Before court began Monday in the criminal trial against former President Donald Trump, he stood outside the courtroom and addressed the public.
What’s missing from the case against him is an actual “crime,” Trump said in the video posted on Truth Social. “We paid a legal expense (and) you know what it’s marked down in the books as? A ‘legal expense.’ Again, it’s not marked down as ‘construction.’ It’s not marked down as ‘sheet rock and cinder block’ it’s marked down as ‘legal expense.’ You have a lawyer, you pay him a legal expense and it’s covered in the book as ‘legal expense.’”
At the heart of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs’ 34-count criminal case against Trump is an alleged $130,000 payment made out to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016 in exchange for her silence by his then-attorney Michael Cohen.
Just ahead of the 2016 presidential elections, the “hush money” was supposedly used to silence Daniels’ from speaking out about her and Trump’s alleged affair that she said in her testimony earlier in the trial occurred at a celebrity golf tournament at Lake Tahoe in 2006.
Cohen’s continued cross-examination and redirect
Following weeks of testimony, the prosecution heard from its last witness, Michael Cohen, and rested its case. Trump’s defense then took a turn with Cohen.
On the third day of Trump’s lead attorney Todd Blanche‘s questioning of Cohen, Blanche continued to mention Cohen’s past legal troubles and transgressions to paint him in a bad light to the jury.
“You stole from the Trump Organization, right?” Blanche asked Monday morning, according to The New York Times. To which Cohen responded, “Yes, sir.”
Cohen admitted to stealing thousands from the Trump Organization by lying about how much money he had paid back to a tech company, allowing himself to pocket the rest.
According to Fox News, Cohen testified that he took cash from TD Bank over several days to pay Red Finch and stored it in a brown paper bag, “The cash ultimately totaled about $20,000, which he gave to Red Finch’s CEO, according to Cohen, but he said he never gave the company the total $50,000.”
During cross-examination, Blanche attempted to portray Cohen as a “serial liar” who is looking to get payback for the wrongs he feels Trump has done to him.
However, during the prosecution’s redirect, Cohen said he pocketed the money and stole from his employer because he felt his bonus payment wasn’t enough. “I was angered because of the reduction in the bonus, and so I just felt it was almost like self-help,” he said, per CNN.
Following redirect, Trump’s defense motioned to dismiss the case on the claims that there is “no evidence” proving falsified business records were made as well as “no intent to defraud,” according to CBS News.
“There’s simply no evidence of any criminal intent on any of the parties in 2016, 2017,” Blanche said. “For that reason, the court should render a verdict in favor of the defendant.”
He added, “there is no way this case should go to the jury relying on Cohen’s testimony. ... Without Cohen, there is no case.”
Judge Juan Merchan said he would review the motion to dismiss the case and make his decision Tuesday. He initially said closing arguments might begin on Tuesday of next week but said Monday that they could possibly be delayed longer.