#Trump has his posse again. Today it’s more #Republican elected officials. Today, Trump will be joined by the #House speaker, #MikeJohnson, as well as #NorthDakota’s governor, #DougBurgum, a contender to be Trump's running mate. Also present will be Representatives #ByronDonalds & #CoryMills of Florida, & #VivekRamaswamy, who was one of Trump's primary rivals this year. Both Donalds & Ramaswamy are longshot hopefuls to be Trump's running mate.
#MichaelCohen is asked about additional work he did for the #TrumpOrganization, some of it #legal work, including for the #Trump Organization’s general counsel, Alan Garten. Cohen is saying he didn’t expect to be paid for that work & did not send invoices for it. Trump’s lawyers have indicated that they may argue that Cohen was doing real legal work, & was being paid for that. This may be an example of the prosecution seeking to air an argument before the defense can.
#MichaelCohen is asked about his #House testimony on the #Russia investigation. This will lead to questioning about him lying to #Congress re plans to build a #Trump Tower in #Moscow. Cohen has said that he did it to protect Trump.
Cohen testifies that at the time the #TrumpOrganization was paying for his lawyer, & he was part of a joint defense agreement. Cohen testifies he felt he “needed” the protection of Trump at the time & to protect him in return.
Justice Merchan said before proceedings began that he would not allow in a piece of evidence related to #AllenWeisselberg, the fmr CFO of the #TrumpOrganization, who is currently in #jail.
Prosecutors had hoped to put in evidence his severance agreement that requires #Weisselberg still be loyal to #Trump, to help explain his absence at the trial. But the judge is saying he won’t allow it.
Cohen says that he came into Trump’s circle by purchasing Trump properties. Then, he says, Trump himself offered him an opportunity to work at the #TrumpOrganization “as his special counsel.” He describes that transition into Trump’s world.
#Hoffinger, the prosecutor, asks #Cohen if Trump paid him for early #legal work he did at a Trump building, Trump World Tower. “No, ma’am,” he replies.
#MichaelCohen is speaking easily now. He’s injecting some personality into his testimony. He describes negotiating w/ #Trump over his salary, he says they settled on a compromise of $375k a year. “Bonus of course was to be discussed,” Cohen adds.
“It was whatever he wanted,” Michael Cohen says when asked to describe his duties at the #TrumpOrganization. Cohen leans into the word “he.”
Hoffinger, the prosecutor, is eliciting testimony from #MichaelCohen that he didn’t work in the general counsel’s office at the #TrumpOrganization -- he worked directly w/ #Trump.
One of the matters that Cohen often handled was brow-beating the #media for any negative stories about Trump. Many reporters — some in the courtroom today — received calls from Cohen in which he attacked their coverage of his boss.
#MichaelCohen describes his early days at the #TrumpOrganization as glory days. "It was fantastic. Working for him especially during those 10 years was" — he pauses —
"an amazing experience in many many ways." He sounds very sincere.
This reflects how Cohen actually sounded in real time as he worked there. It was not, as the jury has heard, how his colleagues always experienced him. Though Farro the banker testified to Cohen’s excitement about working for #Trump.
Michael Cohen testifies that he - & everybody - at the #TrumpOrganization spoke to #AllenWeisselberg about financial transactions. Weisselberg, currently in #jail, was involved in coordinating the repayments to Cohen after Cohen paid #HushMoney to #StormyDaniels.
Cohen is emphatic that Weisselberg was involved in every deal no matter the size.
#MichaelCohen's testimony about #AllenWeisselberg's financial advice on the #KarenMcDougal deal explains why Cohen would go on to pay #StormyDaniels, borrowing against his home. He says Weisselberg told him not to go through the #TrumpOrganization -linking the payment to #Trump's company would defeat the purpose- but to come up w/other more creative ways to pay.
This will help prosecutors explain why Cohen made the #HushMoney payment in such a roundabout way.
#MichaelCohen says he spoke w/ #Trump after this request from his wife. He says he called Trump using his #TrumpOrganization landline. That evening, Cohen says, he made an appearance on Wolf Blitzer’s show, in order to “respond to a series of topics that affected Mr. Trump & the campaign.” He says he told Trump he was going on CNN as a “surrogate” of the campaign to discuss Trump’s priorities. This was just a couple of days after the #AccessHollywood tape came out.
#MichaelCohen testifies about #Trump winning the election. #Hoffinger asks Cohen if he still had a role at the #TrumpOrganization after Trump won.
Cohen says no, "because my service was no longer necessary." He says he turned down the role of "assistant general counsel" in the WH.
Hoffinger asks Cohen if he was disappointed that the job of chief of staff wasn't offered to him. Cohen says he didn't want it, but wanted his name to included in the conversation.
#MichaelCohen, describing his anger at seeing his bonus cut by two-thirds, almost sounds angry all over again. "I didn't expect more," he says of his bonus that year, 2016.
"But I certainly didn't expect less."
Cohen says he took his fury out on #AllenWeisselberg, #TrumpOrganization CFO, & that Weisselberg told him that he'd be taken care of after the holidays.
Trump briefly smiled, expressing pleasure, as Cohen described #Trump stiffing him on his bonus.
#MichaelCohen testifies about the point of this whole trial: the false business records.
Cohen describes his notes w/ #TrumpOrganization CFO #AllenWeisselberg, the notes are working out how to make it so that it appears he was being paid for another matter, & on how he would be reimbursed.
Prosecution again shows to the court Weisselberg's handwritten notes on the reimbursement to Cohen.
A fmr White House aide who worked closely w/ #Trump returned to the stand to testify about a significant meeting between Trump & #MichaelCohen his personal lawyer that is at the center of Trump’s #criminal trial.
The prosecution asks that the defense be precluded from asking #StormyDaniels whether she was arrested. Justice #Merchan agrees w/the prosecutors, saying that “anybody can be arrested” & that it “doesn’t prove anything.”
The people call Stormy Daniels back to the stand
#Trump atty #Necheles begins questioning by saying that in 2011, Daniels denied having had sex w/Trump.
A new witness, Rebecca #Manochio, has taken the stand. Manochio is a junior bookeeper at the #TrumpOrganization. She is being questioned by Rebecca #Mangold, a prosecutor.
#Manochio testifies about her involvement in the sending of checks between the #TrumpOrganization & the #Trump#WhiteHouse. This is important for prosecutors as they seek to tie Trump to the repayments to #MichaelCohen, which came in the form of checks, including many signed by Trump himself. The jury has heard a lot of testimony about how Trump was careful to keep an eye on his money.
Since #Westerhout resigned from the WH, she has talked about how warmly she feels towards #Trump, especially in her book. Trump has praised Westerhout & her book - signaling no bad blood.
Westerhout testifies about frequent interactions w/the #TrumpOrganization. She says she would pass their questions to Trump — who said he’d cut off his relationship w/his business.
Info traveled thru Westerhout & on the other side #RhonaGraff, his asst at the company, who already testified.
charges are falsifying business records to hide #HushMoney payments in lead up to 2016 election to #influence electorate
just one Trump supporter at the courthouse draped in a Trump flag.
#StormyDaniels's lawyer, #KeithDavidson, to return to stand. He negotiated the hush-money payment at the center of the case, & is expected to lay out details of the deal.
#HopeHicks continues flattering her old boss, saying that the #TrumpOrganization was big & successful, but run “like a small family business.” Because of that, she says, “Everybody that works there in some sense reports to Mr. Trump.”
This is good for prosecutors showing #Trump personally ran his affairs; Hicks can come off as praising him while simultaneously harming him.
Bove, the defense lawyer asks about her relationships w/the #Trump family & employees of the #TrumpOrganization.
The questions may be designed to remind Hicks of her fondness for the family or that she owes them somehow.
Bove asks about #MichaelCohen not having an ofcl role w/Trump's 2016 campaign.
“He would try to insert himself at certain moments," she says, feeding into the defense's argument that Cohen was freelancing.
"While you were focused on your job at the White House, you didn't have anything to do w/the business records of the #TrumpOrganization 200+ miles away in NYC, did you?"
Hicks said she didn't.
This brings attention to the fact that the actual charges of falsifying business records have yet to be discussed.
Hicks is excused & leaves the courtroom.
#Trump doesn't look at her as she leaves.
Neither does she look at him.