Former President Donald Trump appears in court during his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments in Manhattan Criminal Court on May 20, 2024 in New York City. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying company records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial. (Steven Hirsch-Pool/Getty Images)
New York state prosecutors dropped their case against Donald Trump on Monday after four days of testimony from their star witness, Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen, who says the former president was well aware of a hush-money cover-up. The defense portrays Cohen as a liar.
The criminal trial in Manhattan, the first ever against a former president, was now in its sixth week and was expected to lead to closing arguments on Tuesday. But New York Judge Juan Merchan indicated Monday that the proceedings would extend beyond Memorial Day.
Trump attorney Todd Blanche continued Monday in a lengthy and sometimes slow and rambling cross-examination of Cohen for evidence that would convince jurors that the former fixer cannot be trusted.
Cohen’s previous testimony that Trump reimbursed him for paying a porn star to keep his mouth shut before the 2016 presidential election is at the heart of the prosecution’s case.
Trump is accused of falsifying 11 invoices, 11 checks and 12 ledger entries as routine legal fees in lieu of hush money reimbursement, amounting to 34 felonies.
Trump denies all allegations and claims he never had a sexual relationship with adult film actress and director Stormy Daniels. She testified to the contrary in excruciating and uncomfortable detail in early May.
Monday’s proceedings were beset by objections and technological glitches, and wrapped in tense testimony from the defense’s second witness, Robert Costello, Cohen’s legal adviser who promised backdoor communications to Trump after Cohen was under the FBI’s thumb in 2018 .
The day ended with a long shot, but expected defense request to dismiss the case. Merchan has dismissed the court and said he will rule on Tuesday. The defense will then probably also drop its case.
Closing arguments are expected after the holidays.
Traveling’
Blanche started the day by discussing Cohen’s past business dealings, income and the money he has made since cutting ties with the former president.
Cohen testified that he has made millions of dollars from his books “Disloyal” and “Revenge” and his podcast “Mea Culpa,” all of which sharply criticize the man he always sought praise from, as he testified days earlier.
At Blanche’s insistence, Cohen confirmed that he is thinking about a third book, has a television show in the works called “The Fixer” and is considering running for Congress because he has “the best name recognition around.”
When Blanche suggested that Cohen’s name recognition depends on Trump, Cohen disagreed.
“I wouldn’t characterize it that way. I owe my name recognition to the journey I have made,” says Cohen.
“Well, the journey you went on… included daily attacks on Trump,” Blanche responded.
During the course of Blanche’s interrogation, Cohen again acknowledged his previous crimes and also admitted that he stole $30,000 from the Trump Organization when Trump fell behind on paying a tech company to rig a CNBC survey of famous businessmen.
A few minutes later Blanche asked, “Do you have a financial interest in this case?”
“Yes sir,” Cohen replied.
When Blanche questioned whether a guilty verdict is Cohen’s preferred outcome, Cohen responded, “The answer is no.” It’s better if he’s not (guilty) of me because then I’ll have more to talk about in the future.”
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger led her referral at a neat and fast clip, guiding Cohen through each of Blanche’s questioning questions to corroborate for the jury Cohen’s testimony that Trump’s hand was behind the hush money refunds.
“They asked you a lot of questions about how you made money and (your) podcast… Financial matters aside, how has telling the truth affected your life?” Hoffinger asked.
“My whole life has been turned upside down as a direct result,” Cohen responded.
Before the prosecution rested its case, the defense filed a lengthy objection to a still image from a C-SPAN video showing Trump and his bodyguard Keith Schiller just before 8 p.m. on October 24, 2016. The parties eventually settled agree to admit this.
Evidence that Trump and Schiller were together that night is key to Cohen’s claim that he spoke to both of them on the phone about paying off Daniels.
Trump’s support in court
A steady stream of high-profile Republican supporters have emerged for the Republican Party’s presumptive 2024 presidential nominee.
Monday’s supporters included Trump ally and lawyer Alan Dershowitz; legal counsel Boris Epshteyn, who is himself under indictment in Arizona for attempting to undermine the results of the 2020 presidential election; and Chuck Zito, an actor and one of the founders of the Hells Angels chapter in New York City in the 1980s.
Several Republican lawmakers, including vice presidential hopefuls, have come to Manhattan for the trial.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance and former Republican hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy attended May 13. Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama were also in attendance last week, along with Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird.
House Speaker Mike Johnson delivered remarks outside the courthouse on May 14, condemning the “sham trial” and accusing New York prosecutors of merely trying to keep the former president off the campaign trail.
The Louisiana Republican labeled Trump a victim of a “mockery of justice.”
Nearly a dozen far-right Republican House members showed up Thursday, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida. Gaetz was joined by other right-wing members of the House Freedom Caucus: fellow Floridian Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Mike Waltz; Eli Crane and Andy Biggs from Arizona; Lauren Boebert of Colorado; Ralph Norman of South Carolina; Diana Harshbarger and Andy Ogles of Tennessee; Mike Wolk of Texas; and caucus chairman Bob Good of Virginia.
Speaking on the sidewalk outside the courthouse, Gaetz described the charges as the “Mr. Potatohead Doll of Crimes,” accusing the prosecutor of combining things “that didn’t belong together.”
Representatives Byron Donalds and Cory Mills of Florida attended earlier this week.
Post-Prosecutor Rests in Trump Hush Money Trial After Former Fixer Cohen Is Grilled appeared first on Maine Morning Star.
