Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers are attempting to question the credibility of Trump’s former attorney and the prosecution’s key witness, Michael Cohen. They called Robert Costello as their key defense witness on Monday, despite objections from prosecutors. Costello, a longtime attorney to Rudy Giuliani, reached out to Cohen after his $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels became public and tried to use himself and Giuliani as a backchannel to communicate with Trump. Cohen wrapped up four days of testimony on Monday but was scolded by Judge Juan Merchan for criticizing him on the stand.
Before the prosecution rested its case, Trump attorney Todd Blanche cross-examined Cohen for a third day. Cohen testified that Trump knowingly participated in a hush money scheme to pay Daniels to cover up allegations of an affair and was personally involved in reimbursing Cohen for the payments. Cohen admitted to stealing $30,000 from the Trump Organization, claiming he pocketed part of a reimbursement meant for tech company RedFinch. Blanche questioned Cohen’s testimony about phone calls with Trump, but Cohen maintained that they discussed the Daniels payment ahead of the 2016 election.
Costello took the stand after slamming Cohen’s testimony in a congressional hearing last week, accusing him of lying under oath about Trump’s involvement in the Daniels payment. Cohen claimed he didn’t tell Costello the truth because he didn’t trust him. Costello reiterated his claim that Trump knew nothing about the payments and did not direct him to make them. Blanche accused Cohen of lying about a phone call with Trump, alleging it was about a harassment situation involving a 14-year-old. Prosecutors entered a photo showing Trump with Schiller around the time of the call, further complicating the case.
Cohen admitted to his past of lying under oath but insisted that in this case, he had no reason to lie. Prosecutors noted that Cohen is not actually on trial and suggested that he had no incentive to lie in his testimony. Despite Blanche’s attempts to undermine Cohen’s credibility, prosecutors countered his arguments, getting Cohen to reaffirm that Trump approved a statement saying he paid Daniels of his own volition and that the reimbursement payments were not for legal services.
The trial is expected to continue for at least another week, with closing arguments scheduled for May 28. Trump faces 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records, which could result in fines and/or prison time if he is convicted. Cohen, once a loyal attorney and fixer for Trump, has become one of his harshest critics, flipping on him in 2018 and pleading guilty to various crimes. The trial has shed light on the alleged hush money scheme involving Trump, Daniels, and Cohen, as well as the reimbursement payments made by Trump through the Trump Organization. Despite efforts to discredit Cohen’s testimony, the case against Trump remains ongoing.
