Former President Donald Trump's ex-fixer, Michael Cohen, testified in a Manhattan courtroom, providing damning evidence against Trump in a case alleging Trump concealed payments made to silence porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. Cohen's account, supported by emails, texts, and audio recordings, paints a picture of Trump's involvement in orchestrating the hush money payments to protect his campaign.
Former President Donald Trump's Manhattan trial took a dramatic turn as his ex-fixer, Michael Cohen, took the stand and provided explosive testimony implicating Trump in the Stormy Daniels hush money payment scandal. Cohen's account, corroborated by a wealth of documentary evidence, paints a damning picture of Trump's involvement in concealing the payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Cohen's testimony began by confirming the account of David Pecker, publisher of the National Enquirer, who had previously testified about a quid-pro-quo arrangement with Trump. The Enquirer would run favorable stories about Trump and suppress negative ones, while Pecker would alert Trump to potential threats and try to mitigate them.
Cohen described a 2015 meeting where Trump confided that he expected women to come forward with allegations during his presidential campaign. The following year, when Cohen warned Trump about former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal's claims of an affair, Trump's response was telling: "She's very beautiful."
Cohen's credibility as Trump's "fixer" will undoubtedly be challenged by the defense, as prosecutors have alluded to his past as a convicted liar. However, the wealth of evidence presented by Cohen, including emails, texts, call records, encrypted messages, bank transfers, and an audiotape, poses a formidable challenge for Trump's attorneys.
During his testimony, Cohen described how he was "on top of the world" during his decade working for Trump. He had billed $100,000 worth of work for a Trump entertainment unit but was offered a job and told, half-jokingly, that he would be fired on the first day if he brought up the unpaid bill. Cohen's role was to pressure law firms into lowering their bills.
When asked if he would lie or bully for Trump, Cohen's answer was a resounding "Yes, ma'am." Cohen described a summer 2015 meeting with Trump and Pecker where they agreed on a strategy to suppress negative stories and promote positive ones. Cohen would preview articles and covers in advance and report back to Trump.
The first test came when the Trump Tower doorman was paid $30,000 for a bogus story about a love child. Cohen advised adding a $1 million penalty if the doorman violated the agreement. Next up was Karen McDougal, whose catch-and-kill payment cost the Enquirer $150,000. Trump approved the payment, suggesting they pay in cash, but his lawyer advised a check for legitimacy.
Pecker told Cohen to forget about the reimbursement for the McDougal payment, as a cover shoot with her for Men's Health sold better than expected. The payment to Stormy Daniels was deemed "catastrophic" by Cohen after the release of the "Access Hollywood" tape. Cohen testified that Trump told him to get the payment past the election, as it would become irrelevant if he won or no one would care if he lost.
Cohen transferred the money from his home equity line of credit, buying the life rights to Stormy's tale. He stated that he would not have done this without Trump's approval, who assured him he would get his money back. A last scare came when the Wall Street Journal reported on the Enquirer's deal with McDougal just before the election.
Cohen consulted with Hope Hicks on the best spin for the press, but ultimately decided to sit on Stormy's denial as the story was not gaining much attention. Defense attorneys will undoubtedly challenge Cohen's motivation, but the well-documented sequence of events presented by Cohen, backed by irrefutable evidence, poses a significant challenge for Trump's team.
The rest of the day was spent inoculating Cohen against the eventual cross-examination. Cohen expressed his anger and hurt over Trump cutting his 2016 bonus by two-thirds. He also revealed his desire to be mentioned for White House chief of staff, his desire to be Trump's personal lawyer for no fee, and his eventual reimbursement for the hush money payment and bonus.
While sleeping with a porn star or signing an NDA is not a crime, Trump's involvement in concealing the payments for campaign purposes opens the door to charges of political manipulation and falsification of records. If the jury believes Michael Cohen's testimony, the former fixer may get his fix after all.
