Trump’s Former Lawyer, Michael Cohen Testifies for Third Day in Hush-Money Trial
By Boniface Ihiasota, USA
Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, took the stand for the third consecutive day in a New York court as a key witness in the ex-president’s hush-money trial, Excel Magazine International can report.
The defense has aggressively challenged Cohen’s credibility, pointing to his past convictions for lying to Congress and other criminal offenses.
Cohen, who once famously declared he would “take a bullet” for Trump, admitted to fabricating statements out of “loyalty” and to “protect” the former president during his tenure as Trump’s personal counsel.
In a bombshell revelation, Cohen testified that Trump greenlighted a plan to reimburse him for the $130,000 paid to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels as hush money just before the 2016 election.
According to Cohen, Trump was aware that the payments would be falsely categorized as legal fees, showing more concern about the potential political fallout than any personal ramifications related to the alleged encounter with Daniels.
Trump, who faces 34 counts of fraud in the trial, continues to maintain his innocence, denying any sexual encounter with Stormy Daniels.