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Live Thread: Trump's hush money trial begins in NYC
mystery-ak:
3 minutes ago
How Cohen tried sweet-talking Trump into making him 'personal attorney to the president'
By Kyle Schnitzer
Cohen said he pitched Trump on being the personal attorney to the president, and even brought in another lawyer to help sweet talk Trump into giving him the role.
“He went through this pitch explaining the importance and necessity of having a personal attorney for his own protection and why I fit exactly that role," Cohen testified.
Trump had his eyes closed during Cohen's speech, as he has several times throughout his former attorney's testimony.
Cohen said he didn't not "expect to be compensated" for the role and did not discuss compensation.
mystery-ak:
2 minutes ago
'Pissed off': How Cohen reacted to Trump cutting his bonus in 2016
Michael Cohen explained how Trump dished out annual bonuses around the office — and how he reacted having his bonus cut by two-thirds in 2016.
"I used quite a few expletives," Cohen said recalling a conversation with Allen Weisselberg about his skinny bonus.
Cohen said he used "colorful language about how truly pissed off and angry I was."
Trump would have Rhona Graff, his personal assistant, walk around the office and give employees a Christmas card signed by Trump and others, Cohen testified — explaining that inside the card would be a check for the bonus that year.
“Rhona came and delivered the envelope and the Christmas card," Cohen said about the 2016 year.
Cohen said he was "angry – beyond angry. Cut my bonus by two-thirds.”
He said he was personally insulted by Trump cutting his bonus after he laid out "$130,000 on his behalf to protect him."
“I was truly insulted, personally hurt. I didn’t understand it, made no sense, after all I had gone through – the campaign, things at the Trump Organization," Cohen testified.
"Laying out 130K on his behalf to protect him – it was insulting the gratitude shown back to me was to cut a bonus by two-thirds."
Trump took a few scratches to his neck during Cohen's testimony.
mystery-ak:
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🇺🇸Travis🇺🇸
@Travis_4_Trump
JUST IN: The prosecution is currently making a great case, against Michael Cohen. So far, every piece of evidence has been conversation between Cohen and others. The only thing Cohen has against Trump is his word. Conveniently, the really damaging evidence was on an encrypted messaging app, so it can’t be recovered.
It’s becoming increasingly apparent that Cohen acted of his own free will doing things to please Trump because he worshipped him. He’s yet to say Trump demanded he do anything, only that he felt pressured because he was afraid.
Why is this loser even allowed to testify? He’s a coward and a sellout
mystery-ak:
a minute ago
Cohen texted 'Taxi King' Gene Friedman gloating about becoming 'personal counsel' to Trump
A text shown to jurors sent by Michael Cohen to Gene Friedman shows Cohen telling the "Taxi King" that he was going to be "personal counsel to Pres Trump."
The text, dated January 17, 2017, shows Cohen texted Friedman, who he identified as the "operator of yellow cabs" he owned, writing: Thank u. I leave tomorrow for DC and just between us, I will be personal counsel to Pres Trump."
Friedman was stripped of 800 medallions by the Taxi & Limousine Commission in 2017 shortly before his arrest for tax fraud.
mystery-ak:
--- Quote ---3 minutes ago
Michael Cohen to resume testimony on Tuesday
By Ben Kochman
We’re done for the day. We’ll be back tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. with more testimony from Trump’s fixer-turned foe, Michael Cohen.
--- End quote ---
--- Quote ---4 minutes ago
Here's how Trump's business reimbursed Cohen for the hush money payout, per trial evidence
By Ben Kochman
Then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg wrote down notes explaining the scheme to reimburse Michael Cohen for his $130,000 payout to Stormy Daniels, trial evidence shows.
Weisselberg scrawled messy notes explaining the scheme on a copy of a bank statement for Cohen's shell company that was used to make the Daniels payout, Essential Consultants LLC.
Here's how it worked:
-- They started with a $130,000 payment to reimburse Cohen for paying the Daniels hush money.
-- They then added $50,000 owed to Cohen to reimburse him for paying an IT firm called "Red Finch," which Cohen testified he hired to rig online polls in favor of Trump in 2015.
-- Then they doubled $180,000 to $360,000 to make up for the roughly 50% taxes the Midtown Manhattan resident would have to pay because he was in a high tax bracket.
-- They then added an extra $60,000 as a "bonus" to make up for Trump apparently stiffing Cohen on a bonus the previous year.
-- Weisselberg told Cohen that the new total of $420,000 would be paid out in 12 installments of $35,000 throughout 2017.
--- End quote ---
--- Quote ---7 minutes ago
Trial is done for day, back tomorrow at 9:30 a.m
We're done for the day. We'll be back tomorrow with more testimony from Trump's fixer-turned foe, Michael Cohen.
--- End quote ---
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