Trump says Cohen payments were 'legal expense'
Former President Trump, addressing reporters on his way into court, defended the way payments were made to his former attorney Michael Cohen, pushing back on the crux of the DA's case that they were improperly labeled as legal expenses.
"I was paying a lawyer and I marked it down as a legal expense, some accountant," Trump said. "I didn't know. That's exactly what it was."
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Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has accused Trump of improperly labeling the money as legal expenses to Cohen in order to hide that the funds were to repay hush money paid to Stormy Daniels to boost Trump's electoral prospects.
"Legal expense -- that's what you're supposed to call it," Trump said.
"This is a trial that should never happen, it should have been thrown out," he said.