NEW YORK — Michael Cohen admitted on the witness stand Monday that he stole from the Trump Organization, blowing another hole in his credibility as the star witness against former President Donald Trump.

Defense team lawyer Todd Blanche got the admission out of Mr. Cohen, who was Mr. Trump‘s lawyer and fixer before turning on him to help prosecutors.

Mr. Blanche brought up a situation in which a tech company, Red Finch, was owed $50,000 by the Trump Organization and Mr. Cohen pocketed most of the money.

Mr. Cohen said he handed over $20,000 in cash to the company but never gave the $30,000 balance, even when Mr. Cohen was given $50,000 for Red Finch as part of the 2017 reimbursement structure that allegedly included money for the Stormy Daniels payment.

“So you stole from the Trump Organization,” Mr. Blanche asked.

“Yes, sir,” Mr. Cohen said.

SEE ALSO: Trump team hits Michael Cohen as having selective memory of 2016

The admission came as the cross-examination of Mr. Cohen entered its final phase.

Prosecutors say the former president committed a bookkeeping crime to cover up hush money to Ms. Daniels to suppress the adult film actress’s clalim that she had a sexual encounter with Mr. Trump.

Mr. Cohen made the payments before the 2016 presidential election and was reimbursed in several payments in 2017.

Mr. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and denied the 2006 sexual encounter claimed by Ms. Daniels.

• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.