NEW YORK — Donald Trump‘s defense attorney grilled Michael Cohen on Monday during the former president’s hush money trial on how Cohen lied about a reimbursement request in 2017 so that the Trump Organization would overpay him by tens of thousands of dollars.
Attorney Todd Blanche questioned Cohen during a third day of cross-examination about the reimbursement, which was incorporated into a larger $420,000 payment plan that is at the center of the charges Trump is facing.
A portion of the money Cohen received from the Trump Organization was a reimbursement for money Cohen paid to a technology company called Red Finch. Cohen admitted that although he told then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg he was owed $50,000 for the Red Finch expense, he was, in fact, owed roughly $30,000 less than that.
“So you stole from the Trump Organization, right” Blanche asked.
“Yes, sir,” Cohen said.
Asked how Cohen paid Red Finch back for the technology services, Cohen said he went across the street to TD Bank and “just took out cash over a couple of days.”
“You had, what, like a duffle bag of cash?” Blanche asked.
Cohen said he used a brown paper bag.
Cohen pleaded guilty to numerous crimes in 2018, including tax evasion, campaign finance violations, and lying to a bank.
“Did you ever have to plead guilty to larceny?” Blanche asked.
“No, sir,” Cohen said
Blanche, who has relentlessly worked throughout the trial to chip away at Cohen’s credibility, asked Cohen to detail how the theft had occurred.
Cohen explained that when Weisselberg, who was crafting the payment plan, asked Cohen how much he needed for Red Finch, Cohen lied and said he needed $50,000.
The payment plan included a $130,000 reimbursement for porn star Stormy Daniels after Cohen paid Daniels hush money right before the 2016 presidential election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, an elected Democrat, alleged Trump unlawfully concealed the payment in the Trump Organization’s records. The Trump Organization ultimately paid Cohen $420,000 for the technology services, the hush money payment, Cohen’s bonus for legal work he performed, and taxes — and the sum was all categorized as legal fees for Cohen in Trump’s business records. Blanche’s questioning revealed how Cohen was the reason at least a portion of the overall payment was faulty, and it underscored Cohen’s willingness to lie to Trump.
Blanche also pressed Cohen about two phone calls he had on Oct. 26, 2016, during which Cohen claimed he spoke to Trump right before he took out a loan to pay Daniels.
Blanche highlighted how there were numerous significant events going on for Trump the morning of the calls, so it was possible Cohen was not discussing Daniels on those calls.
The attorney pointed to how the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., was holding a grand opening that day. He also noted Trump was participating in a high-stakes television interview with George Stephanopoulos that day as well.
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“My recollection is that I was speaking to him about Stormy Daniels cause that was what he tasked me to take care of, and that’s what I had been working on,” Cohen said.
Blanche then asked if Cohen had ever talked to Trump about his hotel in Washington, and Cohen said he had, but he also insisted he had not talked about the hotel on the two calls.
Blanche continued to cross-examine Cohen into Monday afternoon.