Michael Cohen, former lawyer to Donald Trump, testified against his former boss in a New York fraud case this week. Trump’s defense team immediately sought to undermine Cohen’s credibility by focusing on the money he has made from hosting podcasts and writing books that criticize the former president. Cohen admitted that he did have financial incentives to criticize Trump but was reluctant to provide specifics about his earnings from his media ventures. Despite this, it is clear that he has made a significant amount of money from his publications.
Cohen’s first book, “Disloyal: A Memoir,” spent four weeks on the New York Times’ best-seller list and sold 290,000 print copies. His second book, “Revenge: How Donald Trump Weaponized The Department of Justice Against His Critics,” spent one week on the best-seller list and sold 23,600 print copies. While Forbes estimates that Cohen may have earned around $1 million from the two books, Cohen testified that he did not receive an advance for either book and had a “nontraditional contract” with the publisher. Despite being under house arrest while writing and publishing “Disloyal,” Cohen declined to confirm the reported earnings.
In addition to his books, Cohen has a successful podcast called Mea Culpa, which has released nearly 350 episodes and ranks among the top 350 most popular podcasts in the United States. However, Cohen is facing legal disputes with Trump, including a lawsuit for $500 million that Trump filed against him in April, citing the content of Cohen’s books as a violation of their attorney-client relationship. Although Trump later withdrew the lawsuit, Cohen had already incurred substantial legal fees and was represented by five attorneys.
The ongoing animosity between Cohen and Trump was evident during Cohen’s testimony, which Trump attended. Despite Trump’s legal team’s attempts to discredit Cohen, the judge denied their request to end the case, prompting Trump to abruptly leave the courtroom during the proceedings. The clash between the two men continues to be a subject of public interest and intrigue, with Cohen’s media ventures and legal battles keeping him in the spotlight while he testifies against his former boss. The financial and personal implications of Cohen’s actions and the ongoing legal disputes between him and Trump highlight the complex and contentious nature of their relationship.
