Criminal trial | Michael Cohen incriminates Donald Trump

(New York) Donald Trump was aware of payments to cover up “catastrophic” sex scandals during the 2016 presidential campaign, his former lawyer Michael Cohen accused on Monday, during shock testimony at the trial in New York of the ex -American president.

(Re)read “Michael Cohen: a “gangster” at the helm”

The one who was loyal to Donald Trump, but now swears his downfall, also claimed to have lied, intimidated and threatened on behalf of his former boss, during a tense hearing in the courtroom of the Manhattan criminal court.

At the heart of the case: hidden payments in 2016 to a pornographic film star, Stormy Daniels.

First nervous then speaking quickly and calmly, Michael Cohen, 57, described one by one the steps which led him to pay $130,000 via the account of a shell company to this actress and pornographic film director, real name Stephanie Clifford.

According to the sworn account given by this ex-lawyer, candidate Trump gave him the green light to pay Stormy Daniels and promised to reimburse him: “Absolutely, do it” and “don’t worry, you will get your money back,” Mr. Cohen said, quoting the ex-president, just before the November 2016 presidential election.

“Women will hate me”

Donald Trump, who was going to face Hillary Clinton, even told her about supposed extramarital affairs: “It’s a disaster […] women will hate me.”

“He asked me to work with [un patron de presse à l’époque d’un tabloïd, David Pecker] For […] stop this,” said Mr. Cohen, referring to this “catch and kill” process of buying stories by tabloid newspapers to “kill” them.

After the raw account delivered eight hours last week by Stormy Daniels about a sexual encounter in 2006 with Donald Trump – which he denies – the testimony of Michael Cohen, which should continue on Tuesday, is a key moment in this historic trial in heavy political issues.

At 77, the Republican candidate for the White House faces the first criminal conviction – possibly accompanied by prison time – of a former president in the history of the United States.

This would not prevent him from running on November 5, 2024 against Democratic incumbent President Joe Biden.

” Yes Madam ”

Did the former lawyer, who at the time did not deny Donald Trump’s nickname of “pitbull” with which he was given, already “lie” and “intimidate” to protect his former boss?

“Yes Madam” the prosecutor. “This is what had to be done to accomplish the tasks,” he justified.

Donald Trump remained impassive, listening to his ex-accomplice, sometimes a little slumped in his chair.

The two men who had a tenacious hatred for each other did not exchange a glance.

Michael Cohen also implicated Donald Trump by claiming that he was aware of payments to a model PlayboyKaren McDougal, so that she keeps quiet again because of an alleged affair.

Donald Trump reportedly asked him to “make sure” that the story “doesn’t get out.” The jury was again able to hear the audio recording of a private conversation where the two men discuss a payment to M^me McDougal.

“Legal costs”

After Michael Cohen himself paid Stormy Daniels $130,000, Donald Trump reimbursed him in 2017 while he was president.

According to the prosecution, this had been disguised as “legal fees” in the accounts of the family’s real estate company, the Trump Organization. Objective: to hide that the money had been used to cover up this scandal since Mr. Trump had been married to Melania since 2006.

The billionaire is being prosecuted for 34 accounting falsification offenses, which could theoretically earn him up to a prison sentence.

When the affair was revealed by the Wall Street Journal in 2018, Michael Cohen said he paid Stormy Daniels on his own initiative, without informing Donald Trump.

Caught by the law, the man who once prided himself on being ready “to take a bullet for Donald Trump” turned against him, claiming to have acted under his orders.

He pleaded guilty in 2018 to tax evasion, making false statements to Congress and violating campaign finance laws, the latter offense being directly linked to the payment to Stormy Daniels. Sentenced to three years in prison, he spent a year behind bars.

The former lawyer is expected to be subjected to a barrage of questions on Tuesday from the defense, which has portrayed him as a pathological liar.

People close to Trump comment on his trial live

A former American president in the dock is unprecedented. But in an additional rarity at Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York, some of his relatives are publishing their comments live on social networks.

The judge presiding over the debates ordered the Republican candidate for the November presidential election to refrain from attacking jurors and witnesses orally or on social networks, with threats of imprisonment in support.

But nothing prevents Donald Trump’s entourage from speaking out about the trial, which they hardly deprive themselves of.

Eric Trump, one of the former president’s sons, present in the courtroom, on Monday brushed aside the testimony of Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer who became his sworn enemy. “I’ve never seen anything so rehearsed as in the theater! “.

And to tweet his agreement with a comment from Ohio Senator JD Vance, whose name is circulating to appear as Donald Trump’s running mate in November against outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden.

The senator protests against media reports which reported a few days ago that Donald Trump “seemed about to fall asleep or get bored”.

“What they’re trying to sell is the theory that ‘yes Biden is mentally unfit but the other guy is also questionable.’ It’s absurd. I’m 39 years old, I’ve been here for 26 minutes and I’m about to fall asleep,” he assured on X.

Andrew Giuliani, son of Donald Trump’s former lawyer Rudy Giuliani, also speaks live from the courtroom. Michael Cohen, sentenced to prison for financial crimes in particular, is a “serial liar” and a “criminal”, he says on X.

During a recess, JD Vance added more. “What the president [Trump] is prevented from saying, and it’s a shame, that every single person involved in these lawsuits is almost a Democratic operative,” he told Fox News.