Despite Michael Cohen's sworn testimony, he failed to connect Donald Trump to any cognizable crime. Cohen's history of lying and the inherent contradictions in his testimony raise significant doubts about the reliability of his evidence.
Michael Cohen's testimony in the Manhattan trial of Donald Trump has been a spectacle of contradictions and falsehoods. Despite taking the oath to tell the truth, Cohen has a long history of lying under oath, including during his previous testimony before Congress and in court. This raises serious questions about the credibility of his evidence.
Cohen's testimony suffers from the "liar's paradox," a philosophical dilemma that arises when a liar admits to lying. If Cohen is indeed lying, then his admission of his lies is truthful. However, if he is lying about the lie, then everything else he says is also suspect. This creates an impossible situation for a jury trying to determine the truthfulness of his testimony.
In the trial, Cohen failed to provide any concrete evidence linking Trump to any cognizable crime. He admitted to lying and bullying people, including his client, Trump, by secretly recording him without his permission. This recording, which was played in court, seemed to help the defense rather than the prosecution.
Cohen's testimony regarding payments made to former Playboy model Karen McDougal was irrelevant to the charges against Trump. McDougal was never called as a witness, and the payments were not related to the campaign finance violations alleged by the prosecution.
Cohen also admitted to paying $130,000 to Stormy Daniels for her silence, which he characterized as "legal expenses." However, he later testified that Trump was concerned about how Daniels' story might impact his electoral chances. This contradicts other witnesses who stated that Trump was primarily concerned about the impact on his wife and family.
Despite Cohen's claims, Trump used his own money for these payments, not campaign funds. The law imposes limits on campaign contributions, but not on personal expenditures. The Federal Election Commission and the Department of Justice have both concluded that there was no campaign finance violation.
Nevertheless, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has brought a campaign finance case against Trump, despite lacking the authority to enforce federal election laws. This legally flawed case is based on the assertion that Trump falsified his own private business records to conceal a nonexistent crime.
Cohen's testimony will likely be challenged on cross-examination, where he will be confronted with his numerous lies. In particular, he previously stated that the payment to Daniels was not a campaign contribution or expenditure, but later changed his tune.
Cohen's personal interest in lying is evident in his hatred of Trump and his greed. He is profiting from his testimony by trolling for dollars on TikTok and hawking a reality show.
By calling Cohen as his star witness, Bragg has subverted his duty to seek the truth. He is enabling a convicted perjurer to provide more lies and misinformation. This is a gross abuse of power and an embarrassment to the legal system.
