Deborah Chan
Michael Cohen, former lawyer and self-described attack dog with a law license to Donald Trump, is expected to testify in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial in New York. Cohen is set to serve as the star witness in the trial, which kicked off in mid-April and does not take place on Wednesdays. Cohen's testimony is expected to support allegations of criminal conduct against Trump, including secret payments to women and lies to the public and the first lady.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | May 13, 2024 |
| Day | Monday |
| Person Testifying | Michael Cohen |
| Position | Former Trump fixer, personal attorney, and trusted advisor |
| Testimony Against | Donald Trump |
| Case Type | Criminal hush money trial |
| Location | New York |
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What You'll Learn
Michael Cohen testifies for the second day in Trump's hush money trial
Michael Cohen, former lawyer and self-described "attack dog" to Donald Trump, testified for the second day in Trump's hush money trial on Tuesday. Cohen, who previously served prison time for lying to Congress, is the prosecution's star witness in the trial. He has claimed that Trump was directly involved in the hush money payment and cover-up scheme, which was aimed at stifling stories that threatened his 2016 campaign.
During his testimony, Cohen told jurors that he lied to Congress during an investigation into potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign to protect Trump. He also described an April 2018 raid by law enforcement on his apartment, law firm, hotel room, and bank. Cohen shared that he now makes money through books and podcasts, having been disbarred and serving prison time.
Defense lawyer Todd Blanche has argued that Cohen cannot be trusted and that he decided to blame Trump for his problems. Blanche has focused on the conduct of the so-called "fixer," mentioning Cohen over 30 times in his opening statement. He claims that Cohen has misrepresented key conversations and that his testimony is driven by an obsession with getting Trump.
Prosecutors have attempted to emphasize that Cohen was acting on Trump's orders and that he has since atoned for his actions. They also expect the defense's cross-examination of Cohen to continue until the end of Thursday.
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Cohen's testimony could send Trump to prison
Michael Cohen, former lawyer and self-described "attack dog with a law license" to Donald Trump, is expected to testify against his former boss in a New York criminal hush money trial. Cohen is the prosecution's star witness, and his testimony could send Trump to prison.
Cohen was a trusted advisor and personal attorney to Trump for nearly a decade. He was hired by Trump as his personal counsel and established a close relationship with American Media, Inc., the publisher of the National Enquirer. In October 2016, Cohen made a $130,000 hush-money payment to former adult film star Stormy Daniels to hide an alleged affair with Trump. These payments are at the heart of the trial.
In February 2019, Cohen testified before the House Oversight Committee, admitting he paid Daniels to stay silent about an alleged affair with Trump and that Trump told him to lie about the payment. Cohen also blasted Trump’s character, calling him a racist. After this testimony, Cohen wrote portions of his memoir, "Disloyal: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump," detailing his fall from grace as Trump’s right-hand man.
During the current trial, Cohen is expected to testify for multiple days. He has already testified for two days, and Trump's lawyers are expected to continue their cross-examination of him. Cohen's testimony has linked Trump to all aspects of a hush money scheme that prosecutors say was aimed at stifling stories that threatened his 2016 campaign.
Cohen has also testified about how he lied to Congress during an investigation into potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign to protect Trump. He shared how he makes money now that he has served prison time and been disbarred. Prosecutors have attempted to emphasize that Cohen was acting on Trump's orders when he committed crimes and has since atoned for his actions.
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Cohen was Trump's trusted advisor, personal attorney, and fixer
Michael Cohen, former Trump fixer, personal attorney, and trusted advisor, is expected to testify in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York. Cohen worked with the Trump Organization and established a close relationship with American Media, Inc., the publisher of the National Enquirer, which became entangled in Trump's criminal hush money trial. Cohen supported Trump's ambitions as a potential 2012 presidential candidate and referred to himself as Trump's "pit bull." In October 2016, Cohen made a $130,000 hush-money payment to former adult film star Stormy Daniels to hide an alleged affair with Trump. Cohen testified before the House Oversight Committee in February 2019, admitting to the payment and that Trump instructed him to lie about it. Cohen served as Trump's self-described "attack dog with a law license" and fixer, taking responsibility for negative stories about Trump and protecting him from damaging allegations. In 2017, Cohen told Vanity Fair that he would “take a bullet” for Trump and defended himself as "the guy who stops the leaks" and "protects the president and the family." Cohen's testimony in the hush money trial is expected to continue until Thursday, with Trump's lawyers questioning his character and credibility. Cohen's testimony could be pivotal in the case against Trump, with prosecutors relying on his insider knowledge of Trump's operations to strengthen their allegations of criminal conduct.
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Cohen secretly recorded conversations with Trump
Michael Cohen, former lawyer and self-described "attack dog with a law license" to Donald Trump, is expected to testify in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York. Cohen has been described as the prosecution's "star witness" and is expected to take the stand for multiple days during the trial.
Cohen also 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 Trump's behalf ahead of the 2016 election. Cohen asked Davidson, "What would you do if you were me? Would you write a book, would you break away from the entire Trump, you know, we'll call it doctrine, you know, would you go completely rogue?".
Cohen's secret recordings have been described by former prosecutor Elie Honig as "brazenly unethical" and could potentially damage Cohen's credibility with the jury. However, Honig also noted that the recording could show that Trump was not involved in the crimes he is accused of, specifically the falsification of business records to evade campaign finance laws.
Cohen's testimony is expected to cover his role in the hush money scheme, as well as his previous statements about Trump's involvement in the scheme. He is also expected to face questioning from Trump's lawyers, who have accused him of perjury and making his livelihood off books and podcasts that antagonize Trump.
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Cohen perjured himself when he testified at Trump's civil fraud trial
Michael Cohen, a former personal attorney for former President Trump, testified in his civil fraud trial in New York in October 2023. Cohen's testimony linked Trump to a hush money scheme aimed at stifling stories that threatened his 2016 campaign. Cohen alleged that Trump instructed him and other executives to inflate his apparent fortune.
Trump's lawyers have argued that Cohen perjured himself when he testified at Trump's civil fraud trial. They accused Cohen of making a living off books and podcasts that antagonize Trump and sought to have the case dismissed on these grounds. Defense lawyer Todd Blanche claimed that Cohen decided to blame Trump for his problems and that he had misrepresented key conversations. He also argued that Cohen could not be trusted as he had a vendetta against Trump.
In response, prosecutors emphasized that Cohen was acting on Trump's orders when he committed crimes and has since atoned for his actions. They also pointed out that Cohen's testimony was consistent with his past criminal conduct and false statements, indicating that he was likely not exposing himself to new charges.
Cohen himself has admitted to lying in the past, including under oath. During his testimony, he shared that he had lied to Congress during an investigation into potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign to protect Trump. Despite the accusations of perjury, Judge Arthur Engoron did not regard Cohen as a "key witness" in the trial, stating that there was enough evidence in the case.
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Frequently asked questions
Michael Cohen was Donald Trump's trusted adviser, personal attorney, and self-described "attack dog with a law license" for nearly a decade.
Michael Cohen testified on Monday and Tuesday, and Trump's lawyers will continue their cross-examination of him until the end of the day on Thursday.
Michael Cohen is testifying in former President Donald Trump's New York criminal hush money trial. He is the prosecution's star witness.
Michael Cohen testified that Trump was linked to all aspects of the hush money scheme. He also said that he lied to Congress during an investigation into potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign to protect Trump.
Trump's lawyers have argued that Cohen perjured himself and that he cannot be trusted. They have accused him of making a living off books and podcasts that antagonize Trump.
