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

[mystery-ak]

a minute ago
Cohen says he knows Stormy's statement about hush money was false because he 'paid it'

Michael Cohen admitted that he pressured Keith Davidson to have Stormy Daniels sign a statement denying she was paid hush money — as Cohen admitted it was false and he would know.

Prosecutors asked Cohen how he knew the statement was false, which he responded: "Because I'm the one who paid it."

The jury was shown a nervous text exchange by Cohen and Davidson where Cohen can be seen pleading and pressuring Davidson to get her to go on the "Hannity" show to deny the allegations.

Cohen sent blocks of texts like "Please call me" and "C'mon!" when he got frustrated. He described it as "persistence."

[catfish1957]

It is refreshing to see the GOP support.

Even us "nose holders" are rooting for him.  Good job dims.....   galvanizing support here for DJT is one of those extreme examples of invoking the laws of unintended consequences.

[mystery-ak]

a minute ago
Cohen admits 'misleading' Federal Election Commission about hush money payout

Cohen testified that a law firm repping him, McDermott Will and Emery, wrote a "misleading" letter in 2018 to federal authorities who were asking questions about his $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels.

The letter says that neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was "a party" to the transaction. But in fact, it was the "Donald J Trump revocable trust" that reimbursed Cohen for the hush money, trial evidence shows.

Cohen told jurors Tuesday that "omitted" this in the letter to the FEC to "protect" Trump, and "stay on message."

[mystery-ak]

a few seconds ago
Trump keeps his eyes closed during Cohen's testimony

Donald Trump remains lounged back in his chair with his eyes closed as Michael Cohen continues to testify.

[mystery-ak]

09:57
Appeals court rejects Trump's bid to overturn gag order

While Cohen is testifying a mid-level appeals court has denied Trump's latest effort to throw out the gag order that has been imposed on him.

Trump asserted the order violated his right to free speech and left him unable to respond to criticisms from people like Cohen.

The order, imposed by Justice Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the trial, prohibits Trump from making public comments about jurors, witnesses, and families of the judge and prosecutors if meant to interfere with the case.

[mystery-ak]

 

a minute ago
Vivek Ramswamy keeps looking at his phone while in court

Vivek Ramswamy had his head down glued to his phone before finally shuffling the device into his right jacket pocket — only to pull it out two minutes later.

At one moment, his phone was clearly visible over the wooden barrier separating Trump and the courtroom.

[catfish1957]

09:57
Appeals court rejects Trump's bid to overturn gag order

While Cohen is testifying a mid-level appeals court has denied Trump's latest effort to throw out the gag order that has been imposed on him.

Trump asserted the order violated his right to free speech and left him unable to respond to criticisms from people like Cohen.

The order, imposed by Justice Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the trial, prohibits Trump from making public comments about jurors, witnesses, and families of the judge and prosecutors if meant to interfere with the case.

Kind of moot now, that Trump has smartly started using high profile surrogates to get his message across. 

If anything, a subdued restrained Trump is much more of an appeal to the electorate.  LOL...   Backfiring on the dims again.   

[catfish1957]

a minute ago
Vivek Ramswamy keeps looking at his phone while in court

Vivek Ramswamy had his head down glued to his phone before finally shuffling the device into his right jacket pocket — only to pull it out two minutes later.

At one moment, his phone was clearly visible over the wooden barrier separating Trump and the courtroom.

Name one single Millennial who isn't addicted to their phone. 

[mystery-ak]

a few seconds ago
Cohen testifies about being raided by the FBI in 2019: 'Concerned, despondent, angry'

Cohen is testifying about when the FBI raided him on April 9, 2019 — describing that he was frightened and "concerned, despondent, [and] angry."

Cohen said he was staying at the Lowes Regency because his apartment had been flooded by the apartment in the floor above when officials arrived at the apartment.

When asked how he was feeling at the time, Cohen responded he was "scared"

"How to describe your life being turned upside down. Concerned, despondent, angry," Cohen said.

He said he found out that the feds raided his apartment, law offices and a TD Bank safety deposit box he had just opened to store valuables while his apartment was under construction.

[mystery-ak]

4 minutes ago
'Don't worry, stay tough,' Cohen says Trump told him in call after 2018 FBI raid

After FBI agents raided his home in 2018, Cohen says Trump called him on his cell phone and told him not to worry.

"He said, don't worry, I'm the president of the United States. Don't worry, there is nothing here. Stay tough, you are going to be ok," Cohen recalled.

Cohen was then asked if that was the last time he spoke directly to Trump.

"Yes," Cohen replied.

Trump had his eyes closed was leaning back in his chair during Cohen's testimony.

2 minutes ago
'Don't flip': Cohen responds to Trump's tweets about Cohen in 2018

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/987679848284999680

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/987679850545778689

Cohen read the series of tweets to the jury, and was asked by prosecutors about how he interpreted them.

"Stay in fold. Stay loyal. I have you, you're a fine person. Don't flip," Cohen said.

[mystery-ak]

3 minutes ago
Cohen: 'Mr. Trump did not want me to cooperate with the government'

"That Mr. Trump did not want me to cooperate with the government. Certainly not provide any information or flip," Cohen said right before the morning break.

3 minutes ago
Court takes morning break

A brief morning break and we'll be back soon.

[mystery-ak]

Rob Crilly
@robcrilly
·
9m
Michael Cohen just choked up as he described April 2018 FBI raid.
He then describes call with Trump: 'He said don't worry. I'm the president of the United States. There's nothing here... stay tough. You are going to be OK.'
Cohen says they never spoke again.

[mystery-ak]

10:10
Prosecution case falling 'significantly short' says legal expert

Legal scholar Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University Law School, is not impressed with Cohen's testimony. He tells Fox News:

    It's almost as if he (Cohen) thinks there should have been a second lawyer watching him and advising Trump if he could believe what he (Cohen) was saying.

    He was the lawyer. He as drafting it. He was crafting these transactions.

    And we are still significantly short of any showing of intention to defraud to hide a crime, which has still not been defined by the prosecutors.

[mystery-ak]

10:25
Cohen asked about Trump 2018 Tweet about people who 'flip' to assist the government

Cohen got asked about an infamous 2018 Tweet after the FBI raid where Trump vouched for Cohen and said he wouldn't flip, amid a New York Times report on how he might respond.

'The New York Times and a third rate reporter named Maggie Haberman, known as a Crooked H flunkie who I don’t speak to and have nothing to do with, are going out of their way to destroy Michael Cohen and his relationship with me in the hope that he will “flip,” Trump wrote, in a tweet that the jury heard, with Haberman sitting in the coutroom.

After bashing the paper and its sources, Trump calls Cohen 'a fine person with a wonderful family. Michael is a businessman for his own account/lawyer who I have always liked & respected. Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble, even if..it means lying or making up stories. Sorry, I don’t see Michael doing that despite the horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media!'

Hoffinger then asked Cohen who Trump was communicating the message to. 'To me,' he said. He said the message was: 'Stay in the fold. Stay loyal. I have you. You’re a fine person. Don’t flip.'


MOL

[mystery-ak]

10 minutes ago
Cohen resumes testifying after morning break

Michael Cohen has returned to the witness stand.

2 minutes ago
Cohen was concerned to work with attorney tied to Rudy Giuliani
By Kyle Schnitzer

Michael Cohen testified that he was concerned to work with attorney Robert Costello after the lawyer told him about his close ties to Rudy Giuliani.

Cohen said he was concerned that “anything I said would get back to him," referring to Trump.

Prosecutors asked about Costello who Cohen said told him that "he was incredibly close to Rudy Giuliani"

[mystery-ak]

a minute ago
Andrew Giuliani reacts to dad Rudy being mentioned in court
By kschnitzernyp

https://twitter.com/AndrewHGiuliani/status/1790409170383946039

[mystery-ak]

a few seconds ago
'You are loved...Sleep well tonight,' Rudy's lawyer emailed Cohen during FBI probe

Cohen read aloud an email in which Bob Costello, an attorney for Rudy Giuliani, told Cohen "you are loved” amid a federal law enforcement probe.

“Sleep well tonight, you have friends in high places,” the email added.

Cohen was then asked what Costello meant by "you are loved."

"By President Trump," he testified.

Costello also spoke to Cohen about setting up a back channel of communication between Cohen and Trump during the probe, Cohen testified.

[mystery-ak]

7 minutes ago
Who is Robert Costello? Trump loyalist wrapped up in hush money case
By Tamar Lapin

Cohen testified that he was pushed to hire criminal defense attorney Robert "Bob" Costello -- a longtime Trump ally with ties to Rudy Giuliani -- following the 2018 FBI raid on his hotel room.

Costello, at the request of Trump's team, testified to the Manhattan grand jury that ultimately voted to indict the ex-president.

After his testimony in March 2023, Costello blasted Cohen -- the prosecution's star witness -- telling reporters his former client had a "lie, cheat, steal" mindset.

"I'm trying to tell the truth to the grand jury," Costello said. "If they want to go after Donald Trump and they have solid evidence, then so be it. Michael Cohen is not solid evidence."

[mystery-ak]

11:09
Cohen huddles with family amid 'pressure' campaign

Cohen decided not to work with Costello, eventually hiring other lawyers.

He never told Costello about the Stormy Daniels matter, he said.

'I didn’t trust him. Meaning Bob Costello. And I still remained loyal to Mr. Trump,' he said.

Cohen ultimately decided to make his break after speaking to his family.

'My wife my daughter my son all said to me. Why are you holding on to this loyalty? What are you doing. We’re supposed to be your first loyalty,' he said.

Asked about his decision, he said he decided 'that it was about time to listen to them. To my wife my daughter my son and the country.'

By April he would plead guilty to crimes in federal court.

MOL

[mystery-ak]

11:10
Trump surrogates stump outside of courthouse for former president while wearing matching outfits

Multiple Republican politicians dawned blue suits with red ties while delivering stump speeches in support of Donald Trump outside of the courthouse.

Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Reps. Cory Mills and Byron Donalds all spoke out about the president's hush money trial.

They condemned the trial as politically motivated and illegitimate.

https://twitter.com/JMRaasch/status/1790408656166481953


MOL

[mystery-ak]

a minute ago
'I would not lie for President Trump any longer,' Cohen tells jurors

By the time he implicated Trump in his 2018 guilty plea in Manhattan federal court, Cohen decided he would no longer lie for Trump, he testified.

“I made a decision, based again on a conversation with my family, that I would not lie for President Trump any longer,” he said, shifting in his chair to face the jurors.

We're nearing what's likely to be the end of prosecutors' questions for him.

[mystery-ak]

3 minutes ago
'Worst day of my life': Cohen describes pleading guilty to tax charges
By Kyle Schnitzer

Michael Cohen testified that it was the "worst day of my life" when he pleaded guilty to tax charges and making false statements to a financial institution.

The case was not related to Trump.

[mystery-ak]

a few seconds ago
Alina Habba passes note to Trump's attorneys

Alina Habba was seen passing a note to Susan Necheles through two people sitting behind Trump.

The note was then passed down the line to Todd Blanche.

[mystery-ak]

11:26
Cohen testifies about serving time after his guilty plea

Cohen testifies about matters alrady in the public record – that he served time in jail and paid fines after his guilty plea.

He had already stated in court that the tax related charges he pleaded to did not involve Trump. They were for an unrelated business matter.

He said he was given a sentence of 36 months of incarceration, and paid the IRS '1,394,000.'

He ended up serving 13 months due to 'comorbidities' during covid.

He also paid a pair of $50,000 fines.

Then he described his 2019 testimony to Congress, where he revealed details became key to Trump's fraud trial.

'I apologized to congress I apologized to the country I apologized to my family.'

MOL

[mystery-ak]

11:17
Cohen describes 'pressure campaign' using 'spyish' language to get him to cooperate

Cohen disclosed the details of a 'pressure campaign' to get him to cooperate.

It was the backdoor deals and coersion that led to him turning on President Trump, despite years of loyalty, he explained.

He was describing an email communication with Costello where he didn't state Trump's name outright.

Cohen told the court that the reason behind that was 'to be covert.

'It’s all back channel, spyish. Didn’t want to put in anybody’s name,' he went on.

Cohen continued to detail correspondence with Costello who said Trump and Guiliani were trying to throw him under the bus.

'If you are really believe you are not being supported by your former boss, you should make your position known,' Costello advised Cohen.

'This is part of the pressure campaign,' Cohen said in court.

'The president still supports you, do not listen to what the journalists say and stay in the fold. Don’t flip, don’t speak, don’t cooperate.'

11:16
Judge delivers jury instruction

Judge Merchan tells the jury not to consider Cohen's guilty plea. He says it can assist the jury in assesssing Cohen's credibilty as a witness, and for 'context,' but for 'those purposes only.'

Merchan has read several similar instructions today.