The ongoing legal saga surrounding former President Donald Trump continues as he faces a New York City jury today.
The case, which has been characterized by the defense as another instance of lawfare propelled by Democrats and the Biden regime, is yet to have a clearly defined criminal act that Mr. Trump is accused of committing.
Today’s courtroom proceedings were highlighted by testimony from Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney and confidant, who has previously served prison time related to other legal actions against Trump.
Cohen told the court that in October 2016, he took out a home equity line of credit to pay $130,000 to Daniels as part of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), acquiring exclusive rights to her story. He described this move as critical to preventing what he believed would be catastrophic damage to Trump’s campaign, Fox News reported.
Allen Weisselberg, then-CFO of the Trump Organization, was allegedly consulted about funding the payment, who initially hesitated to provide 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 also admitted to misleading First Republic Bank about the purpose of the bank account opened to transfer the funds to Daniels. He labeled the account for “management consulting” purposes because he believed the bank wouldn’t approve if they knew its actual intent.
The transaction was completed on Oct. 27, 2016, when Cohen wired the funds to Daniels’ attorney Keith Davidson and misleadingly marked it as a “retainer.”
It can be recalled that a 2018 letter from Michael Cohen’s lawyers admitting Trump knew nothing about the Stormy Daniels ‘hush money’ transaction re-emerged this year as the judge set the trial date.
Last year the Daily Mail obtained a 2018 letter from Michael Cohen’s lawyer stating Cohen used his own personal money to pay Porn Star Stormy Daniels in 2016.
The letter also clarifies that neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign reimbursed Michael Cohen for the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels.
This directly contradicts Cohen’s testimony – not surprising given Michael Cohen is a convicted perjurer.
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.’
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