Donald Trump’s hush-money trial, which involves criminal charges, is set to reach its 20th day on Tuesday. The defense has been cross-examining Robert Costello in an attempt to undermine the credibility of Michael Cohen, who was once President Trump’s trusted advisor.
The Republican presidential nominee, who is almost certain to be the former president, faces charges of falsifying business records in relation to the payment of $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The payment was made to ensure her silence regarding an alleged sexual encounter.
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Manhattan prosecutors claim that in the summer of 2015, Donald Trump, along with his former fixer Michael Cohen and former tabloid executive David Pecker, devised a plan to conceal any damaging information. Their intention was to safeguard Trump’s candidacy during the 2016 election.
Another notable takeaway was the presence of an entourage surrounding former President Trump during the trial. This entourage included his legal team, advisors, and supporters. The presence of such a group emphasizes the significance and high stakes of the trial.
These takeaways highlight the intense atmosphere and the gravity of the situation at hand. They serve as reminders that this trial is not just a political spectacle, but a serious matter that requires careful consideration and attention from all involved parties.
According to Cohen, he personally arranged the payment to Daniels shortly before the election and paid for it himself. The campaign was deeply worried that Daniels’ story could severely damage Trump’s chances of becoming president, especially since a damaging recording had already surfaced in which Trump boasted about grabbing women without their consent.
During his four-day testimony, Cohen stated that Trump, in a fit of anger, told him to bury Daniels’ story and to “just take care of it.”
“This was an absolute disaster, a complete disaster,” Cohen recalled Trump saying. “I’m going to be despised by women.”
Cohen informed the jury that in 2011, he took steps to keep Daniels’s account hidden, working together with her attorney at the time to delete a story about their alleged encounter from a gossip website.
“He was livid with me,” Cohen recalled, describing Trump’s reaction when he informed him about the possibility of Daniels going public before the election. Trump supposedly exclaimed, “I thought you had this handled! I trusted you to take care of it.”
According to the prosecution, Trump’s repayment of Cohen in 2017 is considered illegal as he falsely categorized the disbursements as legal expenses in financial documents. Cohen’s testimony plays a crucial role in supporting the prosecutors’ claim that Trump was fully aware of the illicit description of these repayments.
During cross-examination, Trump’s legal team was unable to deliver any significant blows. The closest they came was when Blanche managed to make Cohen effectively confess to over-billing the Trump organization for reimbursement of a payment made to Red Finch, a tech company. The purpose of this payment was to manipulate a poll on famous business figures, making it more favorable towards Donald Trump.
During the conversation, Cohen admitted that he had paid the tech company $50,000, but in truth, he had only paid $20,000. Blanche then questioned whether Cohen had kept the remaining $30,000 for himself. Startled, Cohen responded with a simple “Yes sir,” confirming that he had indeed stolen from the Trump Organization.
The prosecution concluded their case on Monday, and it was then time for Trump’s defense to begin. The day concluded with the focus shifting to Costello, a lawyer who was mentioned by Cohen during his four days of testimony. Cohen revealed that he had met with Costello after his hotel room and home were raided by officers in April 2018. However, Cohen expressed reservations about having Costello as his legal representation due to his close association with Rudy Giuliani.
Cohen expressed concern that Costello might inform Giuliani about their discussions, and subsequently, Giuliani would disclose this information to Trump. Costello alleged that during their initial encounter, Cohen stated that he had no knowledge of any illegal actions by Trump. The raid occurred after Cohen admitted to making payments to Daniels.
During his testimony, Costello shared that he had a conversation with Michael Cohen, where he emphasized that Cohen’s legal troubles could be resolved swiftly if he possessed truthful information about Donald Trump and cooperated with the southern district of New York. According to Costello, Cohen allegedly responded by saying, “I swear to God, Bob, I don’t have anything on Donald Trump.”
Costello’s behavior on the stand caused quite a commotion in the courtroom, even drawing a reprimand from Judge Juan Merchan. During his testimony, Costello’s comments and actions were almost enough to throw the proceedings into chaos. At one point, he even exclaimed “jeez” and went as far as instructing someone to strike a question, a power reserved solely for judges, not witnesses.
After this incident, Merchan took a moment to address the jurors and advised Costello against behaving in such a manner. He then directly questioned Costello and asked if he was intentionally staring at him. In response, Merchan promptly instructed the court officers to clear the courtroom.
The press was briefly expelled from the proceedings. According to the US constitution, New York state laws, and common law, court proceedings are generally expected to be open to the press and public, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Merchan did not allow a media attorney to raise the issue of access in court.
