While on the witness stand on Monday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s star witness in Donald Trump’s criminal case in New York, Michael Cohen, admitted under cross-examination that he stole from the Trump Organization, where he worked for over a decade.
In 2017, the Trump Organization owed technology company Red Finch $50,000 for services rendered. Cohen, who helped facilitate the transaction, requested a $100,000 reimbursement from the Trump Organization, with the amount “grossed up” to account for taxes.
However, Cohen only paid $20,000 to Red Finch and pocketed the difference.
“You were shorted on 100,000 on your bonus that year, ” [Trump attorney Todd] Blanche asked.
“That’s correct,” Cohen said, confirming he normally got $150,000 as an annual bonus around the holidays.
“So the $50,000 that you got back from Red Finch… you only paid the Red Finch owner $20,000, right?” Blanche asked. “Yes sir,” Cohen said.
Blanche is now walking Cohen through how he paid the $20,000 to the Red Finch owner in cash. Cohen confirmed he withdrew the money over a couple days. “I just didn’t want to take out $20,000” at once, Cohen said.
“I don’t recall if it was exactly $20,000,” Cohen added to clarify.
Cohen said that Red Finch wanted the full payment of $50,000, but they accepted the money they received.
“So, you stole from the Trump organization,” Blanche asked, noting Cohen was reimbursed $100,000.
“Yes sir,” Cohen, said in response to Blanche.
“You didn’t just steal the 30,000, Because it was grossed up, it was 60,000,” Blanche asked. “Yes, sir,” Cohen said.
Cohen testified that multiple prosecutors from the district attorney’s office knew that he stole from the Trump Organization and acknowledged that he hadn’t pleaded guilty to that crime.
The admission is the latest blow to Cohen’s credibility, which was never solid to begin with but has taken significant hits over the past week.
On Thursday, CNN’s Anderson Cooper was stunned at how effectively Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche cornered Cohen in a lie that completely weakened his credibility before the jury.
“But the last 20 minutes of court today right before the lunch break, it was incredible,” he admitted. “[O]n a cross-examination, lawyers want to kind of put the witness in a — build a box around the witness and then slam it shut. That’s what Todd Blanche did to Michael Cohen.”
Cooper observed that Blanche meticulously dismantled Cohen’s previous testimony about a pivotal phone conversation with Trump, undermining Cohen’s credibility as Cohen’s narrative shifted repeatedly on the witness stand, casting doubt on his testimony implicating Trump.
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Cooper wasn’t the only one at CNN who thought Cohen’s testimony was a gift for Donald Trump. CNN legal analyst Stephen Collinson noted that Trump “got to savor his former fixer-turned-enemy Michael Cohen wobbling on the stand under a fearsome cross-examination.”
NYU law professor Ryan Goodman also told CNN’s Erin Burnett that Cohen’s testimony was devastating for the prosecution. “If the case ended today and there were final statements, I think there would not be a conviction.”