Michael Cohen, former President Donald Trump's former lawyer, admitted to stealing $30,000 from the Trump Organization. The confession came during a heated cross-examination by Trump's attorney, Todd Blanche, who grilled Cohen on his past actions and credibility.
The exchange took place during the ongoing criminal trial in New York City, which has been documenting the alleged hush money payments made to former Playboy playmate Karen McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about their sexual affairs with Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. Prosecutors have argued that the Trump Organization schemed to pay Cohen $420,000 for orchestrating these payments, with the final piece of the puzzle relying on Cohen's testimony that Trump directed the coverup from behind the scenes.
However, the cross-examination by Blanche revealed that Cohen's $420,000 reimbursement included $50,000 meant to repay him for a separate deal involving a tech company called Red Finch. Cohen testified that he had recruited Red Finch to do some internet domain-related work for Trump, but the notorious miser had stiffed the company. As a result, Cohen had to pull $20,000 out of his own TD Bank account and give it to Red Finch's CEO in a brown paper bag full of cash, a scene that drew muted laughs from the courtroom due to its comically crooked appearance.
Under questioning from Blanche, Cohen acknowledged that he never paid Red Finch the remaining $30,000 owed to them. "You never gave the $30,000 that was owed back to Red Finch, did you?" Blanche asked pointedly, to which Cohen replied, "No, sir." Blanche then pressed, "So you stole it from the Trump Organization, right?" Cohen reluctantly admitted, "Yes, sir."
The revelation of Cohen's theft from the Trump Organization raises serious questions about his credibility as the lead witness against Trump. Blanche, a former federal prosecutor, managed to show jurors that the trial, which hinges on Trump's alleged business fraud, relies on the truthful testimony of a man who was engaged in fraud himself.
Cohen's admission of stealing from the Trump Organization is just one of several credibility issues he faces. He is a convicted liar and disbarred attorney, having previously pleaded guilty to lying to Congress and campaign finance violations. During the cross-examination, Blanche also questioned Cohen about his conversations with multiple people, including First Lady Melania Trump, in which he allegedly claimed that President Trump was unaware of the hush money payments until the news went viral. Cohen confirmed that Trump was initially in the dark about the payments.
The revelations from Cohen's testimony have smudged the clear picture drawn by prosecutors in the ongoing criminal trial. As the trial continues, the defense is likely to focus on Cohen's credibility and his own criminal actions, potentially weakening the prosecution's case against Trump and the Trump Organization.
