Irregularities in NY v. Trump Trial: The Witnesses (Part 5)

LIST OF IRREGULARITIES BEHIND THE PROSECUTION OF FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP Case: New York v. Trump, No. 71543-23

PART 5: WITNESSES FOR THE PROSECUTION

L-R: “Stormy Daniels,” Michael Cohen, judge Juan Merchan (Image via NYT)

MICHAEL COHEN (Trump’s former lawyer and the prosecutions’ key witness) • In court, Michael Cohen said he’d like to see Trump in jail From the trial: Trump’s lawyer Blanche: You’ve regularly commented that you want President Trump in jail? Cohen: Yes I would like to see that. Sure. Blanche: You sell a T-shirt depicting President Trump in an orange jumpsuit behind bars? Cohen: Yes sit [sir]. … Trump’s lawyer Blanche: You said President Trump should be in handcuffs- & you made money off it? Cohen: I did. Details: Trial update (day 17 – May 14, 2024) [Related: Bob Costello, Cohen’s former legal advisor, said Cohen told him: I’ll do whatever the f**k I have to do, I’ll never spend one day in jail.…I don’t have anything on Donald Trump.” On Stormy Daniels’ NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) payment, Cohen told Costello: “This was my idea.”] • In court, Cohen said he has earned about $4.4 million in bashing Trump over the last four years Trump lawyer Blanche cross-examined Cohen: Q So, since you started your podcast the fall of 2020, and wrote your book, how much have you made on a yearly basis until now? A In total between the books and the podcasts, about $ 4 million. Q So , you testified last week that you made 3.4 million from your two books, is that right? A Correct. Q So, are you saying you made about $600,000 from your two podcasts? A Probably more since it started. Q How much more? A A million dollars in total. Q So, that would make it 4.4 million since the fall of 2020? Does that sound about right? A Yes. Details: Forbes, court transcript (May 20, 2024), transcript via NYT • In court, Cohen lied about phone call with Trump’s bodyguard, Keith Schiller The phone call on Oct. 24, 2016 was about a 14-year old pranker and not to “discuss the Stormy Daniels matter and the resolution of it.” Details: here, testimony on 5/16/2024 • On the stand, Cohen acknowledged he stole $30+K from Trump but was never charged even though it’s larceny worse than Trump’s charges Details: here

WHAT WE KNEW ABOUT COHEN BEFORE THE TRIAL • NYT: Bragg’s case relies on Michael Cohen, a disbarred lawyer who served prison time What may further complicate the case is that it relies heavily on testimony from Cohen, a disbarred lawyer who served prison time after pleading guilty to violating campaign-finance laws, evading taxes, making false statements to a bank and lying to Congress. After the indictment, a chorus of critics — some but not all on the right — questioned the legal reasoning, wisdom …of the hush-money case. Details: Summary, NYT, here • A serial perjurer used by DA to prove an old misdemeanor against Trump in an embarrassment for the New York legal system By GWU law professor Jonathan Turley Details: here • The criminal record of Michael Cohen, the prosecutors’ key witness Details: here, summary: – Tax Evasion – Felony false statements – Lied to Congress – Violated campaign finance laws – Lied in Court • Michael Cohen to his Attorney: I’ll Do Whatever…I’ll Never Spend One Day in Jail Former Cohen legal adviser Bob Costello: Michael Cohen's former attorney Bob Costello on Alvin Bragg's "star witness": Michael Cohen "said, 'Guys, I want you to know I will do whatever the f I have to do. I will never spend one day in jail.' Now, what he’s saying is I’ll lie, cheat, steal, shoot somebody. I will not… pic.twitter.com/1LFz6tafdx — MAGA War Room (@MAGAIncWarRoom) March 21, 2023 – More videos: Cohen Ex-Lawyer’s Testimony & Interviews Contradicting Cohen’s #TrumpTrial Testimony

– 2018 LETTER: Cohen Confesses Paying Stormy Daniels with Personal Funds Not Trump’s

– READ Judge Order: Trump Prosecutor Star Witness Lied to Court (3/20/2024)

– Michael Cohen on TikTok Selling Trump-In-Jail Shirts (Images)

– LIST: NY Trial Key Witness Michael Cohen’s Podcasts Talking About Trump

– Fmr. SCOTUS Clerk: Trump Gagged but Not Michael Cohen. Bragg Has No Authority to Enforce Federal Law.

– Michael Cohen in 2016: Trump is Generous, Compassionate, Principled, Empathetic, Kind, Humble, Honest, and Genuine (Video, Transcript)

– READ: Trump Attorney’s Letters Re: Cohen Testimony & Access Hollywood Tape (April 17, 2024)

– #TrumpTrial: Who are the Witnesses for the Prosecution?

STORMY DANIELS (a.k.a Stephanie Clifford) • In court, Daniels acknowledged she hates Trump From court live Tweets by Inner City Press: (Day 13 – May 7, 2024) [Trump’s lawyer] Necheles: You hate President Trump, right? Daniels: Yes. Details: here • In court, Daniels acknowledged she owes Trump $500K in legal fees From court live Tweets by Inner City Press: [Trump’s lawyer] Necheles: You owe him $500,000 in legal fees? …March 2022, you were ordered to pay attorney’s fees for the appeal too, right? Daniels: Yes Necheles: More in 2023 because of your frivolous suit- Details: here • In court, Daniels acknowledged she won’t pay Trump From court live Tweets by Inner City Press: Necheles: You have said you will never pay, right? Daniels: Correct Necheles: I offer her tweet into evidence Prosecution: Objection! Justice Merchan: Sustained. Approach · [After sidebar] Justice Merchan: Accepted into evidence. [The tweet: “I will go to jail before I pay a penny.”] Trump’s lawyer Necheles: That was you saying you didn’t care about a Federal order, right? Stormy Daniels: I won’t pay for telling the truth. · Trump’s lawyer Necheles: You wrote this, I don’t owe him shit and I’ll never give that orange turd a dime? Stormy Daniels: Yes Necheles: You make fun of how he looks too, right? Details: here • CNN: Stormy Daniels’ Responses were Disastrous, Irrelevant (Video) Details: here • Former Clinton federal judge Shira Scheindlin: Stormy’s testimony is irrelevant Sheindlin to CNN: The material that came in was not relevant to this criminal case at all. And I think it shows that she was trying to ‘get Trump.’ I actually thought there was a motive there. Details: report,video BEFORE THE TRIAL • Stormy Daniels’ “documentary” about Trump before initial trial date Judge Merchan denied the defense motion seeking all materials related to the “documentary” film titled “Stormy.” Details: explainer

MORE – PART 1: THE JUDGE – PART 2: THE PROSECUTORS & BIDEN – PART 3: THE TRIAL – PART 4: THE CASE

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This post might be updated later on.