Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen testified in court on Monday that he stole thousands of dollars from the Trump Organization by overstating the amount he paid a software firm that supplied services to the Trump Organization.
“You stole from the Trump Org, right?” Todd Blanche, Trump’s attorney, asked Cohen Wednesday morning.
“Yes, sir,” Cohen replied.
What a scumbag!
The testimony follows his comments last week, when he told the court that he and former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg calculated a $420,000 payback to Cohen for his $130,000 payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels. Cohen paid Daniels before the 2016 election to put an end to her accusations about an alleged encounter with Trump back in 2006.
Cohen previously testified that the payback was “grossed up” to avoid a tax hit, and that it included reimbursement for an alleged $50,000 payment to tech startup Red Finch.
VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELCohen testified Monday that he went to TD Bank and withdrew cash over several days to pay Red Finch for its services, which he kept in a brown paper bag. According to Cohen, the cash eventually amounted to around $20,000, which he transferred to Red Finch’s CEO, but he denied giving the company the full $50,000.
During a 2017 repayment plan meeting, Cohen testified that he told Weisselberg that he paid Red Finch $50,000, leaving him with a $30,000 profit.
“You lied to Weisselberg about how much you needed for Red Finch?” Blanche asked Cohen, who affirmed that he had.
Cohen testified that the Trump Organization believed he had paid the full amount, and he was nonetheless reimbursed despite not having done so.
“Have you paid back the Trump Organization for the money you stole from them?” Blanche inquired on Monday.
“No, sir,” Cohen replied.
Later Monday, Cohen claimed that accepting the $30,000 was “almost like self-help,” and that he did it because he was “angry” that his bonus had been reduced.
“I was angry because of the bonus reduction, and it felt almost like self-help,” Cohen said.
He went on. “To have my bonus cut by 2/3 was very upsetting, to say the least.”
Cohen’s testimony marked his fourth day on the stand. Last week, Trump’s legal team said they expected to finish cross-examining Cohen on Monday. Closing arguments in the case are expected next Tuesday, following the Memorial Day weekend.
Cohen testified last week that he used personal assets to pay Daniels in 2016 via a home equity line of credit. Cohen claimed that he did this after Trump urged him to “handle it” because the report could be damaging to the campaign.
Trump pleaded not guilty in the lawsuit and has denied having an affair with Stormy Daniels.
Last Monday, Robert Costello, a former lawyer for Cohen, and a former US prosecutor, testified before Congress, claiming Cohen is a habitual liar. Costello testified before Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s grand jury in March, before Trump was indicted, and described his interactions with Cohen.
It is amazing that this law fair prosecution is relying on a pathological liar like Michael Cohen, who was found guilty of committing perjury, and who lied to a judge while he was being sentenced. And the media and the Democrats want you to take this case seriously.
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