Trump blasts ‘conflicted’ judge after first day of Michael Cohen testimony
The New York criminal trial against former President Trump resumed Monday, with prosecutors in Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's office calling former lawyer Michael Cohen to the stand to testify. Cohen is the star witness in the case, having worked as Trump's "fixer" prior to the 2016 election.
Fast Facts:
Prosecutors with Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's office called on their star witness, ex-lawyer Michael Cohen, to testify in the New York v. Trump case on Monday.
The prosecution is nearing the end of its witness list, at which point lawyers for Trump will present the main thrust of his defense.
Trump pleads not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in relation to alleged hush money payments made to pornography actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.
Trump says 'the whole world is laughing' at 'weaponized' legal system
Former President Donald Trump once again lashed out against the criminal trial against him in New York, arguing that political rivals have "weaponized" the legal system in a bid to interrupt and damage his presidential campaign.
"This day is truly going to go down as a day of infamy for the New York legal system, which is through the whole world is laughing now at the New York weaponized legal system watching this unfold of that courtroom as a lawyer is really deeply disturbing," Trump said after the day's proceedings had wrapped up.
Trump, who was present to watch the controversy of his former attorney, Michael Cohen, argued that the main purpose of the trial was to keep him off the campaign trail and that there was no evidence that he actually committed a crime.
"We have a corrupt judge and we have a judge who is highly conflicted, and he's keeping me from campaigning," Trump said.
The trial is set to resume tomorrow with more testimony from Cohen, who has yet to be cross-examined by Trump's legal team.
NY v. Trump: Cohen testifies to paying Stormy Daniels from his own pocket
Michael Cohen, who served as former President Trump's personal attorney, testified in Manhattan court that he used his own funds to pay a former pornographic actress $130,000 to quiet her claims of an alleged affair with Trump.
Cohen took the stand in the NY v. Trump case Monday, where he told the court that as the 2016 election came down to the wire, he took out a line of credit on his home in order to pay Stormy Daniels $130,000 in order to execute a non-disclosure agreement and obtain rights to
her claims of the affair. Daniels alleges she had an affair with Trump in 2006 during a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, though Trump has repeatedly denied the allegations.
In October 2016, according to Cohen's testimony, he told Trump that Daniels must be paid in order to quiet her claims ahead of Election Day the following month. He testified that he spoke with Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg about how to fund the payment, with Weisselberg saying he was not in a position to initially foot the bill.
"I ultimately said, ‘OK, I’ll pay it,’" Cohen testified, noting the urgency behind the matter as the election was just days away. Cohen described to the court that Daniels' claims would have been "catastrophic to Mr. Trump and the campaign" if he did not take control of the
" if he did not take control of the situation and iron out the NDA and payment to Daniels.
Kerri Urbahn: Michael Cohen has 'clearly practiced a lot' for his testimony
Fox News legal editor Kerri Urbahn unpacked Michael Cohen's testimony regarding former president Trump's payment to Stormy Daniels on "The Story."
"He has clearly practiced a lot for today," Urbahn said of Cohen's testimony so far. "It seems rehearsed, it's smooth, it's calm."
But Urbahn also pointed out that none of the testimony Cohen has given so far was unexpected, noting that Trump's defense team will likely have a detailed cross-examination prepared for Cohen.
"We'll hear what happens on cross, I think it's going to be very when that starts happening," Urbahn said.
Cohen, the prosecution's key witness, spent most of Monday at the stand testifying, detailing his work on an alleged cover up scheme in the leadup to the 2016 presidential election.
But Cohen is also likely to face questions about his credibility, most notably after his 2018 felony conviction for campaign finance violations, tax evasion, and making false statements to a federally-insured bank.
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