Michael Cohen testified that he paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 just before the 2016 election at the direction of Donald Trump and was promised reimbursement. This implicates Trump in the hush money scheme, with Cohen alleging that Trump broke the law by falsifying business records to reimburse him and conceal the payment. Trump denies having an affair with Daniels and has pleaded not guilty to the charges. During his testimony, Cohen and Trump mostly avoided eye contact, with Trump often closing his eyes or reading news stories.
Trump’s attorneys are expected to question Cohen on Tuesday in an attempt to discredit him by highlighting his past convictions for perjury and inconsistencies in his statements. Through his testimony, Cohen detailed his involvement in working with former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker to kill negative stories about Trump during the campaign, keeping Trump informed about hush money negotiations with Keith Davidson, and Trump’s approval of the false repayment for the Daniels payment.
Cohen’s role in the hush money scheme connects various witnesses in the trial, including Pecker, Davidson, Dylan Howard, Hope Hicks, and others involved in the payments, through text messages, emails, and phone calls. He explained his conversations with Trump during the negotiations, supported by phone records showing their communication, and linked the payment to Trump’s campaign, stating that not completing it would be catastrophic to the campaign.
After agreeing to the $130,000 settlement with Davidson, Cohen delayed the payment at Trump’s direction to ensure it was made after the election, with Trump’s approval being crucial at every step. Cohen even lied on his bank statements about the purpose of the payments, leading to federal charges against him in 2018. He admitted that he would not have been able to open the account for the LLC without Trump’s approval, illustrating the extent of Trump’s involvement in the scheme. Cohen’s testimony sheds light on the intricate details of the hush money scheme and Trump’s alleged role in it, painting a damning picture of the former president’s actions.
