Im Gipper said:

---

Is it "fraud" if the other person is in on it?

Fraud requires deceit.

When Cohen is admitting to hear is that he's a scumbag. All of this is going towards showing that this was done to hide the campaign finance violation.

That same violation that the Feds did not think was a problem.


Everyone knows Cohen is a liar, but this is very bad testimony for Trump in terms of "legally sufficient evidence." Not that anyone expected the judge to dismiss these charges, but Cohen is giving him cover now.

Really looking forward to team Trump ripping this turd to shreds

---

Except for one teensy little problem with that, no conspiracy charges against Trump.

Cohen owns Stormy's story at this point. This sounds more like a shakedown than an agreement. Which might explain why the state has refused to call Weisselberg?

No one looks clean and pure right now.

Quote:

---

The March check from the revocable trust was signed by Donald Trump Jr. and former Trump Org. CFO Allen Weisselberg, Cohen says.
Looking at a signed check for $35,000 to Cohen in April, Hoffinger asked, "Whose signature is it?"
"Donald J. Trump," Cohen said.
"Were any of those checks in fact for work during the months described in those check stubs?" Hoffinger asks Cohen.
"No ma'am," Cohen replied.
Jurors first saw these checks during testimony from Jeff McConney and Trump Org. employee Deborah Tarasoff. McConney testified that he would forward the invoices to Tarasoff, who handles accounts payable for the checks to be cut to Cohen.

---

Quote:

---

As prosecutor Susan Hoffinger goes through each monthly invoice and payment to Michael Cohen, she makes an effort to repeatedly use language like "false invoice" that "falsely states" it is for a retainer agreement that did not exist.

Cohen confirms each time the invoice "falsely states" the payment was for services rendered during that month. She also confirms with him each time the description on each check stub "falsely states" it's for a retainer.

---

Quote:

---

Asked who signed each of the checks from April and beyond, Michael Cohen confirmed each time: "Donald J. Trump."

The prosecution continued to review the checks for each month with Cohen.

---

aggiehawg said:

---

Quote:

---

The March check from the revocable trust was signed by Donald Trump Jr. and former Trump Org. CFO Allen Weisselberg, Cohen says.
Looking at a signed check for $35,000 to Cohen in April, Hoffinger asked, "Whose signature is it?"
"Donald J. Trump," Cohen said.
"Were any of those checks in fact for work during the months described in those check stubs?" Hoffinger asks Cohen.
"No ma'am," Cohen replied.
Jurors first saw these checks during testimony from Jeff McConney and Trump Org. employee Deborah Tarasoff. McConney testified that he would forward the invoices to Tarasoff, who handles accounts payable for the checks to be cut to Cohen.

---

Quote:

---

As prosecutor Susan Hoffinger goes through each monthly invoice and payment to Michael Cohen, she makes an effort to repeatedly use language like "false invoice" that "falsely states" it is for a retainer agreement that did not exist.

Cohen confirms each time the invoice "falsely states" the payment was for services rendered during that month. She also confirms with him each time the description on each check stub "falsely states" it's for a retainer.

---

Quote:

---

Asked who signed each of the checks from April and beyond, Michael Cohen confirmed each time: "Donald J. Trump."

The prosecution continued to review the checks for each month with Cohen.

---

---

To your point earlier, how is this an indictment on Trump? Lawyer presents him a bill, he pays the bill, and now the State of NY wants to say Trump committed a crime because the lawyer presented him with a false invoice??

I hope there is at least two sane people on that jury with some sort of moral integrity.

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen confirmed the December 1, 2017, invoice was the last he sent.

Asked why it was the last one, he said, "because I had been reimbursed $420,000."

---

I haven't seen where Cohen expended 420,000 in costs so how can all of that be a reimbursement?

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen says he did "minimal" work for Trump and Melania Trump in 2017.

---

Oh so now he was still working for Trump. Did he bill for that against the retainer or separately?

Quote:

---

After being paid out the installments equaling $420,000, Michael Cohen says he was never paid any more money from Trump personally or the Trump Organization.

---

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen says he reviewed an agreement with Madame Tussauds for Melania Trump when the museum wanted to create a wax model of her.
Cohen says he was not paid for the work for Melania Trump. "
"I didn't expect to be paid on it. It wasn't enough work to have me send an invoice," Cohen testifies.

---

Because it was covered by the 35,000 monthly retainer amount?

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen has confirmed that he occasionally exchanged emails with Alan Garten, general counsel for the Trump Organization, in that time in 2017 and beyond. He didn't bill Trump for the work reiterating on the stand, "I didn't expect to be paid and it was very minimal work."
Cohen said he thinks he spent less than 10 hours on work for Trump in 2017.
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked whether the $420,000 he was paid had anything to do with the minimal work he did for Mr. Trump in 2017? "No, ma'am," Cohen said.

---

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen said he continued to lie for Trump. Asked why he continued to lie, Cohen said, "Out of loyalty and in order to protect him."
Cohen said he held the title of Trump's personal counsel for "approximately 15 months."
Trump opened his eyes to look at Cohen on the stand as he said this. He then whispered something to his attorney Emil Bove.

---

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen says he was subpoenaed to testify to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees during the Russia investigations in 2017.
Cohen says he felt "a tremendous amount of pressure."
"It's the first time I had ever been subpoenaed by Congress to come in and testify," he says.

---

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen, who is on the stand right now, says he made false statements to Congress.
"They dealt with the Trump Tower Moscow real estate project, specifically the number of times that I claimed to have spoken to Mr. Trump about the project as well as the time period for those conversations," Cohen says of his false statements.
Asked why he lied, Cohen says, "Because I was staying on Mr. Trump's message that there was no Russia, Russia, Russia, and again in coordination with the joint defense team that's what was preferred."
Trump did not react to Cohen using his "Russia, Russia, Russia" line.

---

In coordination with the joint defense team? Meaning he was talking with them? As one lawyer to another? And that's not legal work?

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen confirmed that in 2018 he continued to pressure people like attorney Keith Davidson to lie about the deals with Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels.

Asked why he did so, Cohen said: "In order to protect Mr. Trump."

---

Quote:

---

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is now asking Michael Cohen about the January 2018 Wall Street Journal story about the $130,000 payment.
Cohen said at the time he did not tell the truth about his involvement in the payoff and the fact Trump repaid him.

---

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen is testifying that he spoke with Trump about the false statement he was giving to the media.
Cohen says he told Trump "that I had paid the money on his behalf without his knowledge because just because something isn't true doesn't mean it can't hurt you and that I did it."
Trump responded, "That's good, good," according to Cohen.

---

Quote:

---

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is now walking Michael Cohen through text messages he exchanged with Keith Davidson in January 2018 around the Wall Street Journal story about the hush money payment he made to Daniels.
Davidson, who was Daniels' former attorney, texted Cohen on January 10, 2018, saying, "WSJ called stormy. She didn't answer. They say they are running story & have a deadline of tonight for her to comment"
"Write a strong denial comment for her like you did before," Cohen responded via text.

---

Quote:

---

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is returning to the joint defense agreement to ask Michael Cohen whether Trump was also part of it.
Cohen confirms he was. When Hoffinger asks who benefited from the agreement, the defense objects, and the objection is sustained.
Hoffinger re-asks the question to ask who would benefit from the joint defense agreement.
Cohen says, "I believe several people would benefit, but certainly President Trump."
Hoffinger then asks, "Did you understand that you would benefit?"
"Yes ma'am," Cohen says.

---

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen says he knew Stormy Daniels' statement denying the sexual encounter was false.
He says he told Trump he was getting the denial.
Cohen explains his actions, "One to get credit for expressing that I was continuing to ensure that he was protected and stayed loyal. And the other so we could have this matter taken care of."

---

Quote:

---

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is now showing Michael Cohen the January 30th Stormy Daniels statement, which was issued before she was on Jimmy Kimmel's show.

Quote:

---

"There were still persistent reporters that were looking into this, and I felt an official statement from her, another one, would be helpful to putting an end to it," Cohen says of why he wanted the second statement.

---

Cohen says he knew the statement was false, because he was the one who crafted it.
Hoffinger asks whether he knew the statement falsely said that she did not receive hush money.
Cohen says he knew it was false, "Because I'm the one who paid it."

---

Quote:

---

Prosecutors enter into evidence a February 2018 letter to the Federal Election Commission about the payment to Stormy Daniels.

In response to an FEC complaint, Cohen's lawyer wrote in the letter: "In a private transaction in 2016, before the U.S. presidential election, Mr. Cohen used his own personal funds to facilitate a payment of $130,000 to Ms. Stephanie Clifford. 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."

---

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen said on the stand that the 2018 letter to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) about the Stormy Daniels hush money payment is "a true statement but it's misleading ... because neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was Mr. Trump himself."
Cohen testified that he meant it to be misleading, "in order to protect Mr Trump, stay on message, demonstrate my continued loyalty."
In 2018, Cohen received a complaint letter from the FEC regarding the $130,000 payment to Daniels, he said.

---

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen is now being shown a text messages he sent to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, who is sitting in court today, in February 2018.
"Big boss just approved me responding to complaint and statement. Please start writing and I will call you soon," Cohen wrote. Cohen confirms that "big boss" was a reference to Trump.
Cohen recalls, "I was going to give it to her first so she had the scoop."
Trump is sitting with his eyes closed as Cohen recalls texting Haberman.

---

But Haberman hated Trump. How is that protecting Trump?

Read the sentence above what you bolded.

Cohen is saying he told Trump how he was going to lie

aggiejayrod said:

---

nortex97 said:

---

BMX Bandit said:

---

Quote:

---

It's questionable, however, whether Trump actually wants to win the case, or take the boost in swing states a conviction will likely give him:

---

very fake news


Trump wants to actually win this case, its not even up for legitimate debate.


your comments on cohen are regarding the weight of the evidence and who to believe. the question aggiehawg and I were responding to dealt with the procedural rule related to a directed verdict or whatever its called in new york

---

Turkey disagrees:

"You would think that Alvin Bragg would have more important things to worry about than political prosecutions.

Mr. Turley concludes:

Absent a sudden epiphany in his final testimony on Tuesday, Merchan should rule in favor of a directed verdict that is, throwing the case out before it goes to a jury. If he instead sends this farcical case to the jury, it is Merchan, not Cohen, who may have a better claim to a reality show as the ultimate "Fix It Man.""

From red state quote.

---

I'm with BMX here, Cohen has huge credibility issues but he did testify that Trump was in on the conspiracy and directed Cohen to pay off the prosti…adult film star. That'll be enough of a hurdle for the judge to say facts are in question so it should go to the jury to decide.

Now if defense can twist Cohen up on cross and get him to admit he lied, that's a whole new ball game.

I still don't see the actual crime here. Arguendo: Trump ordered his lawyer to negotiate an NDA to prevent someone from going around saying he slept with her. His lawyer paid for the NDA out of his own pocket (ethical problem for Cohen here potentially) He paid his lawyer back and his staff recorded it in the books. He has done this before running for President so it's not like this was solely for the campaign. Even if it was for the campaign it was out of his own pocket.

---

But see, the jury only has to say Trump "intended" to commit a crime, not that he actually committed a crime.

Such a load of fascist BS.

Quote:

---

The jury just saw Michael Cohen's response to the Federal Election Commission investigation into the payment to Stormy Daniels.

Judge Juan Merchan then read the jury an instruction cautioning jurors that the statement was permitted to assist them in assessing Cohen's credibility and to provide context. They were instructed not to consider it for the fact that there was an FEC investigation. The judge also told the jury not to give it weight when considering Trump's guilt.

At the end of the 2018 statement, Cohen wrote, "Just because something isn't true doesn't mean that it can't cause you harm or damage. I will always protect Mr. Trump."

Cohen explains that the line validated what he had said about providing his own personal funds for the transaction.

---

Merchan's instruction to the contrary, prosecution brought this in. Does that open the door? IDK.

bobbranco said:

---

Ironic that his judicial philosophy would likely strip he and his family of citizenship and deport their sorry fascist butts back to Colombia.

---

If Trump is re-elected, I hope to hear four years of unabated wailing from the fascists persecuting Trump as they enjoy the blowback from their actions.

That's not the way the statement reads to me. Maybe the actual transcript will confirm your interpretation, but it looks to me like he was explaining the statements he was giving to the media, not what he was going to tell the media.

It sure looks like the door has been opened. I am not a lawyer. Thanks for all of your insights, Hawg.

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen is now being shown a message then-Trump attorney Jay Sekulow sent him on February 19, 2018, through the Signal app. The message came after Cohen sent him his public statement.
"Client says thanks for what you do," Sekulow wrote, according to the message.
Cohen testifies that "client" means Trump and that the "thanks" was for denying in the statement.

---

Quote:

---

Judge Juan Merchan then read the jury an instruction cautioning jurors that the statement was permitted to assist them in assessing Cohen's credibility and to provide context. They were instructed not to consider it for the fact that there was an FEC investigation. The judge also told the jury not to give it weight when considering Trump's guilt.

---

Coming back to this.

As EDB says, can't put the s*** back in the horse. The jury now knows that there WAS an FEC investigation back in 2018. Merchan can tell the jury until he's blue in the face that they have to forget that they heard it but they read the letter. They know what the letter was responding to.

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen says that Stormy Daniels' former attorney Michael Avenatti filed a lawsuit against Trump, Cohen and Essential Consultants LLC to lift the non-disclosure agreement.

Cohen says he with Trump eventually agreed not to enforce the non-disclosure agreement against Daniels.

---

Still acting in a legal capacity?

Quote:

---

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked whether for much of 2018, while acting as then-President Trump's personal attorney, Michel Cohen continued to lie about his role in the payoff of Stormy Daniels.

"Yes ma'am," Cohen said.

---

For which he was not billing and was not being paid? WHOO boy!

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen says he was raided by the FBI in April 2018.
Cohen says he was staying at the Loews Regency hotel at the time because his apartment had flooded.
"At 7 a.m. in the morning, there's a knock on the door. I look through the peep hole. I saw a ton of people out in the hallway. I saw the badge so I opened the door. They identified themselves as the FBI, asked me to step into the hallway," he says.
Cohen explains that "the search warrant gave them the right to take my two cell phones, any electronic devices as well as records."
Trump has looked in the direction of the witness stand twice as Cohen testifies about the FBI raid of his hotel room, apartment and office.

---

aggiehawg said:

---

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen is now being shown a message then-Trump attorney Jay Sekulow sent him on February 19, 2018, through the Signal app. The message came after Cohen sent him his public statement.
"Client says thanks for what you do," Sekulow wrote, according to the message.
Cohen testifies that "client" means Trump and that the "thanks" was for denying in the statement.

---

---

So again, Cohen is saying that he's doing all of this for Trump in 2018 - as his lawyer - but is not accepting compensation.

This from a guy who has demostrated that everything he does is for money.

He wants to peddle a story that it is all for "loyalty" and "credit". If so, what changed? Why turn around and later try to financially capitalize on the destruction of Trump?

His testimony makes no sense, as it is based on a house of cards. Hope cross will provide a little wind.

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen was asked to describe his feeling following the FBI raid.
Here's what he said:
"How to describe your life being turned upside down: concerned, despondent, angry," Cohen said.
Asked if he was frightened, he says, "Yes, ma'am."

---

aggiehawg said:

---

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen was asked to describe his feeling following the FBI raid.
Here's what he said:
"How to describe your life being turned upside down: concerned, despondent, angry," Cohen said.
Asked if he was frightened, he says, "Yes, ma'am."

---

---

Well, you've admitted to tons of actual fraud that you've not yet been charged for. You certainly should be frightened.

Or, have you made a deal?

Come on judge, take a break here there's a lot to unpack this morning!

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen is describing how Trump was paying his legal fees still at this point in April 2018, which he felt confirmed he was still under Trump's protection.
He was also still a part of the joint defense agreement.

---

Quote:

---

Court is taking a morning break. Trump and his entourage are leaving the courtroom for the break.

Michael Cohen, who has been testifying this morning, audibly exhaled as he left the courtroom.

---

Thank you judge!

It always feels that by the time they get done, the witness has already been cross-examined. I understand wanting to control the narrative on some of these matters, but they are just so dirty that it is quite amazing.

Quote:

---

Clark said before Stormy even arrived in the Big Apple on Sunday "she cried herself to sleep and "was paralyzed with fear."

He noted that she was not nervous about taking the stand and telling her story," but "what might some nut might do to her."

---

If this jury convicts, Stormy may get a bronze statue as a physical testament to the strength of women overcoming toxic masculinity.

Also wild that stormy feared a nut.

aggiehawg said:

---

Quote:

---

The March check from the revocable trust was signed by Donald Trump Jr. and former Trump Org. CFO Allen Weisselberg, Cohen says.
Looking at a signed check for $35,000 to Cohen in April, Hoffinger asked, "Whose signature is it?"
"Donald J. Trump," Cohen said.
"Were any of those checks in fact for work during the months described in those check stubs?" Hoffinger asks Cohen.
"No ma'am," Cohen replied.
Jurors first saw these checks during testimony from Jeff McConney and Trump Org. employee Deborah Tarasoff. McConney testified that he would forward the invoices to Tarasoff, who handles accounts payable for the checks to be cut to Cohen.

---

Quote:

---

As prosecutor Susan Hoffinger goes through each monthly invoice and payment to Michael Cohen, she makes an effort to repeatedly use language like "false invoice" that "falsely states" it is for a retainer agreement that did not exist.

Cohen confirms each time the invoice "falsely states" the payment was for services rendered during that month. She also confirms with him each time the description on each check stub "falsely states" it's for a retainer.

---

Quote:

---

Asked who signed each of the checks from April and beyond, Michael Cohen confirmed each time: "Donald J. Trump."

The prosecution continued to review the checks for each month with Cohen.

---

---

We already know only DJT signed on his personal accounts from which these checks were paid.

aggiehawg said:

---

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen confirmed that in 2018 he continued to pressure people like attorney Keith Davidson to lie about the deals with Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels.

Asked why he did so, Cohen said: "In order to protect Mr. Trump."

---

Quote:

---

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is now asking Michael Cohen about the January 2018 Wall Street Journal story about the $130,000 payment.
Cohen said at the time he did not tell the truth about his involvement in the payoff and the fact Trump repaid him.

---

Quote:

---

Michael Cohen is testifying that he spoke with Trump about the false statement he was giving to the media.
Cohen says he told Trump "that I had paid the money on his behalf without his knowledge because just because something isn't true doesn't mean it can't hurt you and that I did it."
Trump responded, "That's good, good," according to Cohen.

---

---

Didn't Cohen testify earlier that he told Trump he was going to pay it because he wanted to get his money back and everything required Trump's approval?

So with all this testimony from Cohen that he lied freely and committed fraud repeatedly when it served his interests, how can anybody trust anything he says now? Not seeing how any of this testimony is helping the prosecution as it seems to just be destroying any illusion that the witness is trustworthy.