Donald Trump Hush Money Trial: Michael Cohen Offers Insider Knowledge About Ex-boss' Shady Deals
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The Donald Trump porn star hush money trial entered Day 17, with former Trump lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen continuing his testimony and revealing some of the former president's shady business dealings. After his testimony, the Trump defense team then got to grill Cohen, who is regarded as the prosecution's star witness.
In his testimony, Cohen told the jury that he did a lot of dirty things for Donald Trump, who is under trial for falsifying business records and hiding his affairs with former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal and former porn star Stormy Daniels and helping influence the election.
"To keep the loyalty and to do the things that he had asked me to do, I violated my moral compass, and I suffered the penalty, as has my family," Michael Cohen told the jury as he continued his testimony for the second day. He was the one who allegedly used his own money to pay off Stormy Daniels before getting reimbursed by Trump by hiding the payment as legal fees. This is considered illegal.
While the defense tried to muddle the waters and draw attention to Cohen's social media posts that constantly attacked Trump, Cohen stuck to his story and testified that as Trump's lawyer and fixer, he purposefully mislabeled checks and gave false receipts all in the name of his blind loyalty to Trump.
As the Associated Press noted, his testimony stuck to the course of what the prosecution wanted, and that was to show that it was not about Trump paying hush money to a porn star but rather his effort to illegally cover up those payments.
Cohen testified in detail how his former boss was linked to all aspects of the hush money scheme. However, his checkered past, especially his constant lying for Donald Trump while under the former president's employment, could hurt the prosecution.
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Donald Trump Attorneys Went After Michael Cohen's Credibility During the Hush Money Trial
As expected, Trump's attorneys did exactly that and went after Cohen's credibility. Trump's attorney, Todd Blanche, asked Cohen regarding his social media posts slamming his former boss, such as the former Trump attorney's comments about Donald Trump belonging in a cage. Cohen answered that the trial was personally important to him and confirmed that he does want to see the former president convicted.
Blanche then accused Cohen of being motivated by fame, to which Cohen replied, "No sir, I don't think that's fair to say, I'm motivated by many things."
Before the fiery exchange between Cohen and Blanche, jurors were shown business records and other paperwork, with Cohen explaining to them that the payments were reimbursements for the hush money. While they were listed as legal fees or retainer payments, these were actually for the Stormy Daniels payments.
Donald Trump Allies Flock to New York in 'Support' of Ex-POYUS During the Hush Money Trial
Meanwhile, several Republicans, including former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and House Speaker Mike Johnson, tried to show their fealty to the former president. According to the BBC, they personally went to New York to attend the hush money trial.
"I am disgusted by what is happening here," said Johnson, adding, "what is being done to our entire system of justice."
However, it was noted that he could not present any argument on why Trump should not face justice as evidence points to him illegally paying off Daniels by falsifying business records.
READ MORE: Donald Trump Hush Money Trial Gets 'Stormy' as Stormy Daniels Takes the Stand
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: What is Trump's hush-money trial really about? We explain on a whiteboard - Guardian Australia
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