Former personal attorney to Donald Trump, Michael Cohen, testified against the ex-president in his New York criminal hush money trial. Cohen, who once stated he would “take a bullet” for Trump, described how he aggressively bullied and lied to accomplish tasks for his boss. As Trump’s campaign progressed, Cohen’s role shifted to negotiating with National Enquirer executives to secure positive coverage for Trump and engaging in hush money payments, such as a $150,000 sum to former Playboy model Karen McDougal.
Cohen was closely involved in orchestrating hush money payments during Trump’s 2016 campaign, including purchasing the rights to negative stories through the National Enquirer in a scheme called “catch and kill.” When McDougal’s allegation threatened to damage Trump’s reputation, Cohen warned him and ultimately bought the rights to her story for $150,000. Cohen testified that he acted at Trump’s direction and for his benefit, despite their need to scramble to repay the Enquirer.
Cohen also detailed his involvement in arranging a hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had an affair with Trump in 2006. Trump directed Cohen to purchase Daniels’ story through American Media Inc. to prevent it from affecting his presidential campaign. Cohen was convicted in 2018 for his role in the hush money payment to Daniels, as well as for tax evasion and campaign finance violations. Despite serving time in prison, Cohen has since been released and has publicly turned against Trump, apologizing for enabling him and criticizing his character and fitness for office.
Questions about Cohen’s credibility have been a focal point in the trial, given his criminal history and convictions related to his actions on behalf of Trump. Cohen pleaded guilty to charges of lying to Congress about Trump’s real estate negotiations in Moscow and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Since his release, Cohen has utilized his platform to speak out against Trump, authoring books about the former president and hosting a podcast where he has interviewed Stormy Daniels to apologize to her for causing her pain.
Despite Trump’s denials of the affairs and allegations against him, Cohen’s testimony sheds light on the extent of his involvement in covering up negative stories to protect the then-candidate’s reputation. Cohen’s willingness to testify against Trump and share details of their interactions, including their coordination on hush money payments, underscores the legal and ethical challenges facing a president who has faced numerous allegations of misconduct. As the trial continues, Cohen’s testimony is expected to play a significant role in determining Trump’s involvement and possible criminal liability in the hush money scheme.
