Live Thread: Trump's hush money trial begins in NYC

[mystery-ak]

6 minutes ago
Still no word on if Trump will testify
By Post Staff

It's still unclear if Trump will take the stand.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan asked Trump attorney Todd Blanche if there was any indication the ex-president would testify, to which the lawyer responded "no."

Cohen, who is now being cross-examined by Blanche, will be prosecutors' last witness after which the defense will have a chance to put on their case.

5 minutes ago
'Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain': Cohen confirms Trump digs on his podcast

Blanche brought up Cohen's statements on his Mea Culpa podcast where he called Trump a "boorish cartoon misogynist."

"Sounds like something I would say," Cohen answered.

Other confirmed statements included “Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain."

[mystery-ak]

a minute ago
Cohen composed as he testifies about home confinement

Cohen is remaining calm as he testifies about being on home confinement. He said that he would get three hours a week where he could be outside of his home.

He testified that he first wore an ankle bracelet which eventually became a phone, where authorities would call him randomly to check in on him.

3 minutes ago
Trump attorney pushes Cohen on 'lie' during Mueller probe

Before the break, Trump attorney Todd Blanche pushed Cohen to admit he lied during the Robert Mueller special counsel investigation on Russian interference in the 2016 election.

“Yes, the info I gave was not accurate,” Cohen conceded, referring to bogus info he gave investigators years ago about the Trump Tower real estate project in Moscow.

“Is not accurate information a lie?” Blanche probed.

“Sure. It was inaccurate, yes," Cohen said, prompting Blanche to push "Was it a lie?"

After more back-and-forth, Cohen eventually admitted: “Sure, I’ll say it’s a lie.”

[mystery-ak]

OKAY....what is the crime Trump committed?....when Trump was arraigned what did he plea not-guilty to????
 How come no one asks that question?

[mystery-ak]

3 minutes ago
Cohen still on supervised release until later this year
By Kyle Schnitzer

Michael Cohen confirmed that he is still on supervised release until November.

[mystery-ak]

4 minutes ago
Court breaks for day with Michael Cohen still on the stand

We'll be back Thursday at 9:30 a.m. with more cross-examination of Michael Cohen.

Court is off on all Wednesdays.

[libertybele]

4 minutes ago
Court breaks for day with Michael Cohen still on the stand

We'll be back Thursday at 9:30 a.m. with more cross-examination of Michael Cohen.

Court is off on all Wednesdays.

Gee, I can't wait to hear more testimony from Cohen.   

[corbe]

OKAY....what is the crime Trump committed?....when Trump was arraigned what did he plea not-guilty to????
 How come no one asks that question?

   Being a person of low character and even in NY that is not a crime.

[mystery-ak]

Trump takes shot at Alan Dershowitz over being a Democrat: 'Ought to have your brain examined'

Donald Trump took a shot at Alan Dershowitz over identifying as a Democrat as the ex-president read aloud several news clippings after he left court on Tuesday.

"Alan Dershowitz, a great gentleman," Trump began outside the courtroom. "This is election interference at the most obvious...and every American no matter whether you're on the Trump team or against him, whatever political affiliation it is and he goes on to say he's a Democrat, he can't be right about everything.

"He's making a big mistake. If you're Jewish, and you're a Democrat -- and that includes Alan Dershowitz -- you ought to have your head examined when you see what's going on with Israel."

The former president proceeded to read several more news clippings that sided with him in the "hush money" trial.

[Right_in_Virginia]

[Wingnut]

   Being a person of low character and even in NY that is not a crime.

No, in NY it is a benefit.

[Wingnut]

4 minutes ago

Court is off on all Wednesdays.

When I was a youngin all the Barber shops in town were closed on Wednesdays.

[240B]

Wednesday is derived from "Woden's day". Woden is an old germanic way of sayin 'Odin'.
In some weird joke of history, Wednesday = Odin's day

[Cyber Liberty]

Wednesday is derived from "Woden's day". Woden is an old germanic way of sayin 'Odin'.
In some weird joke of history, Wednesday = Odin's day

That is correct.  Tomorrow is Thor's Daeg.

[mystery-ak]

DAY 18



Michael Cohen is set to retake the stand Thursday, the third day this week he is doing so as a star witness in former President Trump’s hush money trial.

He will undergo further cross-examination by Trump’s attorney, who at the start of the proceeding attempted to paint the former president’s ex-personal attorney as someone who profited over his hatred of his former boss.

Cohen is expected to be the prosecution’s last witness in the historic trial, which has stretched into its fourth week.

Michael Cohen is expected to be the prosecution’s final witness in their case in chief, though they may later call a rebuttal witness if Trump has an expert testify in his defense.

“We had indicated that, potentially, that we could call another witness, that was going to be another book publisher, but we’ve decided that we really don’t need to do that,” Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass said during a sidebar conference on Tuesday.

The exchange was out of the earshot of reporters but surfaced in the court transcript.

“So, Mr. Cohen will be the last witness,” Steinglass said.

Cross-examination of Cohen from Trump’s attorneys is expected to last most, if not all, of Thursday.

Court will not meet on Friday so Trump can attend his son’s graduation, so it is possible Cohen will need to return on Monday.

— Zach Schonfeld

08:38 AMMay 16, 2024
-
rrahman
Long lines form at courthouse for Cohen testimony

The lines to get into the courthouse to catch a glimpse of Trump’s hush money trial were already long at about 5:30 a.m. this morning.

Members of the public and the press were huddled underneath umbrellas to face the rainy weather.

Despite the early hour, most members of the public will likely not get in due to a very limited number of seats inside.

By 6:30 a.m., police appeared to already close off the line.

—Lauren Sforza

[mystery-ak]

14 minutes ago
Trump slams 'sham' 'hush money' case: 'Biden's office is running the trial'
By David Spector

Former President Donald Trump slammed the conditions of his "hush money" trial in early morning remarks before proceedings were to begin.

"Outside it's like Fort Knox," Trump said, lamenting the immense security surrounding his trial.

"A lead person from the DOJ is running the trial, so Biden's office is running the trial," raged the former president.

Trump resumed slamming the judge in his case as "conflicted" and cited legal scholars such as Alan Dershowitz to support his view that there's "no case."

"This trial is a scam and a sham and it shouldn't happen," Trump said.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office is a state office and does not answer to President Biden.

One of the prosecutors on the case, Matthew Colangelo, was a high-ranking DOJ official, but he also worked with Bragg earlier at the New York Attorney General's Office.

There is no evidence that Biden is involved in this prosecution.

[rustynail]

 There is no evidence that Biden is involved in this prosecution.

 “absence of evidence is not evidence of absence”

[libertybele]

'I took some credit': Cohen confirms he bragged about role in Trump indictment, praised arrest

Michael Cohen said in court Thursday that he "took some credit" for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office's 34-count indictment of former President Donald Trump.

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche played a clip in court of Cohen saying during a 2020 podcast interview, "I absolutely hope he ends up in prison..."

Asked by Blanche whether he believes he played a role in Trump's indictment from New York prosecutors, Cohen responded, "I took some credit."

Blanche then asked Cohen if there are other similar podcasts where he called Trump names. He responds, “correct” and confirms it has continued even during the trial.

Asked by Blanche whether he referred to Trump as “dumb*ss Donald," Cohen confirmed.

Cohen also said Thursday that he has never met Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

During a May 2023 podcast, Cohen praised Bragg and the case brought against Trump, saying, “I wanna thank the DA’s office and fearless leader Alvin Bragg ... for countless hours of laying out payments and crimes ... Trump having his picture taken and fingerprinted brings me nothing but delight ..."

That audio was played for those in court on Thursday.

https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/may-16-trump-trial-michael-cohen-cross-examination

[Cyber Liberty]

Cohen keeps calm as Blanche walks him through past lies under oath -- which he says he did for Trump
By Ben Kochman

Michael Cohen, wearing a dark suit and yellow tie, is so far staying calm as Donald Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche walks him through his history of lies under oath -- which Cohen says he did to protect Trump.

"You lied under oath, correct?" Blanche asked Cohen.

"Yes, sir," Cohen calmly replied.

[Cyber Liberty]

Trump has eyes closed at defense table even as lawyer lands some blows on Cohen
By Ben Kochman

Donald Trump has remained slumped in his chair with his eyes closed even as his lawyer Todd Blanche grills Michael Cohen about Cohen's history of lying under oath.

Cohen has admitted today to lying to Congress, to a federal judge, and to federal investigators,

But Trump has not perked up for any of this.

[Cyber Liberty]

Cohen, on a tape:

“I truly f–king hope this man ends up in prison,” Cohen said in the tape, later adding, “You better believe I want this man to go down and rot for what he did to me and my family”

[libertybele]

Cohen keeps calm as Blanche walks him through past lies under oath -- which he says he did for Trump
By Ben Kochman

Michael Cohen, wearing a dark suit and yellow tie, is so far staying calm as Donald Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche walks him through his history of lies under oath -- which Cohen says he did to protect Trump.

"You lied under oath, correct?" Blanche asked Cohen.

"Yes, sir," Cohen calmly replied.

So how is he even remotely a credible witness???  He lied.  He admittedly hates Trump.   

[Cyber Liberty]

Court takes morning break

The judge asked jurors to let the sergeant know if they cannot work next Wednesday.


8 minutes ago
Cohen admits he once wanted be pardoned by Trump: ‘I wanted this nightmare to end’

Michael Cohen said he once wanted Donald Trump to pardon him while Trump was president — despite telling Congress that he never asked for one in 2019.

“At that present moment, it was true. I wanted this nightmare to end," Cohen testified.

In his opening remarks to the House Oversight Committee, Cohen said at the time: "I have never asked for, nor would I accept, a pardon from President Trump."

[corbe]

Defense pushes Cohen on walking back guilty plea


Trump’s attorney is bringing up Cohen’s various statements after he pleaded guilty to tax crimes in which he appeared to walk back his admission of guilt.

In his book, Cohen called the charges “bogus,” and attorney Todd Blanche brought up how the witness at one point had even called one of his judges “corrupt” and “in on it.”

Cohen has repeatedly tried to clarify he doesn’t dispute the underlying facts of his guilty plea, but he believes he should not have been charged because he was not “given the same opportunities” as others to first correct any issues with his taxes.

“I did not believe that it was a crime that I should have been charged with,” Cohen said.

— Zach Schonfeld

[Cyber Liberty]

Gaetz said Trump is on trial for a "made-up crime" and that the jury had "great appreciation for the liar Michael Cohen was."

"The radical left wants President Trump to simply go away," said Boebert (R-Colo.), "they're doing everything they can to interfere in yet another election."

Boebert says the group of allies were at the courthouse to "stand with" Trump.

Boebert went on to slam Cohen's "lack of credibility."

[Cyber Liberty]

Rep. Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, and more Trump allies slam judge's family, Cohen in press conference
By David Spector

Rep. Matt Gaetz, Rep. Lauren Boebert and several other Donald Trump allies held a press conference outside the NYC courthouse while the ex-president's "hush money" trial was on break.

"There is no branch of government Michael Cohen has not lied to," said Gaetz (R-Fla.), "he committed these lies for his own benefit."

Gaetz went on to slam the "corrupt judge" whose "own family is making six figures off Democrat politics."