10:27
Court hears secret audio Cohen made of a Trump phone call in 2016
The court hears a secret audio recording Cohen made of a conversation about the Karen McDougal story.
The recording was secretly made on September 6th 2016 by Cohen as he was in discussions with the National Enquirer about buying up the rights to the story from Ms McDougal, who was Playboy Playmate of the Year in 1998.
Before speaking to Cohen, Trump can be heard talking to somebody called ‘Pam’.
He says: ‘Maybe it would be better if you didn’t come. Because of this. It’s so false what they’re saying. Such b*******’.
It is unclear what Trump is referring to.
Cohen enters and says: ‘I need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend, David, you know, so that -- I’m going to do that right away’.
According to prosecutors, this was a company Cohen was setting up to pay the $150,000 back to the Enquirer, which would pay McDougal for her story.
In the end he never did pay the money.
The ‘our friend David’ referred to David Pecker, who at the time was publisher of the Enquirer.
Cohen continues: ‘ I’ve spoken to Allen Weisselberg about how to set the whole thing up,’ referring to the man who at the time was chief financial officer of The Trump Organization, Trump’s real estate business.
Trump replies: ‘So, what do we got to pay for this? 150?’
Cohen replies: ‘Yes. And it’s all the stuff’.
On the tape there is crosstalk between the two men and it is unclear who Trump is referring to when he says: ‘Maybe he gets hit by a truck’.
Cohen says: ‘Correct. So, I’m all over that. And, I spoke to Allen about it,when it comes time for the financing, which will be…’
Cutting in, Trump says: ‘Listen, what financing?’
When Cohen says they will ‘have to pay him something’, Trump cuts in: ‘Pay with cash’.
To reassure him, Cohen says: ‘No, no, no, no, no, I got it’.
MOL
