Michael Cohen: Stormy Daniels payment needed Trump sign off and he told me to ‘figure this whole thing out’ – live | Donald Trump trials
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Cohen: ‘Everything required Mr Trump’s signature’
Michael Cohen said he created an Essential Consultants account on October 26, 2016 so he could pay.
“Would you have made that payment to Stormy Daniels without getting a signature from Mr. Trump?”
No, because everything required Mr. Trump’s signature, and on top of that, I wanted my money back.
Key events
Donald Trumpspeaking to reporters after court adjourned, the name of a dozen so-called “legal experts” who agreed with him that his criminal trial was “threat to democracy”.
Among those he mentioned include JD Vancea Republican senator from Ohio, who is on Trump’s list of potential candidates, and Iowa’s attorney general Brenna Bird. Both Byrd and Vance attended the trial today in a show of support for Trump.
Donald Trump addressed the media on his way out of the courtroom, where he once again berated the judge Juan Mercan for being “corrupt” and “highly conflicted”.
The judge “was keeping me from campaigning,” Trump told reporters.
He is an appointed judge in New York… Do you know who appointed him? Democrat politicians. He is a corrupt judge and a controversial judge and he should allow us to go out and campaign.
The former president added that what was happening in the courtroom was a “threat to democracy” and a “terrible thing”.
The trial ended for the day and the jury left the courtroom.
Michael Cohen He is expected to return to the stand tomorrow to continue his questioning by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger.
“At any point did Mr. Trump confirm to you that he would give you the title of personal adviser to the president?” Michael Cohen says yes.
Should the monthly payments have been for working as a personal advisor? Cohen responds:
It was meant to be, but it was a disbursement of the Stormy Daniels payment as well as … the bonus and the money from Red Finch.
Cohen said he was thrilled to be given the title of Trump’s personal attorney.
I was proud to accept this title I wanted, so I knew there would be no compensation for any other work.
Did you have any expectations that you would be paid? “None at all,” says Cohen.
How will he be paid for this title? Cohen says by monetizing the personal attorney role and creating contractual consulting relationships.
Michael Cohen was asked to explain why he was owed $180,000 instead of just $150,000 for the hush money. He said he was owed $50,000 to pay a firm called Red Finch for “technical services.”
Cohen was asked whether Trump Organization CFO Alan Weiselberg was able to approve the $50,000 payout to Red Finch without Mr. Trump’s approval. Cohen says no.
“Was there anything else that would have paid you back?” Cohen says:
In addition to the bonus I was given previously, $60,000.
What did he tell you about that extra $60,000 bonus? “That this is the best it’s going to get,” Cohen said.
“Did he say anything about trying to fix it because your bonus was cut?” Cohen says, “Yes.”
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger now asks Michael Cohen to account for how much is owed to him and invoiced.
The jury is shown a text from the CFO of the Trump Organization Alan Weiselberg to Michael Cohen. The text reads:
Take it easy, you know Mr. Trump loves you, he’ll handle you, we’ll fix this.
Did Cohen’s anger affect Weiselberg? Cohen said he thinks so, adding:
Even for myself, I was unusually angry.
Cohen said this Donald Trump called him when he was on winter break and told him not to worry and that everything would be fine.
Cohen says he was “insulted and really hurt” by the bonus cut
Michael Cohen said he was angry about his bonus for 2016. He said his bonus was cut by two-thirds:
“I was personally offended, really hurt,” Cohen said.
After everything I’d been through with the campaign and the Trump Organization stuff, putting up $130,000 on his behalf – it was insulting that the gratitude shown to me was a two-thirds bonus cut.
Cohen said in some “colorful language” he told Trump Organization CFO Alan Weiselberg how “angry” he was. “I used a lot of expletives,” he said.
The best you get for showing loyalty. The best you get by extending yourself like I did is cut your bonus by two thirds? I didn’t expect more, but I didn’t expect less either.
Michael Cohen was asked what role he assigned Donald Trump after the 2016 presidential election.
“The president’s personal attorney,” Cohen testified. Why?
At first I thought he would need it because there are still outstanding issues that we are dealing with… Every president has a personal lawyer.
He said he thought he could continue to protect him and do whatever was necessary.
I also had another thought in mind which was counseling and that was what I really wanted. It also gave me the opportunity to stay at home in New York with my son, my daughter, my wife.
Cohen says he was disappointed not to have been considered for Trump’s chief of staff
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is now asking about Michael Cohenconnection with Donald Trump after the election.
Would she continue to work for him? No.
My office was no longer needed as I was a special advisor to Mr. Trump and he was now President-elect.
“Have you yourself been offered the position of adjutant general? Cohen said yes.
Did you want this job? “No ma’am.”
Was he offered a chief of staff? “No ma’am.”
Was he disappointed? Cohen said:
I didn’t want the role. I didn’t believe the role was right for me—that I was even competent to be chief of staff. I just wanted my name in there… I was a campaign alternate not once but twice… I had other ideas for myself… I wanted to at least be considered. It was more for my ego than anything else.
Court resumed after a short afternoon break.
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger now asks Michael Cohen for a Wall Street Journal article detailing how American Media Inc paid for Karen McDougall’s story but never published it – from early November 2016.
She shows Cohen the texts between him and Hope Hicks where he says “I only see 6 stories so far. I’m getting little to no traction,” he wrote. She said “the same” and then “Keep praying!!! It’s working!”
Cohen says Trump was angry. The Wall Street Journal story could affect his campaign
Michael Cohenbefore the break, said he had several conversations with Stormy Daniels’ attorney Keith Davidson on November 4.
“I wanted to make sure Ms. Daniels didn’t go rogue,” Cohen said, adding that he was angry with Davidson because he believed someone on his side leaked information to the Wall Street Journal, Reuters reported.
Cohen confirmed that Trump is “angry” because “there is a negative history that could again affect the campaign as a result of women.”
Cohen will return to the stand tomorrow
The court goes into a short afternoon recess.
Judge before the break Juan Mercan asked how much longer the prosecution would take.
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger said the inquest will continue into some part of tomorrow.
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