(Rightallegiance.com) – Michael Cohen, former attorney and fixer for Donald Trump, testified in a highly anticipated moment during the hush money trial of the former U.S. president. On Monday, Cohen revealed that he had embezzled funds from Trump’s company as a form of “self-help,” marking a pivotal point as prosecutors concluded their case.
In his final day of testimony, Cohen admitted to misappropriating a significant portion of a sum intended for a technology firm contracted by Trump’s company. “I just felt it was almost like self-help,” Cohen explained. This startling admission, initially brought to light by defense attorneys during cross-examination, could undermine Cohen’s credibility with the jury, which will play a crucial role in determining Trump’s fate in this unprecedented trial of a former U.S. president.
Following Cohen’s departure from the witness stand, prosecutors rested their case, paving the way for Trump’s legal team to begin presenting their defense. Tensions flared almost immediately, as one of Trump’s witnesses received a stern rebuke from Judge Juan Merchan for showing visible dissatisfaction in court. “If you don’t like my ruling, you don’t give me side eye and you don’t roll your eyes,” Merchan admonished Robert Costello, a defense witness.
Trump’s defense team has indicated that they do not plan to call many witnesses, leaving open the question of whether Trump himself will testify. During his testimony, Cohen, 57, confessed to paying approximately $20,000 in cash to a tech company out of an owed $50,000, pocketing the remaining funds. The Trump Organization subsequently reimbursed him $100,000.
Cohen justified his actions by expressing frustration over his reduced annual bonus, particularly after he had personally fronted $130,000 to silence Stormy Daniels, a porn star threatening to reveal an alleged sexual encounter with Trump just before the 2016 election. New York prosecutors argue that Trump illegally covered up this payment.
Cohen’s testimony detailed over 20 conversations with Trump regarding the payment to Daniels in October 2016, during a period when Trump was besieged by numerous allegations of sexual misconduct. Cohen previously stated that Trump was concerned that Daniels’ revelations could damage his appeal to female voters, contradicting the defense’s claim that Trump was primarily concerned with protecting his family from embarrassment.
Despite his damaging testimony, Cohen’s credibility remains a significant issue due to his status as a convicted felon and admitted liar. Defense witness Costello testified that Cohen had told him after a 2018 FBI raid that he had no incriminating information about Trump. “He said, ‘I swear to God, Bob, I don’t have anything on Donald Trump,'” Costello recalled. Costello also mentioned that Cohen repeatedly asserted Trump’s ignorance about the payment to Daniels.
Cohen countered these claims by stating he had lied to Costello out of fear that any sign of cooperation with prosecutors would be reported back to Trump.
The uncertainty surrounding whether Trump will testify remains. Although Trump had initially indicated his intention to testify, defense lawyer Todd Blanche informed the judge last week that it was no longer a certainty. Outside the courtroom on Monday, Trump refrained from commenting on his plans to testify.
Judge Merchan has projected that both the prosecution and defense will deliver their closing arguments next week, followed by jury deliberations. Trump, who has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal the payment to Daniels, has vehemently criticized the trial as a politically motivated attempt to derail his campaign to reclaim the White House from President Joe Biden in the upcoming November election.
If Trump decides to testify, he will have the chance to persuade jurors of his innocence regarding the paperwork at the center of the case and refute Daniels’ detailed allegations about their meeting in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Trump would also be able to bypass a gag order that restricts him from criticizing witnesses, jurors, and the families of the judge and prosecutors in other settings.
However, testifying would expose Trump to rigorous cross-examination by prosecutors, who could exploit any inconsistencies in his statements. Any falsehoods under oath could lead to additional perjury charges.
Trump last testified in a civil business-fraud trial last year, where his combative and rambling testimony frustrated Justice Arthur Engoron, who subsequently ordered Trump to pay $355 million in penalties for fraudulently inflating his net worth to deceive lenders.
While the hush money trial is regarded as the least significant of the four criminal cases Trump faces, it is likely the only one that will proceed to trial before the election. Trump is also facing charges in Washington and Georgia related to his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden, as well as charges in Florida for mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House in 2021. He has pleaded not guilty in all three cases.