


Michael Cohen, former lawyer for Donald Trump and star witness in the former president’s hush money trial, released a statement on Trump’s guilty verdict in the case.
Known as Trump’s fixer, Cohen had paid porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about her alleged 2006 sexual encounter with the former president. On Thursday, Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up the hush money payment. Cohen was previously sentenced to three years in prison for tax evasion and lying to Congress.
“Today is an important day for accountability and the rule of law. While it has been a difficult journey for me and my family, the truth always matters. I want to thank my attorneys, Danya Perry and Joshua Kolb, for their invaluable guidance and support throughout this process,” Cohen told Newsweek.
During the trial, Trump’s defense attorneys pointed to the fact that Cohen has lied in the past in the courtroom, to the media, and to Congress in an effort to undermine his credibility. While the star witness for prosecutors, Cohen was a problematic witness.
Trump’s attorneys had called for Justice Juan Merchan to prevent Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office from calling Cohen as a witness given his history of committing perjury in a state court.
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“Michael Cohen is a liar. He recently committed perjury, on the stand and under oath, at a civil trial involving President Trump,” Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles wrote. “If his public statements are any indication, he plans to do so again at this criminal trial. The Court should preclude Cohen’s testimony in order to protect the integrity of this Court and the process of justice.”
However, Merchan denied their request, and with Cohen’s testimony, prosecutors were successfully able to convince jurors that Trump had instructed Cohen to pay off Daniels.