Trump trial: Cohen faces Trump team grilling over past lies, recollections
The defense questioned Trump's former lawyer on Day 18 of the hush money trial.
Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York City, where he is facing felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges.
Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
Top headlines:
- No decision yet about Trump testifying
- Defense argues Cohen's lack of retainer agreement was not an issue
- Defense accuses Cohen of lying about Trump phone call
- Defense challenges Cohen on past perjury
- Cohen says Trump approved payment of $420K, paid monthly
- Jury hears secret recording of Trump discussing payment
What to know about the hush money case
READ MORE: Here's what you need to know about the historic case.
Jurors again see paperwork for creation of Cohen's LLC
For the second time during the trial, the jury was shown the paperwork for Resolution Consultants LLC, the shell company Michael Cohen formed initially to pay AMI for the Karen McDougal payment.
Cohen conceded he did not give First Republic Bank the "true reason" for the account.
"I'm not sure they would have opened it," Cohen said, if the bank knew the true reason "was to pay off an adult film star for a nondisclosure agreement"
"Need an account opened for Mike Cohen immediately. He wants no address on the checks," Cohen's banker wrote to a colleague on Oct. 13, 2016, when he earlier testified earlier about Cohen's frantic effort to open the two bank accounts in October 2016.
Prosecutors suggested that Cohen misled bankers when he opened the bank account by stating the account was for legitimate business purposes.
Cohen told jurors that he opted to rename the shell company to Essential Consultants after realizing that Resolution Consultants LLC was a real company owned by a friend. The $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels was made from a new account for Essential Consultants.
Cohen details efforts to delay Stormy Daniels payment
Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen testified that as Stormy Daniels' layer Keith Davidson pushed him to make good on the $130,000 hush payment to Stormy Daniels, he sought to "continue to delay, delay the execution of the documents, delay execution of funding."
The jury saw an email exchange in which "I used the holiday, Yom Kipur, as a way of once again of trying to delay it until after the election," Cohen said.
"And the reason for that?" asked prosecutor Susan Hoffinger.
"Because after the election it wouldn't matter," Cohen said.
"According to who?" Hoffinger asked.
"According to Mr. Trump," Cohen said.
Trump’s eyes appeared to be closed again as the questioning continued.
Cohen returns to the stand following lunch break
With the lunch break over, Michael Cohen has returned to the witness stand to resume his direct examination.
He did not look at Trump when he returned to the courtroom following the break.
Trump demanded he push Daniels story 'past election,' Cohen says
Michael Cohen said that he asked Trump about how Trump's wife Melania might respond to the Stormy Daniels story.
"How's things going to go upstairs?" Cohen said he asked Trump.
According to Cohen, Trump responded, "How long do you think I'll be on the market for? Not long."
According to Cohen, Trump's main concern was the campaign.
"This was all about the campaign," Cohen said.
"I want you to push it out as long as you can," Cohen said Trump told him about the Daniels story. "Push it out past the election, because if I win, it has no relevance, and if I lose I don't really care."
It was "about delaying the deal and trying to push it past the election, which was coming," Cohen testified.
Trump, during this testimony, was leaning back in his chair angled slightly toward Cohen.
Court was subsequently dismissed for the lunch break.
Cohen stepped off the witness stand and looked away from the defense counsel table as he passed Trump.
Trump then exited the courtroom for the break.
Defense challenges Cohen on past perjury
Defense attorney Todd Blanche challenged Michael Cohen on his past lies during his sworn testimony.
Regarding Cohen's testimony before Congress in 2017, Blanche asked Cohen, "That's one of the times you have lied under oath?"
"That's correct," Cohen said.
Cohen told jurors that he has done at least 17 sworn interviews with federal agents.
"Each time you met with the federal agents, you were told that if you made a false statement that was a felony -- a federal crime?" Blanche asked.
"Yes sir," Cohen said.
Blanche hammered at the idea that Cohen knows the penalty for perjury, has testified under oath many times, and has lied before.