Cohen testifies he discussed hush money with Trump at White House
Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s loyal lawyer-turned-chief antagonist, told a jury Tuesday he discussed hush money reimbursement with Trump at the White House upon returning to the witness box at his Manhattan trial Tuesday.
‘EVERY THING’S GOING TO BE OK’
After the FBI raided his residences in April 2018, Cohen said he felt frightened and “concerned, despondent, angry.” During search warrants executed on his Manhattan hotel room, apartment, and office, his phones and electronic devices were seized, along with other materials related to the hush money payments to Daniels, Cohen said.
He told the jury that the last time he communicated directly with Trump was in a phone call just after the raids.
“He said to me, ‘Don’t worry, I’m the president of the United States, there’s nothing there — everything’s going to be OK, stay tough, you’re going to be OK,’” Cohen recalled, adding that others told him he was “loved” by Trump.
In the immediate aftermath, Cohen said he felt “reassured, because I had the president of the United States protecting me.”
Trump kept his eyes closed for much of Cohen’s testimony.
Cohen sometimes exhaled audibly, once shaking his head, between questions. The jury also heard details of Cohen being a convicted perjurer — which Trump’s defense has repeatedly pointed to as proof of him being untrustworthy and is expected to hammer him about on cross-examination.
Cohen testified that he lied in 2017 about a Trump Tower real estate project in Moscow, telling Congress that he “had only spoken to Trump about this three times,” when it was really more like 10 times. “Why lie?” Hoffinger asked. “Because I was staying on Mr. Trump’s message that there was no ‘Russia, Russia, Russia,” Cohen replied, referring to how Trump was perceived as being tied to Russia because of his business deals there.
COHEN SPOKE WITH TRUMP ABOUT HUSH MONEY REIMBURSEMENTS AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Cohen testified that he discussed the reimbursement payments with the then-pres
ident during a visit to the Oval Office on Feb. 8, 2017.
“So, I was sitting with President Trump and he asked me if I was OK, he asked me if I needed money,” Cohen recalled. In court, Trump scrunched his eyes tightly closed, frowning.
“He said, um, alright just make sure you deal with Allen,” Cohen said, referring to the convicted ex-trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg.
Cohen told prosecutor Susan Hoffinger that he submitted falsified records at the behest of Trump’s longtime finance chief, billing for “services rendered” — not reimbursement for hush money he paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, he said in court.
Displaying Cohen’s monthly invoices to the Trump Org, which he said were sent to Weisselberg and sometimes his deputy, former controller Jeff Mcconney, Hoffinger asked if any of them were for genuine legal services rendered.
“No, ma’am. They were for reimbursement,” Cohen said, a hint of sheepishness in his voice.