Why Michael Cohen is the key witness in the prosecution's case against Trump
From CNN's Jeremy Herb,Kara ScannellandLauren del Valle
Donald Trump’s former fixer and lawyer is expected to take the stand Monday as the key witness in the Manhattan district attorney’s case againsttheformer president, prepared to give testimony connecting to Trump the $130,000 hush money payment Cohen made toadult film actress Stormy Danielsbefore the 2016 election.
Through three weeks of testimony, jurors have already heard plenty about Cohen through numerous witnesses, who have painted an unflattering portrait of an aggressive, impulsive and unlikeable attorney.
David Pecker, former head of National Enquirer parent company American Media Inc., said Cohen was “prone to exaggeration.”Former Trump aideHope Hickssaid Cohen liked to call himself a “fixer”– a role she said was possible only because “he first broke it.”And Daniels’formerattorney Keith Davidson said he only worked with Cohen because he was a “jerk” whom Daniels’ then-manager Gina Rodriguez – along with everyone else – didn’t want to deal with.
NowCohenis the witness whom prosecutors are relying on to deliver testimony that can help them prove Trumpfalsifiedbusiness records when heallegedlyreimbursedCohen for the $130,000to Danielsto keep her from going public about a past encounter ahead ofthe 2016 election. Trump has pleaded not guiltyand denied the affair.
Cohen is the only witness who will testify about Trump’s alleged involvement in both the decision to pay Daniels and the plan to reimburse Cohen for advancing the money. Cohen will likely serve as the narrator for the prosecution and take the jury from the initial meeting in which Pecker, Cohen and Trump allegedly agreed to buy negative stories that could hurt Trump’s presidential run to the payment made to Daniels just days before Election Day to an Oval Office meeting in February 2017, just weeks after Trump was sworn in.
Read more about Cohen's expected testimony.
Trump arrives at criminal court
Donald Trump’s motorcade has arrived at the courthouse where the former president is expected to listen to witness testimony from his former lawyer, Michael Cohen.
Cohen’s testimony is the lynchpin to prosecutors’ charges that Trump illegally falsified business records.
The former “fixer” is expected to speak to the hush money agreement he helped negotiate in 2016 with Stormy Daniels and how Trump repaid him the following year.
CNN's Kristina Sgueglia contributed reporting to this post.
Prosecutors say they could rest their case by the end of week. Read up on the steps of the trial
From CNN's Lauren del Valle, Kara Scannell, Jeremy Herb, Jhasua RazoandGillian Roberts
Former President Donald Trump’s first criminal trialis expected to take six to eight weeks, from start to finish.
Prosecutors are still presenting evidence through witness testimony and exhibits. Michael Cohen is expected to take the stand on Monday. Defense attorneys can cross-examine the prosecution’s witnesses and typically aim to discredit their testimony.
The Manhattan district attorney'soffice couldresttheir case by theendofthe week, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said in court on Friday.
See the steps of the trialbelow and read more about the stages here.
These are the charges Trump is facing — and why Michael Cohen is a key player in the hush money case
From CNN's Kaanita Iyer
Donald Trump has been accused of taking part in an illegal conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the 2016 election and an unlawful plan to suppress negative information, which included a hush money payment made to an adult-film star to hide an affair.Trump has denied the affair.
Prosecutors allege that Trump allegedly disguised the transaction as a legal payment and falsified business records numerous times to “promote his candidacy.” Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records. He has pleaded not guilty.
Adult-film star Stephanie Clifford, better known as Stormy Daniels, allegedly received a $130,000 payment just days before the 2016 presidential election.
The $130,000 payment to Daniels was made by Michael Cohen, then Trump’s personal attorney, wholanded in federal prisonover that transaction for breaking campaign finance laws. Cohen, now a critical witness, has said that Trump directed him to make the payment to Daniels.
Trump and his legal team attempted to bar Cohen from testifying, arguing that he’s committed perjury more than once in other cases, but therequest was denied.
Read below about the key players in the case:
Trump's motorcade headed to Manhattan court ahead of Michael Cohen's expected testimony
Donald Trump’s motorcade is departing Trump Tower en route to the Manhattan criminal court, where the former president is expected to go face to face with his ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen.
Cohen's testimony is the lynchpin to prosecutors’ charges that Trump illegally falsified business records by concealing the reimbursem*nt of Cohen to keep the payments hidden before the 2016 election.
Cohen is expected to speak to the hush money agreement he helped negotiate in 2016 with Stormy Daniels and how Trump repaid him the following year.
It’s unclear if he will go first. The prosecution has said they have two witnesses left.
Cohen left his residence earlier Monday and did not make comments to media.
The judge asked prosecutors to ask Cohen, on behalf of the judge, to request he stop making comments about the case and Trump.
CNN's Kristina Sgueglia contributed reporting to this post.
What prosecutors have to prove in their case against Trump
From CNN’s Kara Scannell and Lauren del Valle
Former President Donald Trump is on trial in Manhattan for his alleged role in ahush money schemeto silence his alleged mistresses before the 2016 election.He faces 34 counts related to “falsifying New York business records in order to conceal damaging information and unlawful activity from American voters before and after the 2016 election.”
Prosecutors are expected to call their key witness — Michael Cohen — to the stand on Monday. The prosecution said they could rest their case by the end of the week.
Prosecutors need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt thatTrump falsified business records with the intent to commit or conceal another crime, but they don’t have to prove that Trump committed that crime. The prosecution theory is that the second crime could be in violation of federal and state election laws or state tax laws regarding how the reimbursem*nts to Cohen were handled.
Adult film actressStormy Danielswas paid $130,000 – the “hush money” payment – to keep her from going public before the 2016 election about her claim that she had an affair with Trump in 2006. The alleged reimbursem*nt payment Trump made to Cohen is at the heart of the charges against the former president.
Trump’s attorneys have kept their defense close to the vest, but in court filings they’ve indicated that they plan to attack the credibility of Cohen and Daniels and paint them as liars who are motivated by grudges and money.
These are the key dates involving Michael Cohen that are at the center of the hush money case
From CNN’s Lauren del Valle, Kara Scannell, Annette Choi and Gillian Roberts
Prosecutors are trying to prove that Donald Trump falsified business records to cover up hush money payments made to prevent adult film star Stormy Daniel’s claim of an affair with Trump from becoming public before the 2016 presidential election.
Michael Cohen, who is expected to testify Monday, will likely serve as the narrator for the prosecution and take the jury from the initial meeting in which Cohen, David Pecker and Trump allegedly agreed to buy negative stories that could hurt Trump’s presidential run to the payment made to Daniels just days before Election Day to an Oval Office meeting in February 2017, just weeks after Trump was sworn in.
Here's a timeline CNN compiled of key events in the case, including several involving Cohen:
- August 2015:Trumpmeets with then-American Media Inc. CEO David Peckerat Trump Tower, prosecutors say, where Pecker agrees to be the “eyes and ears” for Trump’s campaign and flag any negative stories to Trump’s then-fixer Michael Cohen.
- September 2016:Trump discusses a $150,000 hush money payment understood to be for former Playboy model Karen McDougal with Michael Cohen, whosecretly records the conversation. McDougal hasalleged she had an extramarital affair with Trumpbeginning in 2006, which he has denied.
- October 7, 2016:The Washington Postreleases an "Access Hollywood" videofrom 2005 in which Trump uses vulgar language to describe his sexual approach to women with show host Billy Bush.
- October 27, 2016:According to prosecutors, Cohenpays Daniels $130,000 through her attorneyvia a shell company in exchange for her silence about an affair she allegedly had with Trump in 2006. This $130,000 sum is separate from the $150,000 paid to McDougal. Trump has publicly denied having any affairs and has denied making the payments.
- November 8, 2016:Trump secures the election to become the 45th President of the United States.
- February 2017:Prosecutors say Cohen meets with Trump in the Oval Office to confirm how he would be reimbursed for the hush money payment Cohen fronted to Daniels. Under the plan, Cohen would send a series of false invoices requesting payment for legal services he performed pursuant to a retainer agreement and receive monthly checks for $35,000 for a total of $420,000 to cover the payment, his taxes and a bonus, prosecutors alleged. Prosecutors also allege there was never a retainer agreement.
- January 2018:The Wall Street Journalbreaks news about the hush money paymentCohen made to Daniels in 2016.
See a full timelineon the case.
We are in the 5th week of Trump's hush money criminal trial. Here's what's already happened
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
We are in the fifth week of court proceedings in Donald Trump's historic hush money criminal trial.
To refresh your memory, here arethe key moments and witnessesfrom the trial so far:
April 15:Trial began with jury selection.
April 19:A panel of12 jurors and six alternateswas selected.
April 22:The prosecution and defense made their opening statements. Former tabloid boss David Pecker was called to testify.
April 23:Judge Juan Merchan held aSandoval hearingfor Trump's alleged gag order violations, but reserved his decision.
April 25:While Trump sat in the Manhattan courtroom, theSupreme Court in Washington, D.C., heard argumentson the matter of his immunity in special counsel Jack Smith's election subversion case against him.
April 26:Pecker's direct questioning and cross-examination concluded. Trump's former longtime assistant Rhona Graff was called to testify briefly. Finally, Michael Cohen's former banker Gary Farro testified.
April 30:Farro's testimony concluded. Prosecutors then called Dr. Robert Browning, the executive director of C-SPAN archives, and Philip Thompson who works for a court reporting company.Then,Keith Davidson, the former attorney for Daniels and McDougal, took the stand. Also, Merchan fined Trump $9,000 for violating a gag order.
May 2:Davidson's testimony concluded. Digital evidence analystDouglas Dauswas called to testify.
May 3:After Daus finished testifying, Georgia Longstreet, a paralegal at the district attorney's office, spoke about reviewing Trump's social media posts for this case. She was followed by Hope Hicks, once a longtime Trump aide. Herhighly-anticipated testimonywas a little less than three hours.
May 6:Prosecutors calledtwo witnesseswho worked in accounting in the Trump Organization:Jeffrey McConney, a former Trump Org. controller, andDeborah Tarasoff, an accounts payable supervisor.
May 7:Prosecutors calledSally Franklin, the senior vice president and executive managing editor for Penguin Random House publishing group.After her testimony,Stormy Danielswas called to the stand.
May 9: Stormy Daniels finished her testimony, with the defense trying to undermine her credibility by pointing out inconsistencies in her story on cross-examination.
May 10: Westerhout's testimony concluded. Then prosecution called several custodial witnesses to the stand.
Read a full timeline of key momentshere.
Catch up on key takeaways from Friday's testimony in the hush money trial
From CNN's Jeremy Herb, Lauren del Valle and Kara Scannell
Prosecutors say it’s entirely possible they could rest their case by the end of this week. Here are the takeaways from Friday, which was Day 15, of the Donald Trump hush money trial:
Cohen is on deck: Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen is expected to take the stand today and testify to his role in negotiating the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels on Trump’s behalf, as well as how he was reimbursed through retainer payments in 2017 that are at the heart of the charges against Trump. However, his testimony comes with baggage. Cohen himself was federally charged with campaign finance violations, tax crimes and lying to Congress in previous testimony. He’s changed his story as he turned from loyal Trump defender to a chief antagonist afterpleading guilty to the federal charges in 2018. Cohen’s credibility with the jury may make or break Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case, so it will be high stakes for the prosecution when Cohen is sworn in.
Judge to Cohen: Please stop talking: Trump attorney Todd Blanche urged Judge Juan Merchan on Friday to order Cohen to stop talking about the trial and Trump. Trump is not allowed to talk about Cohen because of the gag order in place. But, Blanche said, Cohen is nevertheless allowed to attack him. Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass responded that prosecutors have repeatedly instructed Cohen and all of the other witnesses in the case not to speak publicly about it. “The fact of the matter is, we have no control over what they do,” he conceded. Merchan has already said he cannot gag witnesses in the case. But he sympathized with Blanche’s position and said that he would “direct the people to communicate to Mr. Cohen that the judge is asking him to refrain from making any more statements” about this case or Trump.
Trump is all smiles at testimony of former White House aide: Trump exchanged smiles with his former White House assistant Madeleine Westerhout, who wrapped up her testimony Friday that began one day prior. She raised her eyebrows and smiled at Trump who smiled back at her and mouthed something as she left the courtroom. Westerhout testified that she remembered Trump was upset after the Daniels story came out in 2018. She testified that Trump signed scores of documents a day while multitasking on the phone or in meetings, and she said she’d seen him signing checks without reviewing them.
Prosecutors introduce key text and call records into evidence: After Westerhout left the stand, prosecutors spent the rest of the day calling custodial witnesses to introduce cell phone records into evidence. It made for a dry day of testimony, but it also provided key evidence that prosecutors plan to use to convince the jury that Trump is guilty of falsifying business records.
Read all the takeaways here.
