Michael Cohen spent a day testifying against former President Trump in his criminal trial, where he is the star witness for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The charges against Trump include falsifying business records related to a payment of $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Cohen, who once vowed to “take a bullet” for Trump, testified about his role in arranging the alleged payment to Daniels to keep her allegations of a sexual encounter with Trump from becoming public. He revealed that he often lied for Trump and served as a “fixer” for him.
Cohen explained that in October 2016, he informed Trump that Daniels needed to be paid to silence her ahead of the election, which angered Trump when she emerged later. Cohen discussed how he coordinated the payment to Daniels and the role of Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg in funding it. He used personal funds from a home equity line of credit to front the payment, later being reassured by Weisselberg that he would be paid back. Cohen stressed that he would not have proceeded with the payment without Trump’s approval, despite his execution of the plan.
Cohen detailed how he opened a bank account with First Republic Bank to transfer the funds to Daniels, fraudulently describing the account as for “management consulting.” He obtained Trump’s approval for the transaction through phone calls and wired the funds to Daniels’ attorney, marking the payment as a “retainer” in the agreement. Cohen used the pseudonym “David Dennison” to keep Trump’s name confidential in the NDA. He also revealed that he secretly recorded Trump discussing a payment to former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker to keep him “loyal” to Trump.
In addition to the payment to Daniels, Cohen testified about his interactions with Trump regarding his role in the White House. He explained that he did not initially want the role of chief of staff but wanted his name in consideration for the position out of ego. After turning down an offer to be assistant general counsel, Cohen pitched the idea of being Trump’s personal attorney, which Trump eventually agreed to. Cohen presented his reasoning for the importance of having a personal attorney for the president and his interactions with Trump leading up to being named as such.
Overall, Cohen’s testimony painted a picture of his close relationship with Trump, including his willingness to lie and take significant risks to protect Trump and carry out his demands. Cohen detailed the intricate planning and execution of the payment to Daniels, highlighting Trump’s involvement in the decision-making process. He also revealed his outside efforts to protect Trump’s interests related to Pecker and other sensitive matters. Cohen’s testimony shed light on the inner workings of Trump’s organization and his interactions with key figures during a critical period in the lead-up to the 2016 election.
