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Items tagged with: MichaelCohen


This post is not a joke.

There are #MAGA proudly talking about #Trump wearing diapers, and wearing Trump branded diapers themselves:

https://www.dispatchesfromtrumpland.com/post/more-trump-diapers-at-pennsylvania-rally

To contextualize, his fixer #MichaelCohen confirms Trump sh**s his pants and journalists at his trial have complained about a certain smell.

Dear World:

I deeply apologize, as a mentally competent American.

This cult demon has a real chance of running our country again.

The stupidity in the #USA is beyond my comprehension.

#USpol


Davidson’s testimony on Tues ended w/how he had started to doubt #MichaelCohen would pay the $130k.

Before the day ended, Davidson said Cohen forwarded him an email from First Republic Bank vouching for his solvency.

In addition to #StormyDaniels, Davidson represented #KarenMcDougal, a Playboy model who had a year-long affair w/ #Trump. McDougal also received #HushMoney —$150k from the parent company of The #NationalEnquirer.

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference


Conroy re #MichaelCohen,:
The judge, in ruling against #Trump after the first hearing, warned that #witnesses could not use the #GagOrder as a “sword,” attacking Trump while knowing that he would be fined for attacking them back. Conroy acknowledges that: “We understand the court's concern about Michael Cohen.” But he wants the violation recognized, as he says Trump is trying to “disrupt” the process & that his statements are “corrosive to this proceeding”

#criminal #law #MobTactics #TrumpTrial


#Blanche is arguing that #Trump has to respond to reporters who ask him about #witnesses.

Justice #Merchan replies, “It was your client who went down to that holding area & stood in front of the press & started to speak. It wasn’t the press that went to him. He went to the press. He didn’t need to go in that direction.” He adds, “Nobody forced your client” to go talk to reporters in the courthouse hallway when he attacked #MichaelCohen.

#criminal #law #MobTactics #GagOrder #TrumpTrial


Justice #Merchan seems very mindful of #Trump painting himself as a #martyr, & is trying to emphasize Trump’s #FreeSpeech rights as a candidate.

Merchan says he’s not that concerned w/the potential violation where Trump referred to David Pecker as “a nice guy.”

Blanche moved on to #MichaelCohen.
Who has really been relentless & isn’t doing the prosecution any favors.
Blanche shows some of Cohen’s tweets.

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference #MobTactics #GagOrder #TrumpTrial


#Blanche discusses #MichaelCohen’s Tik-Tok videos, saying, “This is not a man that needs protection from the gag order.”

This is a serious concern for prosecutors. Their #witness, who had said that he would be silent after having attacked #Trump, has not. + Justice #Merchan has already written that he is somewhat sympathetic to the defense’s argument here.

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #MobTactics #GagOrder #TrumpTrial


#KeithDavidson starts off by reminding the jury how bad things had gotten between him & #MichaelCohen. #DylanHoward, the editor of The #NationalEnquirer, had to step in because Davidson believed Cohen was “not telling me the truth” about the delay in receiving a #HushMoney payment for #StormyDaniels’s story.

Prosecution next shows Davidson text to Howard saying he has received the #HushMoney payment: “funds received.”

#criminal #law #Trump #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference


#KeithDavidson is asked to go over the specifics of the #HushMoney contract w/ #StormyDaniels & #MichaelCohen, which was signed “on behalf of” #Trump.

Davidson confirmed that Daniels' contract had a $1M liquidated damages provision, meaning that Daniels would be obligated to pay $1M if she breached the contract.

Davidson added that Cohen was the person who insisted the provision contain an amount so high.

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference


More on #MichaelCohen signing “on behalf of” #Trump:

#KeithDavidson said Cohen signed the documents instead of “David Dennison”, which was the alias they used for Trump.

Prosecutor #Steinglass showed the doc in court & the signatures from Cohen, #StormyDaniels, & Davidson, but there wasn’t one from Trump.

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial


As results came in on election night, #DylanHoward called #MichaelCohen, who invited him to celebrate at the Hilton in Times Square. He went w/one of his #NationalEnquirer reporters.

Davidson on Cohen:
"He said something to the effect of, Jesus Christ, can you f---ing believe I'm not going to Washington... I've saved that guy's a-- so many times you don't even know."

Defense will love that testimony.

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial


Davidson testifies about many phone calls & texts from #MichaelCohen after WSJ’s article came out.

Rothfeld its author says:

“The statement of denial from #StormyDaniels just shown in court seemed like an obvious non-denial denial when I was reporting on this story at the time for The WSJ. 1st of all, it came from Michael Cohen. How would he have had access to her? Second, she said she didn’t receive #HushMoney from ‘Donald Trump’—we knew it was Cohen who had paid.”

#law #Trump #TrumpTrial


mid-January 2018, #MichaelCohen texted #KeithDavidson that he had tentatively scheduled #StormyDaniels to appear on #Hannity (she never did)

#Steinglass asked why Cohen was pushing for her to appear on the program. Davidson answered that Cohen believed Daniels would further deny the sexual encounter w/ #Trump.

Cohen had a relationship w/ Sean Hannity, a Trump supporter. In 2018 before Cohen’s guilty plea, it was revealed that Hannity was a #legal client of Cohen’s.

#TrumpTrial #law


#KeithDavidson was asked about texts w/ #MichaelCohen referencing the State of the Union address that #Trump was going to deliver - so this was happening as Trump was running the country.

Davidson testified about how handling both #StormyDaniels & #MichaelCohen made his life very complicated.

Prosecutor #Steinglass grilled Davidson on how Daniels's denials were not believable, important to counter arguments by defense.

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial


#Steinglass presented texts between #MichaelCohen & #KeithDavidson about a statement prepared before #StormyDaniels' #JimmyKimmel appearance in Jan 2018.

The statement said that she was denying an affair w/ #Trump. Asked how truthful that was, Davidson testified that it's technically true because no one had alleged a #relationship between the 2 of them. He said a relationship is an ongoing interaction.
[#situationship?]

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial


#MichaelCohen texted #Keith Davidson that #StormyDaniels "just denied the letter...claiming it's not her signature...she said she did it in front of you."

Davidson said, "She did. Impossible — she posted it on her own Twitter page."

"They showed her signature & she claimed it was not hers on Kimmel," Cohen said.

"Wtf," Davidson said.

#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial


#KeithDavidson explained an interaction w/ #MichaelCohen re a statement to fmr #CNN anchor Chris Cuomo.

In Feb 2018, the #StormyDaniels story was getting attention in the news.

Davidson testified that Cohen asked him to provide a statement stating that Cohen was the source of the funds.

#Steinglass asks why he drafted it despite knowing that #Trump was or would be the ultimate source of the funds.
Davidson says that at the time of the transaction, Cohen had put up the money.

#law #TrumpTrial


#Bove tried to create distance between the #HushMoney deals & #Trump.

Prosecution tried to atttibute the deals to Trump, the boss overseeing #MichaelCohen.

Defense is trying to tweak the whole story to frame everything as something orchestrated by #KeithDavidson, Cohen, #StormyDaniels & Daniels’ manager Gina Rodriguez.

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial


#Bove returns to the topic of how #MichaelCohen wanted a job in #Trump's WH & acted despondent, on a call w/ #KeithDavidson, when he did not receive it.

Davidson, asked about that call, says:

“I thought he was going to kill himself."

Bove then introduces the idea that Cohen had hoped for a high-ranking position, even as high as U.S. attorney general.

Objection (obviously)
Sidebar

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial


Defense wants to portray #MichaelCohen as having a vendetta against #Trump grounded in personal disappointment w/nothing to do any alleged illegal conduct by Trump.

#Bove recalls to #KeithDavidson he said Cohen could be “aggressive,” then said, “And you can be aggressive too, can’t you?”

Davidson: “I suppose”

Bove: “What does the word ‘extortion’ mean to you?”

Defense wants to make Davidson look like a scumbag who extorted the Trump campaign. Davidson is pissed.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial


FYI #Necheles, defended #TrumpOrganization in a #criminal #tax #law #case 2 yrs ago.

#Bove questioned #KeithDavidson if Larry Flynt, publisher of Hustler, offered to indemnify #StormyDaniels from liability she incurred relating to the #HushMoney deal.

Davidson said that Flynt offered, but Daniels did not accept.

Bove then questioned Davidson if #MichaelCohen secretly taped people. Davidson acknowledged he believed Cohen taped him at certain times.

#Trump #criminal #TrumpTrial


#KeithDavidson said he thought #MichaelCohen was recording him because they were “structured conversations” & seemed “self-serving." + Cohen spoke on those calls differently than usual.

After that, defense played a taped, private conversation between #StormyDaniels' lawyer & Cohen in which Davidson talked about people having “settler’s remorse,” a reference to Daniels.

#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial


#Bove ends his cross-examination of #KeithDavidson.

Re-direct from prosecutor #Steinglass, who reads through a transcript of Davidson's recorded discussion w/ #MichaelCohen.

Davidson is asked to clarify that Michael #Avenatti, who by then was #StormyDaniels’ attorney, was denying a number of developments.

The discussions between Davidson & Cohen, he testified, were about Avenatti efforts, not coaching Stormy's words.

#Trump #criminal #law #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial


Prosecutors play a portion of a conversation w/ #KeithDavidson that #MichaelCohen secretly taped.
“Nobody’s thinking about Michael,” Cohen says, referring to himself in the 3rd person.
In the recording Cohen said #Trump hated “the fact that we did it.” Davidson clarifies this in response to the #HushMoney payment to #StormyDaniels — a key piece of evidence, that would seem to corroborate Trump’s knowledge of & involvement in the deal.

#criminal #law #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial


On the call, #MichaelCohen said, "What about me? And I can’t — I can't even tell you how many times he said to me, you know, 'I hate the fact that we did it'...& my comment to him was 'but every person you spoke to said it was the right thing to do.'"

After hearing that portion, the prosecutor asked Davidson who was the "he" referred to in the phone call.
"Mr. Trump," Davidson said, “I attributed that to be a quote from Mr. #Trump."

#criminal #law #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial


Daus, who extracted data from #MichaelCohen's cellphones, confirms that Cohen was texting w/ #HopeHicks, who at the time was #Trump’s spox.

A report from Daus shows that one of Cohen’s phones had 39,745 contacts!

A photo of Cohen behind the press secretary's lectern in the #WhiteHouse briefing room is displayed on video screens.

The courtroom is now hearing a recording Cohen secretly made of Trump talking.

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial


👀 On the recording, #MichaelCohen is talking to #Trump, it sounds like #HopeHicks in the background. Cohen is explaining they had just gotten served by The NYT to unseal records from Trump’s first divorce, from Ivana Trump.

At the end of the tape, Cohen tells Trump,

“I need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend David.”
[The #NationalEnquirer’s David #Pecker]

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial


👀 #MichaelCohen says he talked to #AllenWeisselberg, who was the #TrumpOrganization's CFO. Cohen references “the financing,” & #Trump interjects, “What financing?”

The call related to the #HushMoney deal made w/ #KarenMcDougal.

#Jurors are hearing Trump in the OvalOffice discussing a hush-money payment.

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial


Tape Transcript:

“I need to open up a company for the transfer of all that info regarding our friend, David, you know, so that — I'm going to do that right away," #MichaelCohen said. "And I've spoken to #AllenWeisselberg about how to set the whole thing up."

"So, what do we got to pay for this? 150?" #Trump asked.

"...funding. Yes. Um, & it's all the stuff," Cohen said.

"Yea, I was thinking about that," Trump said.

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial


"All the stuff. Because — here, you never know where that company — you never know what he’s...," #MichaelCohen said.

"Maybe he gets hit by a truck," Trump said.

#Trump then asked about financing & Cohen said, "Well, I'll have to pay something."

"Pay with cash," Trump said.

#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial


The prosecution has finished, & #Bove, the #Trump defense lawyer, is now cross-examining the forensic analyst custodial witness, Douglas Daus.

Bove asked about his credentials then about the chain of custody of #MichaelCohen’s phones. He is implying that perhaps the data on the phones — including the recording of Trump the jury just heard — might be compromised.

#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial



#TrumpTrial 🧵

Testimony started w/a bang last week as David #Pecker, the fmr publisher of The #NationalEnquirer, said that he had entered into a secret plot w/ #Trump & #MichaelCohen to #CatchAndKill negative stories about Trump as he ran for president in 2016.
#GaryFarro, the 3rd to testify, started off w/dry details about banking transactions. But #Farro is leading us to the #HushMoney payment

#criminal #law
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/04/30/nyregion/trump-hush-money-trial?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb


The people called the first #witness & #DavidPecker was sworn in.

#Pecker of The National Enquirer, was part of the #CatchAndKill #conspiracy that #Colangelo described in his opening statement, w/ #Trump & #MichaelCohen.

Prosecutor Joshua #Steinglass questioned Pecker. He began by asking him basic biographical information.

At that point, #Merchan stopped testimony, to ask jurors if they'd like writing materials to take notes. At least 10 raise their hands.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial


At the bench conference Judge #Merchan appeared to be speaking firmly to #Blanche.

The result of the conversation — Blanche may not be allowed to accuse #MichaelCohen of #perjury directly. But he may say that Cohen lied under oath. A #legal distinction.

Blanche suggested to the #jury there was a monetary motivation for Cohen's testimony, saying his livelihood relies on #Trump being destroyed.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney


"#MichaelCohen wanted a job in the administration. He didn't get one," #Blanche said, offering a motive for Cohen.

Blanche said Cohen has publicly called #Trump a "despicable human being" & said he wants to see him convicted, wearing an "orange jumpsuit." Blanche on Cohen: "I submit to you that he cannot be trusted."

Blanche tried to tell the #jury that Cohen has perjured himself. #Colangelo objected; the objection was sustained.

This brought attys back the bench.

#law #TrumpTrial


#Blanche made it clear that the #defense will continue to deny that #Trump had sex w/ #StormyDaniels.

Blanche called #MichaelCohen a "#criminal." [no duh. Criminals deal w/other criminals, yet point?]

Blanche continued: "He's obsessed w/President Trump even to this day.”

Blanche said Cohen demonstrated that obsession in his public interviews, & “his desire to see President Trump go to prison."

#law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney


#Blanche downplayed the 34 charges of falsfying records #Trump faces as a "business records violation."

He highlighted the disparity between the $130k #HushMoney payment & what was paid to #MichaelCohen. He asks them, if Trump really was so frugal, would he have repaid Cohen so much? "This was not a payback," he said, adding: “He was President Trump's personal atty."

"would a frugal business man …repay [a] $130k debt to the tune of $420k?"

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #ElectionInterference


#Colangelo depicted #MichaelCohen as a flawed man who has lied before, saying he lied about the payment to #StormyDaniels initially "to protect his boss."

"This case is about a #criminal #conspiracy & a #coverup," Colangelo says, st the start of his conclusion of his opening statement, adding that at the end of the case, jurors will have no #ReasonableDoubt about #Trump's #guilt.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference #HushMoney


#Colangelo insists that much of #Cohen's testimony will be #corroborated, incl’g by witnesses from The #NationalEnquirer & "an extensive paper trail."

Because the prosecution bears the burden of proving its case beyond a reasonable doubt, it gets to go first (& last) in a #criminal case. The advantage of that can be seen in action here, as Colangelo gives the jury his own frame through which to view #MichaelCohen.

#law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference #HushMoney


#Colangelo says #Trump's willingness to go to the trouble of the convoluted repayment scheme to #Cohen “shows just how important it was to him to hide the true nature of Cohen's illegal payment to Ms. Daniels & the overall #election #conspiracy that they had launched."

#MichaelCohen is a key witness. Colangelo explained the litany of problems w/Cohen to get ahead of defense’s attempt to discredit him - something Trump's lawyers can't do, their client won't let them: admit mistakes were made.