Michael Cohen's Testimony
Day 16 of the Manhattan Trump Criminal Trial
Trump never used email. Cohen reported directly to Trump as his private lawyer, Cohen always wanted to desperately please him. These were key details from today’s trial. When the Access Hollywood tape came out, and then Stormy Daniels’ said she was going to tell her story to the press, Michael Cohen went into a frenzy to fix it all for his boss, Trump. He had to pay Daniels’ off before the 2016 presidential election, or, as he testified Trump said, “Guys may think its cool, but this will be a disaster for the campaign.” He wanted Cohen to just do it, pay off Stormy Daniels. But, according to a CNN post, Trump told him,
“I want you to just push it out as long as you can just to get past the election, because it will have no relevance because I’m president and if I lose, I don’t even care.”
What everyone was waiting to hear from Cohen was corroboration that not only did Trump pay him back for the hush money, he knew that it was covered up as a business expense. Trump is a micromanager, he watches his money like a hawk. And Cohen said that Trump authorized the payment because of the election. In other words, it was a “campaign expense” that was falsified as a business expense. From the NY Times:
“He has linked Trump directly to the scheme to reimburse him for the Stormy Daniels hush money payment, which forms the basis for the falsification of business records charges. And he has said that Trump was personally concerned that Daniels’s story, if it got out, could affect his chances with female voters, which speaks directly to the underlying election conspiracy statute that elevates those charges from misdemeanors to felonies.”
It’s clear that they all knew what the effect of the Stormy Daniels’ story would have on Trump’s campaign, coming right after the Access Hollywood tape release. They knew the two together might damage his support from women—this was supported today by text messages and Cohen’s testimony.
Cohen testified today that Trump approved the repayments and said,
“This is going to be one heck of a ride in D.C.”
In other words, Trump made the payments in order to have that “wild ride” in D.C. as president. Today, we heard the missing piece that the prosecution was building towards, methodically and I think successfully.
Trump also had lots of political supporters appear in the courtroom, but the most crucial person to this story has not shown face: Melania Trump.
I hope to get into the courtroom tomorrow to hear more of Michael Cohen’s testimony. Today’s drawing was done on my iPhone for a change.
See you tomorrow, thanks for being here.
Excellent summary. Your insight and observations on how Cohen handles cross tomorrow (does it all ‘hang together’?) - if you make it, will be telltale.
I have to say that so far Cohen has been a great prosecution witness. I tend to believe those matters that are corroborated by emails, etc. My personal opinion is he is NY trash just like DJT. Of course, they will pick him apart on cross but the facts are the facts. I just wonder if the jury will be hung on the felony aspect. That seems to be a heavy lift. Wouldn't it be lovely for him to be GUILTY on all counts? One can dream.