Prosecution Concludes in Trump Criminal Case
The prosecution team concluded their case against Donald Trump on Monday, handing over the opportunity to call witnesses to the former president’s lawyers.
The final witness for the prosecution, for now, was former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who is now an adversary. During cross-examination, Trump’s defense team attempted to portray Cohen as a chronic liar seeking revenge against Trump.
Cohen admitted on Monday to stealing tens of thousands of dollars from Trump’s company, a revelation that the defense hopes will weaken Cohen’s credibility as a crucial witness in Trump’s hush money trial.
On his fourth day on the witness stand, Cohen disclosed that he embezzled from the Trump Organization after his 2016 holiday bonus was reduced to $50,000 from the usual $150,000. Cohen claimed to have paid a technology firm $50,000 to artificially boost Trump’s ranking in a CNBC online poll but only handed over $20,000 in cash, pocketing the rest and seeking reimbursement from Trump.
“So you stole from the Trump Organization?” defense attorney Todd Blanche asked.
“Yes, sir,” Cohen admitted, noting he never repaid the Trump Organization. Cohen clarified that he was not charged with theft from Trump’s company.
Cohen’s testimony highlights the prosecution’s reliance on an unreliable witness, as Cohen has a history of lying and served time in prison for various offenses. Despite this, Cohen stood by his claims about conversations with Trump regarding the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.
The defense attempted to challenge Cohen’s credibility to sway the case in Trump’s favor. Whether they succeed will impact Trump’s outcome in the trial, as Cohen directly linked Trump to the alleged hush money scheme.
Following over four weeks of testimony, jurors may begin deliberating next week on the 34 felony charges against Trump for falsifying business records. The charges stem from payments marked as legal expenses in Trump Organization records, which prosecutors argue were reimbursements for the hush money payment to Daniels.
Trump has pleaded not guilty, claiming no criminal wrongdoing in the Daniels deal. His supporters contend that the real crime is Cohen’s theft from the Trump Organization.
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