Rhiannon Hendricks
Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer to ex-President Donald Trump, is set to testify against his former boss in a New York criminal trial. Cohen, who once described himself as Trump's attack dog with a law license, is expected to take the stand on Monday and testify for multiple days. Prosecutors hope his testimony will support their allegations of criminal conduct against Trump. Cohen has previously testified before the House Oversight Committee in February 2019, admitting to making hush-money payments to former adult film star Stormy Daniels to hide an alleged affair with Trump.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Michael Cohen |
| Occupation | Former Trump fixer, personal attorney, and self-described "attack dog with a law license" |
| Testifying Against | Donald Trump |
| Date | 13th May 2024, 14th May 2024, 16th May 2024 |
| Testifying For | The prosecution |
| Testifying In | Trump's hush money trial |
| Location | Manhattan Criminal Court, New York |
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What You'll Learn
Michael Cohen testifies against Donald Trump for a third day
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, testified before Congress for a third day on Wednesday, providing additional details about Trump's business dealings and personal conduct. Cohen, who has been cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, appeared before the House Intelligence Committee for a closed-door hearing. According to reports, Cohen provided documents and answered questions about Trump's financial records, including possible tax fraud and insurance fraud. Cohen also discussed Trump's dealings with Russia, including the proposed Trump Tower Moscow project, which was being negotiated during the 2016 presidential campaign. Cohen reportedly provided new details about the involvement of Trump family members in the Moscow project and their knowledge of it. In addition, Cohen answered questions about hush money payments made to women alleging affairs with Trump, including Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal. Cohen previously admitted to facilitating these payments and violating campaign finance laws. He is currently serving a three-year prison sentence for these crimes, as well as tax evasion and lying to Congress.
During his testimony, Cohen expressed regret for his past actions and his loyalty to Trump, stating that he felt it was his duty to cover up the president's "dirty deeds." He also claimed that Trump had implicitly told him to lie about the Moscow project and that Trump knew in advance about the WikiLeaks release of hacked Democratic emails during the 2016 campaign. Cohen's testimony is expected to provide valuable insights for multiple ongoing investigations, including those by the House Intelligence, Oversight, and Financial Services Committees. While Trump has denied any wrongdoing and dismissed Cohen as a "liar" and "fraud," Cohen's testimony is likely to fuel further scrutiny and potentially lead to new lines of inquiry.
Cohen's appearance before the House Intelligence Committee marked the conclusion of his three-day testimony on Capitol Hill. On Tuesday, he testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee in a closed-door session, and on Wednesday morning, he appeared publicly before the House Oversight and Reform Committee. During his public testimony on Wednesday, Cohen apologized for his past behavior and called Trump a "conman" and a "cheat." He also provided the committee with a copy of a $35,000 check that Trump allegedly signed while president to reimburse him for the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. This check, Cohen claimed, was one of 11 installments of $35,000 each that he received from Trump, totaling $420,000.
In addition to discussing the hush money payments and Trump's business dealings, Cohen also made several other allegations during his testimony. He claimed that Trump had made racist remarks, including saying that "all black people live in hell" and expressing admiration for white supremacists. Cohen also alleged that Trump had threatened people associated with his campaign not to disclose details of a meeting they held with a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower in June 2016. According to Cohen, Trump said that anyone who disclosed information about the meeting "would never work in this town again." Cohen's testimony has provided Congress with a wealth of information and potential leads for further investigation into Trump's conduct and business affairs.
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Cohen's testimony could send Trump to prison
Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer to Donald Trump, testified against his ex-boss for a third day in New York. Cohen, who once described himself as Trump's "attack dog with a law license," is the star witness in the New York criminal hush money trial.
Cohen told the court that he now regrets his loyalty to Trump and the actions he took on his behalf. He also said that he and his family have paid a dire price for his association with the former president. Cohen's testimony is expected to continue for multiple days.
Cohen's name was mentioned by prosecutors over 90 times in their opening statement. They hope his testimony will support their allegations of criminal conduct against Trump. The jury has already seen Trump's signatures on the allegedly fraudulent checks at the center of the case. However, some witnesses have seemingly distanced Trump from the alleged unlawful conduct, leaving Cohen with the burden of pinning Trump to the crime.
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Cohen's testimony reveals Trump's knowledge of falsified documents
On Wednesday, Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer to former President Donald Trump, testified against his former boss for a third day in a New York criminal trial. Cohen is central to the prosecutors' case, which alleges that Trump committed 34 felony counts of falsified business records.
Cohen told the Manhattan courtroom that Trump had tasked him, on several occasions, with keeping stories about sex out of the media's glare as he ran for president. Cohen also testified that he had wired $130,000 in hush money to porn actress Stormy Daniels just 11 days before the 2016 election. Daniels, who was at the center of the hush money case, was invited by Cohen onto a podcast. Cohen said he wanted to "speak to her and to 'Mea Culpa,' and to apologize."
Cohen also testified that he had submitted false invoices to the then-Trump Organization controller, Jeffrey McConney, to cover up the hush-money payments. In one email, dated February 14, 2017, Cohen invoiced $35,000 for each of the months of January and February, claiming they were for "services rendered." When asked by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger if this was true, Cohen replied, "Yes, ma'am." Cohen also admitted to submitting further false invoices.
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Cohen's testimony reveals Trump's hush money scheme
Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer to ex-President Donald Trump, testified against his former boss for a third day in a New York criminal trial. Cohen, who once described himself as Trump's "attack dog with a law license", has been central to the prosecutors' case, which alleges that Trump committed 34 felony counts of falsified business records.
Cohen's testimony has revealed Trump's knowledge of the deal with adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair. Cohen himself made a $130,000 hush-money payment to Daniels in 2016 to hide an alleged affair with Trump. Cohen admitted that Trump told him to lie about the payment and that he was reimbursed.
Cohen also testified about the April 2018 raid by law enforcement on his apartment, law firm, a hotel room, and a bank where he stashed valuables. He shared that he now regrets some of the things he did for Trump and the loyalty he showed the former president for so long. Cohen said that he and his family have paid a dire price.
Cohen's testimony has been highly anticipated, with prosecutors mentioning his name over 90 times in their opening statement. Cohen has been described as the star witness in the trial, with his testimony potentially sending his former boss to prison.
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Cohen's testimony reveals Trump's win-at-all-costs mentality
Michael Cohen, former lawyer and self-described "attack dog" to Donald Trump, testified against his old boss for a third day in New York on Wednesday. Cohen's testimony has revealed a win-at-all-costs mentality in the Trump camp, with Cohen admitting to his own role in the hush-money scheme to bury stories that could have damaged Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.
Cohen, who once said he would take a bullet for Trump, has now turned on his former employer, alleging that Trump knew about the deal with adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair. Cohen also admitted to lying to Congress about potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign to protect the former president.
Cohen's testimony has provided a unique insight into the Trump Organization and the former president's mentality. Cohen described how, over time, Trump became a "patriarchal figure" to him, and that he fell under his "trance-like spell". Cohen wrote that he came to understand that "questions of right and wrong didn't matter to Trump in the slightest—all that counted to him, and then to me, was winning and displaying blind loyalty".
Cohen's testimony has also revealed the extent of the hush-money scheme, with Cohen detailing how Trump was linked to all aspects of the operation. Cohen told the court about the April 2018 raid on his apartment, law firm, hotel room, and bank by law enforcement, which was part of a probe into the Trump campaign. He also revealed that he had secretly recorded a 2017 phone call with Stormy Daniels' former lawyer, Keith Davidson, in which he vented about his relationship with Trump and the actions he took on his behalf ahead of the 2016 election.
Cohen's testimony is a significant development in the case against Trump, with prosecutors hoping it will support their allegations of criminal conduct. The jury has already seen Trump's signatures on the allegedly fraudulent checks at the center of the case, and Cohen's evidence may be enough to pin Trump to the crime.
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Frequently asked questions
Michael Cohen was Donald Trump's trusted advisor, personal attorney, and self-described "attack dog with a law license" for nearly a decade.
Michael Cohen is testifying in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial in New York.
Michael Cohen testified on May 14, 2024, for the second day in Trump's hush money trial. He also testified for a third day on May 16, 2024.
Michael Cohen testified in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City.
Michael Cohen testified that an invoice for “services rendered” was a false record. He also testified about how the former president was linked to all aspects of the hush money scheme.
