The legal battle involving former President Donald Trump persists as he appears before a New York City jury today.
The defense portrays the case as part of a politically motivated campaign by Democrats and the Biden administration, with no specific criminal charges clearly outlined against Mr. Trump.
Testimony during today’s court session included statements from Michael Cohen, a former attorney and close associate of Trump who has served time in prison in connection to previous legal disputes involving the former president.
In October 2016, Cohen informed the court that he obtained a home equity line of credit to transfer $130,000 to Daniels as part of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) regarding her purported affair with Trump in 2006, an assertion Trump has continuously refuted.
Cohen emphasized that this action was crucial in averting what he deemed as potentially disastrous consequences for Trump’s campaign, as per Fox News.
Weisselberg, the former CFO of the Trump Organization, was reportedly involved in discussions about financing the payment but hesitated initially to release the funds.
“I ultimately said, ‘OK, I’ll pay it,’” Cohen told the court, claiming that Weisselberg reassured him he would be reimbursed.
Cohen emphasized that his wife was unaware of these financial maneuvers due to her role in managing their household finances. He feared her reaction if such a large sum suddenly disappeared from their joint account.
According to Cohen’s testimony, both he and Weisselberg informed Trump that Cohen would use personal funds for the payment. Trump’s alleged response was “good, good.”
“I was doing everything that I could and more to protect my boss,” Cohen said. He insisted that he would not have made such a payment without Trump’s approval and expected reimbursement.
In his testimony, Cohen confessed to deceiving First Republic Bank by opening a bank account under the guise of “management consulting” in order to transfer funds to Daniels, as he believed the bank would not approve if they knew the true purpose.
On October 27, 2016, Cohen transferred the funds to Daniels’ attorney Keith Davidson, falsely labeling it as a “retainer.”
In a resurfaced 2018 letter from Michael Cohen’s lawyers, it was acknowledged that Trump was unaware of the Stormy Daniels payment transaction.
Additionally, a 2018 letter obtained by the Daily Mail revealed that Cohen used his personal funds to pay Stormy Daniels in 2016.
The letter explicitly states that both the Trump Organization and the Trump campaign did not reimburse Michael Cohen for the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels.
This stands in direct opposition to Cohen’s testimony, which is not unexpected considering his conviction for perjury.
Daily Mail reported at the time:
Michael Cohen claimed he was not reimbursed by Donald Trump or his organization for hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels in a 2018 letter to federal authorities, contradicting his recent grand jury testimony,
The bombshell document, exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com, could throw a wrench in the works of prosecutors pursuing criminal charges against Trump over the payments.
Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and the star witness in the case over which Trump reportedly faces imminent arrest, claims that Trump got him to pay $130,000 to Daniels to keep her quiet about her alleged affair with the real estate mogul, just days before the 2016 presidential election.
The letter appears to be in direct conflict with Cohen’s sworn testimony to Congress given a year later.
Cohen said under oath that Trump ‘asked me to pay off an adult film star with whom he had an affair,’ and that ‘Mr. Trump directed me to use my own personal funds from a Home Equity Line of Credit to avoid any money being traced back to him that could negatively impact his campaign.’
But in a February 8, 2018 letter to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Cohen’s attorney Stephen Ryan wrote: ‘Mr. Cohen used his own personal funds’, and that ‘Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed Mr. Cohen for the payment directly or indirectly.’
