Key prosecution witness and former US President's lawyer, Micheal Cohen testified in the hush-money trial on Monday. He is set to face a 'brutal' cross-examination by Trump's lawyers on Tuesday. Trump’s lawyers are expected to attack his credibility as he was disbarred, went to prison and also pleaded guilty to lying about a real estate project on Trump’s behalf.
Trump is charged with business records to cover up a $130,000 payment made at that time to porn star Stormy Daniels, who was threatening to go public with her story of their 2006 sexual encounter.
The main takeaways from Cohen's first-day testimony:
1. Micheal Cohen had placed Trump at the centre of the hush money scheme. Cohen said he had promised to reimburse money the lawyer had fronted for payments and constantly tried to bury the stories that were thought to be harmful to the 2016 campaign.
2. While quoting Trump in reference to porn star Stormy Daniels' case, Cohen said he was told by him, "We need to stop this from getting out." Cohen said Trump was worried about how it would make him look in front of the female voters if Daniels went public.
3. In another instance, when a Playboy model also alleged that she was having an extramarital affair with Trump, Cohen was told to hush it up. The woman, Karen McDougal, was paid $1,50,000 in an arrangement that was made after Trump received a complete and total update on everything that transpired, reported The Associated Press. Trump pleaded not guilty to the two sexual allegations against him.
4. Cohen testified that whatever he was doing at the direction was to benefit Trump. Cohen also said that Trump had promised to reimburse him. Two men with Allen Weisselberg, a former Trump Organization chief financial officer, even discussed with him about the reimbursements.
5. Negotiations with David Pecker, the then-publisher of the National Enquirer also mentioned by Cohen to the jurors. Pecker, who was a close ally of Trump told Cohen that his publication maintained a file drawer or a locked drawer" where files related to Trump were kept.
(With PTI inputs)