Trump trial's OJ glove moment: Cohen tape undercuts prosecutors’ main story to jurors
This follows a pattern of weaknesses in Bragg’s case, which has been consistently undercut by other witnesses. But if the tapes don't fit: they must acquit.
By John Solomon and Steven Richards
Published: May 14, 2024 11:04pm
Updated: May 14, 2024 11:23pm
When Alvin Bragg's prosecutors opened their felony record-keeping trial, they promised to show the jurors that Donald Trump "orchestrated" a conspiracy to hide allegations from a porn star and another woman from voters in 2016 and disguise the source of the cash in his firm’s books.
When their star witness Michael Cohen played a tape he secretly made of his ex-boss and client, the recording appeared to show that Trump was unaware of key details, seemingly aloof to a plan that Cohen himself admitted he had concocted to make the so-called “hush money” payments.
Like the glove too small to fit OJ Simpson, the Cohen tape may prove an explosive boomerang that benefits the defense more than the prosecution. In the recordings, Trump doesn't admit to knowing the full scheme or ever mention trying to impact the elections—central components of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s charges against the former president.
If Trump didn't admit, jurors may certainly be asked to acquit. In criminal cases, the jury is required to find guilt "beyond a reasonable doubt."
“The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election; then he covered up that criminal conspiracy by lying in his New York business records over and over and over again,” prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told the jury in his opening statement, succinctly summarizing Bragg’s case.
The prosecutor laid out the case, now the witnesses would have to provide the evidence to back up these claims. However, witness after witness seemed to undercut the central components of the case: that Trump had knowledge of the payments, that he was the orchestrator, and that he was motivated by manipulating the 2016 election to win.
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https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/trump-trials-oj-moment-cohen-tape-undercuts-prosecutors-main-story-jurors
