Michael Cohen, previously a lawyer and fixer for Donald Trump, confessed during his final day of testimony that he embezzled thousands of dollars from Trump’s company.
This revelation emerged as Trump’s legal team endeavored to expose any unsavory details about the prosecution’s key witness.
Under cross-examination from Todd Blanche, the lead defense attorney, Cohen conceded to embezzling a substantial sum from Trump’s company. When asked directly by Blanche if he had stolen from the Trump Organization, Cohen affirmed without hesitation.
The criminal trial, a first for a former US president, appears to be nearing its conclusion, with closing arguments anticipated next week. Trump faces 34 felony charges of falsifying business records, allegedly for recording reimbursements to Cohen for a hush-money payment to an adult film star as legal expenses. Trump has pleaded not guilty.
Blanche has spent days attempting to undermine the credibility of the prosecution’s key witness. Monday’s testimony lacked dramatic moments but underscored a specific aspect of Cohen’s reimbursements. Cohen admitted to submitting a $50,000 reimbursement request for a payment to tech company RedFinch, despite only repaying the firm $20,000. He then requested a full $50,000 reimbursement from the Trump Organization, $30,000 more than he had actually paid the tech company.
RedFinch was contracted to elevate Trump’s standing in an online poll of history’s most notable business leaders. When asked by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger why he requested the full amount, Cohen explained that he was upset about a reduced bonus that year and saw the larger reimbursement as a form of “self-help.”
Cohen also admitted to seeking reimbursement for his $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. A document central to the case shows the reimbursement plan to Cohen, handwritten by Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg. Weisselberg’s notes detail how Cohen was to be reimbursed for the Daniels payout and his Red Finch expenses.
The trial centers on the fallout from the hush money payment to Daniels, who claimed to have had a sexual encounter with Trump, an allegation he denies. The total reimbursements for these expenses and the allegedly fraudulent way they were recorded form the basis for the charges.
Cohen, the recipient of the allegedly fraudulent reimbursement, was summoned by prosecutors to testify about his boss’s alleged intent and knowledge of the repayment scheme. However, Cohen’s criminal record and history of lying provided ample ammunition for Trump’s attorneys to question his credibility.
“Without Mr. Cohen, there is no case,” Blanche told Justice Juan Merchan, arguing for the case to be dismissed. “He not only lied repeatedly in the past under oath, but he lied in this courtroom.”
During cross-examination, Blanche attempted to depict Cohen as driven by greed, noting that Cohen earned over $4m from his books and podcasts that heavily focus on Trump. When asked if a conviction would benefit him financially, Cohen denied it, stating, “It’s better if he’s not [convicted], because it gives me more to talk about in the future.”
Trump’s attorneys also called Robert Costello, a lawyer who worked with Cohen during his 2018 federal investigation. Costello described Cohen’s behavior at the time as “manic,” but his testimony was quickly overshadowed by his conduct on the stand, which drew the ire of Justice Merchan.
In a final attempt to repair the damage done by the defense, prosecutor Hoffinger challenged the defense’s claims that Cohen participated in the case for personal gain. When asked how the case affected his life, Cohen responded, “My entire life has been turned upside down as a direct result.”
Shortly after, the prosecution officially rested its case.
