#Blanche seems to have gained some traction here, & notes that #MichaelCohen had said he wanted to be chief of staff. “That was for my ego, yes,” Cohen admitted. But now Cohen is reiterating that he wanted to be Trump's personal attorney.

Cohen, is 5 hours into his cross-examination, & is remaining calm, even as Blanche implies there was a series of slights & humiliations that Cohen suffered after #Trump’s election in 2016.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference

#MichaelCohen responds: “I wanted a hybrid position, one where I would have the access to President Trump but not be a White House employee.” It’s a helpful answer for prosecutors, underscoring, as they have said, that Cohen was bent on being close to Trump.

#Trump, who has had his eyes closed through much of this so far, is now glaring at Cohen.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #Trump #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference

None of the texts were definitive, but there were a lot of them, & they clearly show that #MichaelCohen was at least interested in the idea. When #ReincePriebus was finally named chief of staff, Cohen told his daughter he was disappointed, Blanche shows. Cohen admits here that he was disappointed.

Defense is showing Cohen was again rejected, this time for a job, & is seeking payback. It also shows he lied under oath.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #Trump #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference

#MichaelCohen is receiving nothing in return for his testimony, other than personal satisfaction if #Trump is #convicted.

Defense lawyers often attack cooperators by highlighting the benefits they are receiving from cooperating, suggesting that they are acting in their own self-interest & their testimony is tainted. But Cohen hasn't gotten anything.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #Trump #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney #MobTactics

#Merchan decides that #Blanche can do it in his own questioning. But prosecutors, Matthew #Colangelo & Joshua #Steinglass, argue that it it should come from Merchan because the questions were so misleading.

Merchan tells prosecutors that they can draft a version of an order that the judge himself would give if Blanche’s corrections end up being insufficient.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #Trump #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney #MobTactics

After the break, prosecutors are arguing that #Blanche, early in his questioning, asked questions that seemed to suggest that #Trump's #indictment was still sealed on March 30. The indictment was unsealed that evening, after NYT broke the news. The unsealing allowed the DA’s office to confirm that the news was true.

Prosecutors ask Justice #Merchan to explain this sequence to the jury. Merchan agrees that the jury should be advised.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #conspiracy #ElectionInterference

Jurors will have to determine when — if ever — #MichaelCohen began telling the truth. #Blanche is demonstrating that Cohen told lies, big & small, over a long period of time & for various reasons.

At the same time, prosecutors have & will demonstrate in re-direct & closing arguments that #Trump has told lies, big & small, about a number of people & issues in this & other cases.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney #MobTactics

#MichaelCohen admits he asked his lawyers to explore the possibility, although he testified before a House panel that he would never have accepted one. Cohen points out — correctly, as NYT broke the story — that Trump was dangling pardons to people connected to the special counsel's investigation into the #Trump campaign's possible ties to #Russia.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney #MobTactics

The defense is trying to suggest that #MichaelCohen has a history of manipulating the types of phone records that prosecutors have used here to bolster their case.

Blanche seizes on another lie: Cohen had testified years ago that he had never asked for a pardon, but testifies here today - as he did in a deposition - that he did, in fact, direct his lawyers to explore the possibility of a pardon.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #Trump #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #MobTactics

#Blanche asked #MichaelCohen about a number of different events, including an exchange of public statements w/ Michael #Avenatti, one of #StormyDaniels's lawyers, & conversations w/his wife. He ended by asking Cohen if he had deleted his communications w/his wife around that time, & Cohen seemed genuinely stumped. Then Blanche asks if Cohen, around this time, had taken to deleting his texts more generally.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #Trump #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference

#Blanche is now going over the financial transactions that allowed #MichaelCohen to pay #HushMoney to #StormyDaniels, perhaps the closest he's gotten to the subject matter of the case.

He notes that Cohen hid those transactions from his wife, apparently seeking to call into question whether Cohen was really as concerned about his family - & his wife — as he suggested when explaining his federal guilty plea.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #Trump #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference

#Blanche tries to connect #MichaelCohen having lied in his federal sentencing, when the outcome affected him personally, to his testimony here. “Do you have any doubt in your mind that the outcome of this trial affects you personally?” Blanche asks.

Throughout his cross-examination, Cohen has remained calm. He appeared mildly frustrated once but just shook his head after he answered one of Blanche’s questions.

#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference

#Blanche is showing #MichaelCohen’s lack of remorse. Cohen has talked publicly about wanting to right the wrongs he committed while working for #Trump. Blanche is getting him to say he doesn’t think he should have been charged.

Blanche asks Cohen about blaming a lot of people for the conduct for which he was convicted. Cohen freely acknowledges he has.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney #MobTactics

All #criminal trials involve #testimony from other #criminals.

That’s the thing about criminals, they work with other criminals.

Duh.

#Blanche is now demonstrating for the jury that #MichaelCohen lied under oath for different reasons. By his own admission, it wasn’t only to demonstrate his #loyalty to #Trump. He lied also, Cohen admits, because the stakes affected him personally.

#law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney #MobTactics

#Blanche has yet to ask #MichaelCohen about anything in connection to the actual case that's on trial.

Trump's lawyers have focused on impeaching the credibility of the prosecution's 2 biggest witnesses, #StormyDaniels & Cohen. Though while Susan #Necheles’s cross-examination of Daniels was largely focused & had an arc, Blanche’s cross-examination of Cohen has been all over the place.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #Trump #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney #MobTactics

#Trump is paying close attention, as clips play of #MichaelCohen describing how much he hates Trump & wants him to rot in prison.

Prosecution used earlier witnesses to introduce Michael Cohen to the jury as an outsized personality. + Cohen has not been shy on the stand about his hatred of Trump. These clips, while entertaining, might not come as a huge shock to the jury.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney #MobTactics

#Blanche plays a 2nd clip of #MichaelCohen from his podcast, in which he says he hopes “that this man ends up in prison,” & “revenge is a dish best served cold,” & “you better believe I want this man to go down & rot inside for what he did to me & my family.”

Blanche asks Cohen if he believes his podcasts & media interviews played a role in #Trump's #indictment. “I took some credit, yes,” he says.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference

#MichaelCohen seems deflated after hearing that clip. Blanche asks if that was the first time that he had said he wanted #Trump to feel what Cohen himself had felt when he was prosecuted. Cohen says that he had expressed that sentiment before.

Reportedly Cohen’s voice sounded truly odd in the podcast clip. Giddy, high-pitched, & speaking so fast that it sounded as if the tape had been artificially sped up.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney

There’s laughing when Justice #Merchan shoots down Todd #Blanche, #Trump's lawyer. Blanche asked for a sidebar & got a dismissive “no” from Merchan.

We’ve had 10 objections in <20 mins.

Defense plays a recording of #MichaelCohen celebrating Trump's indictment on his podcast. His voice is loud & enthusiastic to the point of seeming off-putting.

Some jurors seem uncomfortable.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney #MobTactics

#MichaelCohen says that he learned that #Trump was indicted before the #indictment was unsealed in the courtroom, when NYT broke that news in 2023. He says Rosenberg alerted him to that article.
Blanche’s point here seems to be that Rosenberg, the investigator, did something inappropriate, alerting Cohen to the fact that the indictment had been handed up. But NYT broke that news widely before the indictment was unsealed.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference

#MichaelCohen has been called back to the stand. The jury to be brought in.

#Trump atty Todd #Blanche continues cross-examination.
Blanche asks about texts between Cohen & the DA’s office.

Cohen agrees that texts shown w/ DA investigator are from around same time that he told a grand jury he was going to hold Trump accountable.

We are now on our third sidebar today.

#law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney #MobTactics #GagOrder #StochasticTerrorism #NodFarter

The long sidebar may have been about scheduling issues. The judge just told the jurors that, if they are OK w/it, court may be in session next Wed, despite the fact that the trial is usually off on Wednesdays.

This suggests prosecutors & defense were quibbling over the calendar.
The defense sought to delay the trial many times before it started, & #Trump has complained that it was going too fast.

#law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney #MobTactics

#Court officers explain, yet again, the courtroom's no-cellphone policy to the people here with #Trump.

The lawyers and the judge are having one of the longest sidebars that have taken place during this trial, if not the longest. Their voices are louder than usual, though the words they're saying aren't clear.

#law #Trump #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney #MobTactics #GagOrder #StochasticTerrorism #StormyDaniels #KarenMcDougal #NodFarter

#Trump arrives in the courtroom, trailed by his son #EricTrump, his lawyers, as well as #Republican members of the #House of Representatives, including #LaurenBoebert & #MattGaetz.

The entourage is so large today that some people are being made to sit in the back. Others had to leave & go to Trump’s hold room.

If they do today what was done Tues, I hope Merchan hold Trump in contempt of the #GagOrder.

#criminal #law #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #MobTactics #StochasticTerrorism #NodFarter

After #MichaelCohen is off the stand, the defense will have an opportunity to present its own case, calling witnesses & questioning them to try to seed reasonable doubt within the jury. Prosecutors can then put on additional #witnesses to rebut expert witness testimony.

Though from what #Trump’s attys have said, it sounds like they aren’t going to bother calling any witnesses or putting on a #defense — I guess they don’t have one.

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference

#TrumpTrial 🧵 Thursday 16 May 2024

Cross-examination of #MichaelCohen resumes, an opportunity for the defense to poke holes in his testimony & perhaps trip up or provoke the state’s key witness. The questioning of Cohen, #Trump’s fmr fixer, is the beginning of the end of Trump’s #criminal trial, which began April 15 & might conclude before Memorial Day weekend at this pace.

#law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney #MobTactics #NodFarter #StormyDaniels

#Blanche is trying to cast doubt on #MichaelCohen’s account, saying it was the first time he had mentioned the call.

Prosecutor #Hoffinger objects again, & asks to approach.

After the sidebar conversation w/the judge, Emil #Bove, one of Trump's lawyers, returns to the defense table, sits down & whispers something to #Trump who shakes his head & scowls.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney #MobTactics

This testimony echoes #HopeHicks's remarks that she didn't think #MichaelCohen would have done this on his own.

The testimony is critical because it links #Trump not only to the #HushMoney payment to #StormyDaniels, but also to the scheme to reimburse Cohen for fronting the money — & that is what forms the basis of the falsification of business records charges.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #MobTactics

#Trump, who was sleeping, wakes up, leans over, taps his lawyer Todd #Blanche & whispers something in his ear.

#MichaelCohen says he then decided that he would pay the money, & that #AllenWeisselberg said, "I'll make sure you get paid back." Cohen says he alerted Trump to that decision & that Trump was appreciative, saying "good, good." And he says that Trump, too, told him he'd be repaid.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #MobTactics

This ties #MichaelCohen to the #Trump campaign & addresses defense’s arg that Cohen was “freelancing,” on his own. Cohen says that he regularly received talking points from the campaign, including before the CNN appearance.

Cohen describes Trump telling him that his friends had advised him to just pay #StormyDaniels the #HushMoney, & reminded him that he was a billionaire. “Just do it,” Cohen recounts Trump saying.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference

Prosecutors show #MichaelCohen the same emails & bank paperwork they showed to Farro on the witness stand. Farro previously testified about Cohen’s urgency to open up an account for Essential Consultants LLC, which was ultimately used to pay the #HushMoney to #StormyDaniels.

We are heading into the part of Cohen’s testimony that is focused on the alleged falsification of business records.

#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #MobTactics

#MichaelCohen responded to #KeithDavidson that it was the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur.

"I used the holiday of Yom Kippur as a way of just once again trying to delay" the payment, Cohen says.

Davidson testified that was exactly what he thought Cohen was doing - & to try to push the issue to beyond the election when the story would no longer matter.

Cohen brings up another early trial witness, Gary Farro.

#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference

Prosecutors have done a painstaking job of using hard #evidence like phone records, text msgs & emails to corroborate the Cohen’s testimony, knowing in advance that his credibility would come under assault on cross-examination.

One of the important things
Hoffinger did was to explain, thru #MichaelCohen, why there were no emails w/ #Trump: because Trump didn't believe in email or, at that time, texting.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #MobTactics

#MichaelCohen said that #Trump told him: "I thought you had this under control."

Cohen says Trump also said of #StormyDaniels's allegation: "Guys may think it’s cool, but this is going to be a disaster for the campaign."

Cohen says that Trump explicitly told him they needed to do whatever they could to suppress Daniels's story until at least after the #election, because it wouldn't matter at that point.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #MobTactics

The language in these Cohen conversations is coded & very mob-like. The #HushMoney is described as a "business opportunity."

#MichaelCohen says that #Trump, upon learning that #StormyDaniels was shopping her story, was very angry w/Cohen, calling it a "total disaster" & saying "women are going to hate me." Cohen says he responded that he had no control over Daniels's story.

"Just take care of it," he says Trump told him.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #MobTactics

Texts between #MichaelCohen & #KeithDavidson, the fmr lawyer to #StormyDaniels & #KarenMcDougal, are displayed on the screen.

Cohen, goes through his texts w/ Davidson & #DylanHoward, editor of The #NationalEnquirer, taking the jurors through material they're familiar w/from when Davidson testified, but it's more corroboration.

#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #MobTactics

#MichaelCohen says #Trump told him not only that he knew her, but that he had met her at a golf tournament. Trump, Cohen says, told him that #StormyDaniels liked him & that women preferred him even over football stars, like those who were at the tournament.

Cohen says he asked Trump then whether he had had sex w/ Daniels. He says Trump did not answer him, but called Daniels "a beautiful woman."

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #MobTactics

#StormyDaniels's name comes up for the first time, as #MichaelCohen is questioned about the #AccessHollywood tape.

"Catastrophic" is Cohen's description of the impact Daniels's story could have had on #Trump's 2016 campaign.

Cohen says he spoke directly to Trump about Daniels early on, after learning she was shopping her story. "Boss, can I speak to you," he says he asked him, before telling him what he'd found out.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference

#MichaelCohen makes another reference to getting "credit" from #Trump, this time in connection w/ a #NationalEnquirer article that he got removed. This isn’t only about Cohen wanting head-pats, but also speaks to how close an eye Trump kept on his employees, & how quickly he’d admonish them when displeased.

At every step, the prosecutors are establishing that Cohen told Trump about every little thing he did for him — "to get credit."

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #conspiracy #ElectionInterference

The texts show the #AccessHollywood tape was seen as a big deal to #Trump's electoral viability.

Prosecutors say this is the heart of the Trump campaign's motive to pay off #StormyDaniels. The tape had put the campaign on its heels, which is why Cohen personally purchased Daniels’s story for $130k.

#MichaelCohen testifies he believed the AccessHollywood tape was "was going to be significantly impactful, especially w/women voters."

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #ElectionInterference