Michael Cohen’s courtroom confession to stealing from the Trump Organization has raised significant questions about his credibility and the prosecution’s handling of his case.
Cohen Admits to Deception
Michael Cohen, a former attorney for the Trump Organization, confessed in court on Monday to deceiving Allen Weisselberg, the former CFO of the Trump Organization, in 2017 regarding reimbursement for a payment made to RedFinch, a tech company. Cohen requested $50,000 but only paid the company $20,000.
Trump’s defense attorney Todd Blanche challenged Cohen directly on this issue. “You stole from the Trump Organization, correct?” He asked as reported by ABC News.
Trump Attorney: “You stole from the Trump organization?”
Cohen: “Yes sir.” pic.twitter.com/Kc7egoJfsV
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 20, 2024
Payments Related to Stormy Daniels
Cohen also sought reimbursement for a $130,000 payment he made before the 2016 election as part of a nondisclosure agreement with Stormy Daniels. This payment is central to the case against Trump brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Trump faces 34 charges related to alleged falsification of business records to reimburse Cohen for the payment to Daniels through monthly payments of $35,000, which were labeled as payment for “legal services.”
Defense Challenges Cohen’s Credibility
…These are hits below the waterline for Cohen but also the prosecutors. They had a man admitting to a major larceny but never charged Cohen. That made Cohen not only their man, but allowed him to keep stolen money…
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) May 20, 2024
Cohen is the sole witness who has directly implicated Trump in these payments. He testified last week that Trump approved his reimbursement plan and that Weisselberg confirmed this in Trump’s presence, stating that Cohen would receive a total of $420,000 over 12 months.
Accusations of Lying and Evidence Discrepancies
Defense lawyers accused Cohen of lying during a critical part of his testimony on Thursday. They presented text messages showing that a call Cohen claimed to have made to Trump’s bodyguard, Keith Schiller, about the Stormy Daniels situation was actually about dealing with harassing calls from a 14-year-old.
Impact on Prosecution’s Case
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 13: Former Donald Trump lawyer and loyalist Michael Cohen walks out of a Manhattan courthouse after testifying before a grand jury on March 13, 2023. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Law professor Jonathan Turley from George Washington University noted that Blanche’s questions were damaging not only for Cohen but also for the prosecution team who allowed Cohen to retain the stolen funds.
“They had a man admitting to a major larceny but never charged Cohen,” Turley commented.
Source: dailycaller.com