Merchan walks in. Everyone in the courtroom rises to mark his presence as a sign of respect—even those politicians who will later bash him.
Clerk calls out: "This is the People of the State of
New York against Donald J. Trump, 71543 of 23."
11/ Note: McBrien didn't make the cut to get in today. Anna Bower takes his place.
Bower:
The jurors file in, and Hoffinger resumes her direct examination.
We pick up with an email from Jeff McConney--the Trump Org controller--from Feb. 2017. McConney reminds Cohen to send invoices for the payment plan he agreed upon with Weisselberg and Trump.
Cohen: President Trump asked me if I needed money. I said, No, I was OK. He said, be sure you talk to Allen.
Prosecutor: Did you take any photos? Why?
Cohen: Yes. Visiting the White House.
[Photo of Michael Cohen at briefing room podium]
Prosecutor: People's 254
Cohen: It's my calendar, about February 8 [2017]
Prosecutor: And what's this?
Cohen: My reply to Jeff McConney, regarding two dollar signs. I wrote, Please have the January and February checks payable to Michael D. Cohen, Esquire. Jeff replied, Please invoice me
Cohen: I asked him to remind me of the monthly amount.
Prosecutor: Why?
Cohen: I didn't have the document with me.
Prosecutor: And you didn't have a retainer either?
Cohen: I did not. So I created an invoice and emailed it, Dear Allen, pursuant to the retainer
Donald Trump INSIDE THE OVAL OFFICE discussing w Michael Cohen the reimbursement funds owed to Cohen for the hush $ payment that Cohen fronted for Trump to an adult film star...
Cohen testifies about a visit to the WH on February 8th (2017). Trump asked him, while the two of them were in the Oval Office, if Cohen was doing ok and if he needed money. Cohen said he was ok and Trump said for Cohen to deal with AW. Trump said a check for Jan. and Feb. would be forthcoming.
Now we see the monthly invoices that Cohen sent to the Trump Organization, which say that they are being submitted "for services rendered" and "pursuant to the retainer agreement."
Cohen testifies that it was not truthful that the invoices were for "services rendered." Nor was it truthful that there was a retainer agreement.
Prosecutor: Had you in fact rendered any services in those two months?
Blanche: Objection.
Justice Merchan: Overruled.
👉🏼Prosecutor: Was this invoice a false record?
Cohen: Yes.
Prosecutor: And the other invoices were false?
Cohen: Yes.
Prosecutor: Did you receive eleven checks in 2017?
Cohen: Yes, Ma'am.
Prosecutor: What is Exhibit 4?
Cohen: The check sent to me for $70,000 for January and February 2017.
Prosecutor: It had a stub attached to it?
Cohen: One of the stubs.
In the hallway, Trump referred to the politicians who come with him to court as his "surrogates."
“I do have a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully. They come from all over ... and they think this is the biggest scam they’ve ever seen," he said.
Prosecutor: Were the descriptions here on this check stub false?
Cohen: They were.
Prosecutor: Who signed them?
Cohen: Eric Trump and Allen Weisselberg, from the DJT Revocable Trust.
Prosecutor: The March invoice was false too?
Cohen: Yes ma'am.
Prosecutor: Who signed this check?
Cohen: Don Junior and Allen Weisselberg.
Prosecutor: April ... was the description on the check stub false?
Cohen: It was.
Prosecutor: Who signed this one?
Cohen: Donald J. Trump.
Prosecutor: Did you get eight more?
Cohen: Yes
Now, Hoffinger goes record by record with Cohen, prompting him to testify about the falsity of each one.
We're up to June so far.
Kyle Cheney:
Prosecutors are now presenting each of the 7 monthly checks Cohen received in 2017 from the Trump Organization. The paperwork said they were for his legal work when in fact, he says, they were to reimburse him for paying off Stormy Daniels. http://
The hypocrisy of white evangelicals in a nutshell.
[Video of Morning Joe Guy whose name I can't remember]:
“When he became Speaker.. he said… go read the bible, that's what I stand for. Today he's at the courthouse defending the guy who's on trial for allegedly paying off a porn star for the alleged affair he had while his wife was home with his infant son”
Cohen: This invoice was for the month of June. 725 Fifth Avenue. Dear Allen [Cohen says he cut-and-pasted] This is for two months because the check for May was lost.
Prosecutor: Who signed this one?
Cohen: Donald J. Trump.
Prosecutor: And July?
Cohen: 725 Fifth
Prosecutor: And August and September, also false?
Cohen: Yes, Ma'am.
Pros: Put up 37-i
Cohen: Oct invoice.
Pros: Also false?
Cohen: Yes.
Pros: 37-j
Cohen: November
Pros: False?
Cohen: Yes
Pros: Check and stub, false?
Cohen: Yes.
Pros: 37-k.
Cohen: December... 725 Fifth Avenue... Dear Allen
Prosecutor: False?
Cohen: Yes, ma'am.
Prosecutor: Was this the last invoice you sent?
Cohen: Yes because now I had been reimbursed.
Prosecutor: This check, who signed it?
Cohen: Donald J. Trump.
Cohen also mentions another matter he worked on for Trump that involved "minimal" work. Trump had outside counsel--Mark Kasowitz--for it, Cohen explains.
He estimates he spent less than 10 hours on legal matters for Trump in 2017. He never billed for any of it, because he didn't expect to be paid.
Cohen said he contd to hold title of Trump's personal atty in 2018.
"As a result of Stormy Daniels matter & her electing to go public, Mr. Trump wanted an action to be filed—an arbitration to be filed" for breach of the NDA, Cohen says.
Outside counsel Larry Rosen was also on that case in 2018.
Hoffinger has resumed direct, she's asking about Cohen's role as personal attorney, in 2017, around that time did House Intel Committee ask you to testify for the Russia investigation?
It was a about Trump Tower-Moscow deal, says Cohen.
In the fall of 2017, while you were still the attorney for the president, did Congressional committees ask you to testify related to the Russia investigation? Yes, Cohen says. The Trump Org paid for the attorney who represented him during his testimony.
Did you make false statements to congress in connection to that testimony and your written statements? I did.
Q: In the early months of 2018, did you continue to lie about Trump's involvement in the Stormy Daniels' payoff?
A: Yes
Q: Did you continue to pressure other people like Davidson to lie about it?
A: Yes, in order to protect Mr Trump.
Prosecutor: Did you speak with President Trump?
Cohen: Yes. Through Madeleine Westerhout.
Prosecutor: Who's on these texts ?
Cohen: Me and Keith Davidson.
Prosecutor: The joint defense agreement, who benefited from it?
Trump's lawyer Blanche: Objection
sidebar
We see the text from Cohen to Davidson: "Write a strong denial comment for her like you did before"
Q: Did you pressure Davidson to get Daniels to sign that? Why?
A: Yes ma'am, "to protect Mr. Trump," Cohen says again.
He gives same reason over & over: to protect The Boss.
Hoffinger asks a classic lawyer question: Qui bono?
Q: Who benefited form the joint defense agreement?
Objection—overruled.
Q: Did you understand Mr Trump to benefit from the joint defense agreement?
A: Yes.
Hoffinger displays the first Daniels denial statement from 1/10/18—it wasnt true, says Cohen, but he pressured Daniels to sign it (via Davidson) anyway.
Cohen then went on Hannity "to continue to promote the statement that there was no relationship and Trump had no involvement."
46/ Sidebar, via Acyn who has the video on Xitter:
Speaker Johnson attacking the judge, prosecutors, and the current witness Michael Cohen who is currently testifying
Kyle Cheney:
Mike Johnson — who Trump described this morning as a surrogate — attacked Michael COHEN literally outside the building where he is on the stand testifying, saying “This is a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge, and who is widely known as a witness who has trouble with the truth.”
@GottaLaff
NFL
Is so fervently hope every sycophant who acts ss surrogate to get around the gag order gets charged with conspiracy to defame or something after the turd gets flushed.
NFL... the DA's team should call it out for what it is... trump forcing these diptards, who have no moral compass, to skirt the gag other... that expressly says he can't do that...
@dbc3@GottaLaff Not sure that I would like to see the law weaponized in this fashion.
The negative statements about the judicial being made by the sycophants, Fox, newsmax, etc. etc. are indeed in service of a political agenda.
Flip this around, and imagine that prosecuting those who make statements criticizing a legal process - that this precedent was applied to people who criticize, say, a trial of police officers who shot an unarmed motorist.
@dave Interesting point.
Please help me out here. THIS IS A USE of surrogates to evade the #GagOrder.
Did #Trump direct them to do this?
Rick Scott was asked, he said Trump did not tell him to say this.
So, can any action be taken by the DA?
I do NOT want to suggest that prosecuting someone who violated a #GagOrder with
"prosecuting those who make statements criticizing a legal process"
How best can we talk about this to the media and public?
@spocko@dave@dbc3@GottaLaff They need to be challenged as to the role they are “speaking as” Are you speaking as a private citizen, the representative of x district, jr/sr senator from state, Speaker of the House, potential VP choice, christian nationalist, or generic political toady?
Former Fed prosecutor Jessica Roth on MSNBC said she's pretty sure the gag order says DT can't make certain statements nor cause others to make these statements. So if judge finds DT orchestrating these statements on his behalf she expects judge to come down hard on DT. ? is if it's going to be clear enuf he's coordinating, or if plausible they're doing it on their own. Wld judge ask, as he did w/ Cohen, to refrain from making these statements that cld impair trial integrity?
Later in the month, the second denial statement, why another?
Despite that we thought the story was dying, there were "still persistent reporters" were looking into this and I thought another official statement would be helpful in putting an end to it, Cohen says.
Hoffinger shows Cohen a letter that was drafted by him and his counsel to the federal election commission in response to what's identifed as MUR7313 (the complaint number).
No objection from Blanche—why would they? We're getting close to Cohen's "baggage."
Cohen says that in 2018 a Federal Elections Commission complaint was filed, alleging that his hush money payment violated campaign finance law. Cohen admits that his response to that complaint was "misleading." Why? "In order to protect Mr. Trump" and to demonstrate loyalty.
Cohen describes the letter claiming he paid hush money payments as true but misleading: "When crafting the statement we elected to state that neither the Trump Org nor the Trump campaign were party."
Why?
"In order to protect Trump, stay on message, and demonstrate loyalty."
Now People's 260: texts btwn Cohen and @maggieNYT
. I wonder if Maggie feels how I felt yesterday when Mr. Epshteyn addressed me by name in the courtroom.
MC to MH: Big boss just approved me responding to complaint and statement. Please start writing and I will call you soon
Hoffinger offers People's 202, no objection from Blanche but a request for additional instruction with respect to the Cohen letter and statement, and Merchan gives those instructions...
He says, FEC conducted an investigation into a payment of Daniels, this evidence is to assess Cohen's credibility & provide context, you many consider testimony for those purposes only, neither the fact of the investigation nor the responses can be used to determine Trump's guilt
59/ I'm back. I'll use Katie Phang's feed for catch-up:
HOFFINGER: Around Feb. 2018, did the WSJ reach out to you about AMI’s payoff of Karen McDougal? COHEN: Yes ma’am HOFFINGER: Did they reach out to you about an FEC complaint about AMI’s payoff of Karen McDougal? COHEN: Yes HOFFINGER: Do you recall what the WSJ was asking you about? COHEN: AMI’s participation in the payoff, and David Pecker HOFFINGER: Did they ask at all about your involvement or Mr. Trump’s involvement? COHEN: Yes.
60/ COHEN: David [Pecker] was very concerned because it was going to affect AMI and affect him so I told him that I would assist with this matter, and I told him after conversations with the president, do not worry I have this thing under control we have it taken care of.
61/ HOFFINGER: What did you tell Pecker? COHEN: “I told him that the matter was going to be taken care of, and the person that was going to be able to do it was JEFF SESSIONS.”
👉🏼Cohen said he had been told by Trump that Sessions would handle it.
Unlike yesterday where there very few objections and zero sidebars, today the defense seems to have decided that it wants to object so there have been several more objections lodged, some of which have been sustained. There also have been a number of sidebars already this morning.
63/ HOFFINGER: Did you learn Stormy Daniels was going to go public as a result of you saying it was your money, and is that why you got a TRO against her? COHEN: Yes.
HOFFINGER: Was that at Mr. Trump’s direction to work with Larry Rosen to get a restraining order? COHEN: Yes, as well as with Eric Trump
HOFFINGER: Did you get a TRO? COHEN: Yes, we filed in California.
64/ COHEN: “You’re required to serve the TRO on the individual. I of course didn't have Stormy's address, so I tried to serve it to Keith Davidson” COHEN: By "I", I mean the group: me, Larry Rosen, etc.
COHEN: Davidson said he is no longer representing her and then the lawyer Davidson said was representing her said he was no longer and then we learned that Michael Avenatti was going to be representing her going forward.
65/ HOFFINGER: Do you recall when Mr. Trump agreed through his lawyers not to enforce the NDA, at what point did that occur? COHEN: I don’t recall HOFFINGER: Was that a civil case? COHEN: Yes HOFFINGER: Would Mr. Trump be required to sit for a deposition? COHEN: Yes
66/ HOFFINGER: What happened in April 2018? COHEN: I was raided by the FBI. I was at the Loews Regency because my apt was flooded and we were there while construction was going on. At 7am there was a knock on the door and I looked thru the peephole and saw lots of people, I opened the door and they asked me to step in hallway and they also raided my apt and my law office and TD Bank, which had safety deposit boxes which I had just opened for my valuables while my apt was under repair.
67/ WHAT THE SEARCH WARRANT GAVE THEM RIGHT TO TAKE, PER COHEN: “Took my two cell phones” “Any electronic devices” “Records” “A series of my tax books as well as other documents” “Ultimately found out they also packed up much of documentation that was in my law office, and took that as well”
68/ HOFFINGER: you mentioned two phones - were those 0114 containing audio recording with Trump? COHEN: Yes ma’am HOFFINGER: that was one and they seized another COHEN: correct HOFFINGER: the one with the audio recording, did you know the FBI was going to show up and take phones? COHEN: no ma'am
69/ HOFFINGER: how did you feel at the time about the search? COHEN: “how to describe your life being turned upside down" Concerned, despondent, angry”
HOFFINGER: “Were you frightened?” COHEN: “Yes, ma'am”
HOFFINGER: You spoke to Trump? COHEN: I left him message for him to call me to let him know what was taking place and he said to me: “He said to me don’t worry. I’m the president of the United States. There’s nothing here. Everything’s going to be okay. Stay tough. You’re going to be okay.”
DAMNING evidence from Cohen here.
Cohen has just had a search warrant executed on his home & office. His world has been turned upside down. He's under investigation by the SDNY.
This is how Trump responds:
COHEN: I left him message for him to call me to let him know what was taking place and he said to me: “He said to me don’t worry. I’m the president of the United States. There’s nothing here. Everything’s going to be okay. Stay tough. You’re going to be okay.”
71/ HOFFINGER: Was your call with Trump important? COHEN: Very. “I wanted some reassurances that Mr. Trump had my back. Especially as this dealt with issues that related to him.”
HOFFINGER: How did that call affect you in terms of how you acted?
👉🏼COHEN: When the President of the United States says don't worry, “I felt reassured because I had the President of the United States protecting me. It’s his Justice Department, this should go nowhere.”
72/ HOFFINGER: You were going to stay loyal to him? COHEN: Yes.
HOFFINGER: Did others reach out to you? What did they say? COHEN: "You’re loved, don’t worry, [Trump]’s got your back, he's the “most powerful guy in the country if not the world,” “you’re going to be okay”
HOFFINGER: Did you initially maintain ties to President Trump? COHEN: Only through other people; I believed that was “extremely” important to do.
73/ 👉🏼Since that phone call in April of 2018, Cohen has not spoken directly to Trump.
TRUMP TWEET (4/21/18) ABOUT MAGGIE HABERMAN/NYT:
"NYT & a 3rd rate reporter named Maggie Haberman, known as a Crooked H flunkie who I don’t speak to and have nothing to do with, are going out of their way to destroy Michael Cohen & his relationship with me in the hope that he will “flip.” They use…non-existent “sources” & a drunk/drugged up loser who hates Michael, a fine person with a wonderful family [contd]
74/ Michael is a businessman for his own account/lawyer who I have always liked & respected. Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble, even if… …it means lying or making up stories. Sorry, I don’t see Michael doing that despite the horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media!"
75/ HOFFINGER: What effect if anything did these public statements have on you? COHEN: They reinforced my loyalty, and my intention to stay in the fold
HOFFINGER: Was the Trump Org paying your legal fees? COHEN: yes.
HOFFINGER: You a part of a joint defense agreement? COHEN: I was.
HOFFINGER: what understanding did you have about that statement? 👉🏼COHEN: “That Mr trump did not want me to cooperate with the government, or certainly not provide information or flip”
76/ HOFFINGER: Are you familiar with a lawyer named Robert Costello? COHEN: Yes.
HOFFINGER: Did Mr. Trump tell you anything about Costello's background? COHEN: He told me he was a criminal defense attorney and “incredibly close to Rudy Giuliani."
I met him at the Regency; I was distraught, nervous, concerned.
77/ At that meeting at the Regency, their immediate concern was: "First is that you have to obviously try to…remember what’s in those boxes…” [the boxes that were seized]
HOFFINGER: Did he tell you about his ties to Giuliani? COHEN: Costello said: “As close as you can imagine.” “And that would be a relationship that would be very beneficial to you going forward with this matter.” “Mr. Giuliani at the time had a very close relationship and was spending a tremendous amount of time with Mr. Trump"
78/ COHEN: Costello said this would be a great way to have a back channel to the President to make sure you are still good and still secure
HOFFINGER: You understood that if you provided the info about Trump [and Stormy Daniels] to Costello that the info would go somewhere else? COHEN: I was concerned when he mentioned his close relationship w Rudy that anything I said would be told to Giuliani, and since Giuliani was close with trump, I was worried anything that I said would get back to him"
HOFFINGER: After the meeting with Costello did you also speak on phone and exchange emails and text messages? COHEN: Yes
PEOPLE’S EXHIBIT 204 - ROBERT COSTELLO EMAIL TO COHEN Michael, I just spoke to Rudy Giuliani and told him I was on your team. Rudy was thrilled and said this could not be a better situation for the President or you. He asked me if it was ok to call the President and Jay Sekelow and I said fine. We discussed the facts, Jay Goldberg’s stupid remarks, etc. ...[continued]
80/ ...He asked me to tell you that he knows how tough this is on you and your family and he will make sure to tell the president. He said thank you for opening this back channel of communication and asked me to keep in touch. I told him I would after speaking to you further.
81/ PEOPLE’S EXHIBIT 205 - [Portions of] EMAIL FROM ROBERT COSTELLO TO COHEN I spoke with Rudy, Very Very positive, you are loved….I told him everything you asked me to….there was never a doubt and they are in our corner…..”👉🏼Sleep well tonight. You have friends in high places… PS Some very positive comments about you from the White House
👉🏼COHEN: "The 'friend in high places' was President Trump”
82/ PEOPLE’S EXHIBIT 407F SHOWN - THE TRUMP TWEET [showing support for Cohen]
HOFFINGER: What’s the date of these tweets? COHEN: April 21, 2018, same date as email from Costello
HOFFINGER: What effect did these emails and support tweets have on you? COHEN: “It let me know that I was still important to the team and stay the course, that the President had my back.”
83/ EMAIL From Robert Costello TO Michael Cohen Michael, Since you jumped off the phone rather abruptly, I did not get a chance to tell you that my friend has communicated to me that he is meeting with his client this evening, and he added that if there was anything you wanted to convey you should tell me and my friend will bring it up for discussion this evening. “
HOFFINGER: who was the “my friend” reference? COHEN: Giuliani and Giuliani’s "client" would refer to Trump
84/ HOFFINGER: why didn’t he use the names Giuliani & Trump? COHEN: “to be covert,” “very I-spyish” COHEN: “Clearly never mentioning Pres Trump, just using codeword.”
HOFFINGER: What did this mean? 👉🏼COHEN: They are talking about potential pre-pardons, I believe.
Mr. Costello was again pressuring me as he had done with constant calls and emails and he wanted to absolutely be retained to represent me in this matter and I said I was speaking with someone in a boutique firm and not ready to engage
85/ Costello was angry that I would sit down with the other attorney and not sit down with him and I’d had enough and I told him...and he expressed to me that it was necessary to seek clarification. My concern here is all of these conversations were being relayed back to Giuliani and of course President Trump.
86/ PEOPLE’S EXHIBIT 208 - EMAIL FROM COSTELLO TO COHEN
“Something you should see. Bob”
COHEN EMAIL TO COSTELLO: SUBJECT LINE: “Giuliani on possibility of Cohen cooperating, Mueller probe - YouTube”
"Why send this to me?" ____________________________________ HOFFINGER: What was the video about? COHEN: My possible cooperation in the Mueller probe
EXHIBIT - [portions of] EMAIL FROM COSTELLO TO COHEN “The answer to your question will be found in watching the video…”
87/ HOFFINGER: Did you ever tell the truth to Mr Costello about Trump’s involvement in AMI’s purchase of the McDougal story to prevent it coming out or his involvement in your payment to Stormy Daniels to keep it from coming out? COHEN: NO
88/ HOFFINGER: In the months after the raids, in your home, office, hotel, did you have conversations with your family about the matter? COHEN: yes
And the conversations with my family was what to do. We’re in this unique situation. Never experienced. And my family, my wife, my daughter. My son. All said to me, why are you holding on to this loyalty. What are you doing. 👉🏼We’re supposed to be your first loyalty.”
89/ HOFFINGER: So what decision did you make COHEN: “That it was about time to listen to them.” COHEN: to my wife, my daughter, my son, and the country
HOFFINGER: Did you plead guilty in the Southern District to a number of federal crimes? 👉🏼COHEN: I did. I made a decision based on conversations with my family that I would not lie for President Trump any longer.
90/
HOFFINGER: Did you plead guilty to making an excessive campaign contribution? COHEN: I did. HOFFINGER: What did that charge relate to? COHEN: Stormy Daniels HOFFINGER: The $130,000 to buy life rights to her story so it would not be public and done on behalf of President Trump? COHEN: Yes.
HOFFINGER: On whose direction and whose behalf did you commit that crime?
👉🏼COHEN: On Mr. Trump's behalf.
HOFFINGER: What was the purpose of your working with AMI in paying off Karen McDougal?
COHEN: In order to make sure Mr Trump was protected and also so that story would never be released, 👉🏼for the purpose of ensuring that it also wouldn't affect the presidential campaign.
Q: Did you also plead guilty to evasion of personal income tax 2012-16?
A: I did.
Q: And 1 count of making false statements to a financial institution?
A: I did.
Q: Were those in any way related to Mr. Trump?
A: No ma'am.
HOFFINGER: What was it like the day you pleaded guilty?
Prosecutor: After you pled guilty, did President Trump tweet?
[Shows tweet about don't retain Michael Cohen, contrasting him to Manafort.]
Prosecutor: What effect did this have on you?
Cohen: Angst and anxiety.
McB:
Cohen now reads Trump tweets when he flipped on Cohen; the first: "If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you retain the services of Michael Cohen," which gets a few laughs from the press, despite a sadness in Cohen's voice.
In addition to those previous guilty pleas, Cohen was sentenced by SDNY on 12/12/18—36 months incarceration, followed by 36 months supervised release, plus ~$1.4m restitution (which stemmed from tax evasion) and $100k in fines—Cohen paid both.
Prosecutor: Did you then plead guilty to false statements to Congress about Trump Tower Moscow?
Cohen: Yes.
Prosecutor: December 12, 2018, were you sentenced?
Cohen: Yes: I was sentenced to 36 months. Restitution and two fines. I surrendered May 6, 2019
Hoffinger is setting out the narrative of Cohen's redemption arc.
Cohen sounds remorseful, despondent when he says that he testified that Trump had directed him, and it was for his benefit, but that he also apologized to Congress, his family, and the American public.
HOFFINGER: Did you tell the Mueller Investigation the truth about your 2017 Congressional testimony?
COHEN: I did not, because I was still holding onto the loyalty to President Trump.
@GottaLaff NFL: the thing about Cohen more than any other witness, is that he is an attorney, and absolutely has read the filings in this case and the jury instructions. He knows EXACTLY what phrases to use and when to use them.
Quite a split screen between this and Cohen's maintained eye contact with jurors — now, in a lengthy monologue about his location monitoring for an ankle bracelet in connection with his sentencing.
Ben Kochman:
Trump has been slouched at the defense table yet again with his eyes closed, this time for more than 15 minutes.
Whether he's sleeping or this is some sort of silent protest is hard to say.
But jurors -- who have been awake the whole time-- can absolutely see this.
Cohen talks about prison and home confinement during COVID.
As he begins to discuss the way Trump used the Bureau of Prisons to send him back to prison and shut him up, Trump lawyer Alina Habba (not on defense team) sends a note to Susan Necheles. Security reprimands her.
Correction: NOT retain the services, sorry typing too quickly.
Quote
Tyler McBrien:
Replying to @TylerMcBrien
Cohen now reads Trump tweets when he flipped on Cohen; the first: "If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you retain the services of Michael Cohen," which gets a few laughs from the press, despite a sadness in Cohen's voice.
I've spoken to Cohen dozens of x. He's really passionate abt this. He feels Trump abused his power as pres to employ law enf as his personal goons to stop him from publicizing his tell-all memoir
Cohen sued. He lost several x. However...This episode is worth very close examination
It might have lost in court, but public needs to see how Trump had BOP agents go rogue to enforce his personal whims from WH
This says everything you need to know about what he'll do if re-elected.
Hoffinger asks about an agreement Cohen was asked to sign, but when he questioned it, he was sent back to prison, to solitary confinement. That decision was reversed, and Cohen was sent back to house arrest.
In addition to SDNY, Cohen says he provided information with NY AG's office (at first when he was still in prison and at Manhattan DA's request) as well as the Manhattan DA's office (on many occasions).
We fast-forward to March 2023, when Cohen testified to the grand jury.
By testifying to the grand jury, Cohen automatically received immunity in the case—just as every witness who testified to the grand jury did.
Cohen says he requested SDNY to reduce his sentence, and asked the Manhattan DA's office to assist in that request.
In 2021, they said they'd consider it, but the SDNY prosecutors denied the DA's office to provide a letter to them to that end.
Likely getting out ahead of the defense, Hoffinger asks and Cohen clarifies that despite this ultimately denied request, he told the truth to the Manhttan DA's office during their numerous meetings.
In 2020, Cohen got his phones back and he ended up using one of them to record conversations with an attorney he had engaged about a Bureau of Prison FOIA request that was made and ignored.
(But after prison, Cohen was a changed man. He only had one main phone, instead of two.)
In Jan 2023, Cohen forfeited the two phones again, this time to Manhattan DA, and provided passwords voluntarily.
Q: At any time did you alter or modify the audio recording with Trump?
A: No ma'am.
Cohen: Yes. I had not altered my previous recording with Mr. Trump.
Prosecutor: Have you made public statements that you should not have been prosecuted on tax and bank statement charges? Do you dispute the fact?
Trump's lawyer Blanche: Objection
Overruled
Despite public statements Cohen made after the guilty pleas, in which he took issue with his criminal prosecution, he says that he never disputed the facts of the case.
Cohen: They said they would charge my wife on the taxes, since she'd signed them. And the HELOC, I dispute that it was material.
Prosecutor: But you accepted responsibility?
Cohen: I did. In fact, I am still under supervised release.
Klasfeld:
Cohen previously claimed that federal prosecutors unjustly pressured him to plead guilty to that, by threatening to prosecute his wife.
Today, Cohen testifies that his critique was that it was overkill by prosecutors.
Now to Trump's civil case, specifically when Cohen was cross-examined by Trump's lawyers, but Blanche stands awkwardly, then doesn't say anything. "I see Mr Blanche is rising—would you like to approach or?" Hoffinger says, until Blanche finally says objection.
Hoffinger resumes: At the Trump Org civil trial, you were asked if you had "lied" to the judge who took your plea for tax evasion and bank fraud? Yes
And did you say that yes it was a lie? Yes.
Can you explain?
"The underlying facts I've never disputed"..But it goes back again to the issue that I was given 48 hours to accept the plea or they were going to file an indictment against my wife. I was going to protect my wife.
Cohen also has a MediasTouch Network podcast with Ben Meiselas. He wrote a book in prison, "Disloyal." A large part of the book is about Trump, he concedes. He's made some money from that book.
He wrote another book, "Revenge," and portions of it are also about Trump. He's made some money from it, too.
These are things he's done to support his family.
He's also sold merchandise. "There's one that's reflective of Mr. Trump," Cohen says of his merchandise.
Press:
Prosecution: What about the book "Revenge"?
Cohen: It's about the SDNY's corrupt prosecution against me, the weaponization of DOJ.
Disloyal, is Cohen's memoir which he wrote in prison, because in there time management is very important, and it helps to make the time go by quicker, Cohen says knowingly.
HOFFINGER: Are these endeavors you've engaged in conducted largely to support your family?
COHEN: Yes.
HOFFINGER: And you sell merchandise—any related to Trump?
COHEN: There is one that's reflective of Mr Trump.
The prosecution has anticipated the areas that could be potential Achilles' heels for Michael Cohen's testimony and Susan Hoffinger is taking them on -- one by one -- during his Direct Examination.
Cohen talks about having Stormy Daniels on his podcast in 2021. It was the first time they talked, and he apologized to her.
Cohen says that he has continued to be the subject of public attacks from Trump. We see one, from around the time Cohen testified before the grand jury, in which Trump calls Cohen a "convicted jailbird."
Half a billion dollars, Cohen says of the amount that Trump sued him, and a few scattered laughs of disbelief from the gallery.
Hoffinger asks a couple more questions, withdrawing both, then asks: Mr Cohen do you have any regrets about your past work and associations with Trump?
A: Yes, I regret doing things for him that I should not have. Lying, bullying people in order to affectuate a goal. I don't...
...regret working for the Trump Org, as I expressed before some very interesting and great times, but to keep the loyalty and do the things that he had asked me to do—they violated my moral compass. And I suffered the penalty. As did my family.
Michael Cohen, asked whether he harbors regret about his association with Trump, says, "I regret doing things for him that I should not have: lying, bullying people to effectuate the goal."
He continued, "I don't regret working for the Trump Organization; as I expressed before, some very interesting and great times. But to keep a loyalty and to do the things he asked me to do, I violated my moral compass and I suffered the penalty, as has my family."
@GottaLaff
Just reading, that seemed to be impressively good testimony by Cohen. Calm straightforward, and convincing. I can't see how defense can come across as anything other than cruel. I hope Cohen keeps his cool on cross. Thanks for the excellent access, Laffy.
This is so tense & will get tenser on cross. You included a toot on Cohen heaving a big sigh, perhaps of exhaustion or tension — I imagine you feel the same! Thank you for doing this— it’s an invaluable public service.
@GottaLaff NFL
If he is reelected there are a lot of people who need to have their passports ready and a place to go outside of the country. I’m thinking Cohen, Obama, Biden, Harris, Clinton and so so so many more … and of course, the rest of us.
@GottaLaff NFL
Why is Merchan not tossing her ass out of there???
Again, Merchan is NOTHING like the guy he was at the beginning, so who got to him?
He's acting like a cowed little bitch, now, WTF.
@dbc3@GottaLaff so you think it's normal for him to not follow up on his gag order when trump violated it for the 10th time and that it's okay for him to allow Alina Habba to behave like a lawyer on the case when she's clearly not?
@Liliki@dbc3 How would he follow up? All of the other violations fell before his final warning about jail. Since then, Trump hasn't crossed that line himself.
Security did stop her. If the judge sees repeated violations, he acts.
I'm waiting to see if the prosecution brings up the surrogates. The judge doesn't act on his own. DOJ has to make a motion.
@Liliki I agree, plus find a way around the gag order. Not sure how the DOJ handles this. 1A and all, but if they can show Trump got them to do this, then he'll act. That's a tall order. @dbc3
I think priosecution did a good job of painting a "that was then; this is now" picture. We/they can still feel he is a slimy character for having done those things and told those lies, but believe what he says now, which is largely substantiated by testimony and documents. To disbelieve him now is to buy into the entire "witch hunt; all made up" line, which is clearly rubbish.
But I was on a hung jury because of one juror who believed such bs defense. Not counting chickens
@GottaLaff
Here is the video from Acyn
Speaker Johnson attacking the judge, prosecutors, and the current witness Michael Cohen who is currently testifying
This was right after Donald Trump referred to Johnson as his "surrogate" #TrumpTrial#MichaelCohen
Speaker Johnson attacking the judge, prosecutors, and the current witness Michael Cohen who is currently testifying #TrumpTrial#MichaelCohen
@spocko@GottaLaff
I suppose that they are counting on the Speech and Debate Clause to protect them from contempt of court charges, but what this activity by the Republicans should make clear to the judge is that if the jury finds Trump guilty than he should be sentenced to jail right away because he's continuing to commit the same crimes and is a danger to society.
@GreenFire Great point! "I suppose that they are counting on the Speech and Debate Clause to protect them from contempt of court charges,"
Exactly. Johnson is a lawyer. All would have consulted with counsel on this issue. They know how to "walk the line" & how to challenge objections to what they said, "They're trying to silences ME TOO!"
Remember, this is not just about winning in the "court of law" this is about winning with social media, RW media & MSM to send out a message @GottaLaff
just more of the... willing to do anything to serve their master.. genuflecting and fealty... these truly are some people with no character or integrity...
@GottaLaff NFL Johnson is as vile any sycophant in the swamp, more dangerous for the oleaginous religiosity he wears on his sleeves.
As ever, the projection is straight to the bulls-eye. Johnson is a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge (and aggrandizement), widely seen as a factotum who has trouble with the truth.
Trouble, as in, is totally fine with deception and lies that serve his purpose.
And totally cool with destroying the justice system along the way.
"Today he's at the courthouse defending the guy who's on trial for allegedly paying off a porn star for the alleged affair he had while his wife was home with his infant son"
I'm sure that's in the old testament somewhere. Lots of fun stuff in there.
"I do have a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully."
sur·ro·gate /ˈsərəɡət,ˈsərəˌɡāt/
a substitute, especially a person deputizing for another in a specific role...
Seems to me they would then be subject to the terms of the gag order.... and limited to who they can talk about and be fined when they break that order.
NFL: it does likewise strike me as odd. Getting someone else to speak on your behalf to circumvent a gag order is a pretty clear violation at least of the spirit ... though enormously hard to prove active malice.
Unless, of course, you brag about it to the press pit...
@GottaLaff NFL Meanwhile at lunch Eric Trump goes to the bathroom to flagellate himself. He knows Daddy will never love him but he keeps coming to court each day hoping he will.
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