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.
'Just do it,' Cohen says Trump told him about Daniels payment
Michael Cohen testified that as the clock ticked toward the 2016 election, it became increasingly clear he could no longer delay the nondisclosure arrangement with Stormy Daniels.
Cohen said Trump agreed.
"He stated to me that he had spoken to some friends, some individuals, very smart people. It's $130,000. Just pay it. There's no reason to keep this thing out there. Just do it. So he expressed to me, 'Just do it,'" Cohen said.
Then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg allegedly suggested that Cohen could fund the account that would ultimately wire the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels through one of Trump's golf courses, either through a membership or a wedding.
In a meeting with Weisselberg, Cohen said he suggested two options: "One option was to see if I knew anybody who wanted to purchase a golf membership," and a second option was for "somebody who was having a family affair, like a wedding or a bar mitzvah" pay that account and redeem the value as a "credit on their invoice."
"Why don't you pay?" Cohen testified he asked Weisselberg.
"He said to me that he wasn't financially in a position to do it," Cohen said.
Cohen said he eventually agreed to make the payment.
"I said I'll pay for it," Cohen said.
According to Cohen, both he and Weisselberg discussed the plan with Trump;
"Allen and I spoke to Mr. Trump and we expressed to him that I was going to front the money for it, to which he was appreciative," Cohen said.
Cohen said Trump replied, "Good, good."
Cohen says he advocated for Trump on CNN
Jurors saw a record of a text message on Oct. 18, 2016, from Melania Trump to Cohen.
"Good morning Michael, can u pls call DT on his cell. Thanks," Melania texted.
Cohen replied, "Of course."
Later that day, Cohen appeared on CNN to defend Trump's conduct in light to the "Access Hollywood" tape and other allegations.
"I advocated for Mr. Trump in the best light possible -- denials as well as exclamations that I have never seen him act in this sort of manner before," Cohen said.
'We were losing control,' Cohen says of Daniels' payment
Michael Cohen told jurors that he grew concerned in mid-October 2016 when Stormy Daniels' attorney Keith Davidson told him he was backing out of the nondisclosure deal over Cohen's failure to pay Daniels the agreed-upon $130,000.
"We were losing control over the settlement ... in order to prevent the story from coming out as a direct result of my failure to wire funds," Cohen told jurors.
"Were you concerned?" Hoffinger asked.
"Very much so," Cohen said.
Later that day, Cohen texted National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard to try to revive the deal, telling the jurors that the idea of the story going to an outlet like the Daily Mail was "incredibly stressful and incredibly important."
Cohen said he then tried to call Trump over a matter of "great importance." Cohen testified that "I didn't forward the funds, she's now declaring the agreement void," and he said he wanted to tell Trump "the story was now going to go to the Daily Mail."
The call lasted eight seconds. "I left a voicemail," Cohen said.
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.
Trump team attempts to cast doubt on Karen McDougal call
Defense attorney Todd Blanche pressed Michael Cohen on the hush money payment made to Playboy model Karen McDougal, whose story Cohen said he thought could be damaging to the Trump campaign.
"President Trump at least initially didn't think it would hurt him?" Blanche asked.
"Initially yes," Cohen said.
Blanche attempted to cast doubt on how Cohen could remember a specific phone call with Trump about McDougal in June 2016 when he was getting a hundreds of calls a week at the time.
Cohen agreed with the defense that he gets 14,000 phone calls a year.
"So when you testified Monday and Tuesday about specific conversations you had with Mr. Howard, with President Trump, you were not testifying about a specific recollection of that phone call?" Blanche asked.
"I was," Cohen said. "Because these phone calls are things I've been talking about for the last six years. They are, and they, were all-consuming."