在前总统唐纳德·特朗普的两天证词中刑事封口费审判前特朗普律师迈克尔·科恩详细介绍了唐纳德·特朗普广泛参与的一项涉嫌在2016年大选前夕向选民隐瞒有关自己负面信息的计划。
周二下午，辩护律师开始努力说服陪审员不要相信科恩说的任何一个字。
科恩的反诘问很快变得火药味十足，辩护律师托德·布兰奇强调了科恩对他的前老板的敌意。科恩称他为“厌恶女性的粗俗卡通人物”、“沾满奶酪的卡通恶棍”和“独裁者混蛋”。
交叉质证的重点是科恩自2020年出狱以来的行为和言论，有关科恩与案件相关行为的更实质性的交叉质证将于周四继续进行。
特朗普因涉嫌伪造商业记录以隐瞒一笔封口费付款科恩为了提高川普在2016年总统大选中的竞选前景而对成人电影女演员斯托米·丹尼尔斯说的话。前总统否认了所有不当行为。
以下是试验第17天的四大收获。
辩方质疑科恩的动机
辩护律师托德·布兰奇(Todd Blanche)开始进行咄咄逼人的交叉询问，以强调科恩对特朗普的所谓“痴迷”。
科恩承认，他在媒体露面时经常提到特朗普，并从他关于特朗普的两本书中赚了至少340万美元，因为布兰奇暗示科恩自2018年以来一直靠从特朗普身上获利为生。
布兰奇聚焦于科恩对抖音的利用，她提到美国广播公司新闻最初的报道在他的询问中。
“你也希望靠这个赚钱?”布兰奇问道。
科恩说:“我确实靠这个赚钱，但意义不大。”
布兰奇还强调了科恩过去对特朗普的赞美和钦佩。
“你实际上对特朗普总统很着迷?”布兰奇问道，他在辩方的开场陈述中提出了一个问题。
简·罗森伯格通过路透社报道
科恩说:“我不知道我会把它定性为痴迷。“我不记得用过那个词，但我不能说它是错的。”
布兰奇问科恩过去说特朗普的奉承话时，他是否“深陷对唐纳德·特朗普的崇拜”。
科恩说:“这就是我的感受。
“可以说你在为特朗普总统工作时很钦佩他吗?”布兰奇问道。
“是的先生，”科恩说。
科恩讲述白宫会议
科恩回忆了2017年2月与特朗普在白宫的一次会面，检方指控特朗普亲自讨论了封口费·科恩向斯托米·丹尼尔斯支付的还款安排。
“所以我和特朗普总统坐在一起，问我是否还好。他问我是否需要钱。我说不，没事。他说，“我可以得到一张支票。”我说，不，我很好，”科恩回忆了那次谈话。
科恩说:“他说好吧，只要确保你与艾伦打交道就行了。”他指的是时任特朗普公司首席财务官艾伦·魏斯塞尔伯格。
“他有没有说什么即将交给你的东西?“检察官苏珊·霍夫芬格问道。
“是的，会有一张1月和2月的支票，”科恩说，后来他仔细查看了他提交的每一张欺诈发票和他从特朗普那里收到的支票。
科恩作证说，他最后一次与特朗普通话是在2018年4月，当时美国联邦调查局提到了科恩的办公室和酒店房间。
科恩说:“我接到了特朗普总统的电话，作为对我留言让他打电话的回应。“很明显，我想让他知道发生了什么。他说，别担心，我是美国总统——这里什么都没有。一切都会好的。保持强硬。你会没事的。”
科恩说，特朗普当时的声明“加强了我的忠诚和我留在阵营的意图。”
科恩描述了特朗普的施压运动
科恩告诉陪审员，唐纳德·特朗普在2018年策划了一场施压运动，以阻止他与联邦调查人员合作。
科恩说:“特朗普先生不希望我与政府合作，当然不希望我提供信息或叛变。
陪审员们看到了科恩和律师罗伯特·科斯特洛之间的一系列电子邮件，科斯特洛告诉科恩，他的代理“将是与总统进行沟通的一个很好的渠道，以确保你仍然良好和安全，”科恩作证说。
陪审员们看到了一封电子邮件，其中科斯特洛告诉科恩:“今晚睡个好觉，你在高层有朋友。”
科恩作证说:“这位身居高位的朋友是特朗普总统。
科恩说，他最终拒绝了科斯特洛代表他的提议，尽管科恩说特朗普的信息很明确。
“不要翻转。不要说话。不合作，”科恩说。
科恩告诉陪审员他为什么翻盘
科恩在为唐纳德·特朗普工作了十年后作证说，在家人的敦促下，他于2018年决定开始与当局合作。
“我的家人——我的妻子、女儿、儿子——都对我说，‘你为什么要坚持这种忠诚?你在做什么?科恩作证说:“我们应该是你的第一忠诚对象。
“那你做了什么决定?”检察官苏珊·霍夫芬格问道。
科恩说:“是时候听取他们的意见了。”“敬我的妻子、我的儿子、我的女儿、敬这个国家。”
科恩作证说，他在2018年8月对联邦指控认罪。
科恩说:“我不会再为特朗普总统撒谎了。
虽然科恩说他在为特朗普集团工作时有过一些“美好的时光”，但他作证说，他对自己代表特朗普所做的许多事情感到后悔。
“我后悔为他做了不该做的事。撒谎。科恩说:“为了实现一个目标而欺凌他人。“但为了保持忠诚和做他要求我做的事情——我违反了我的道德准则，我受到了惩罚，我的家人也一样。”
4 big takeaways from Day 17 of Trump's hush money trial
Across two days of testimony in former President Donald Trump'scriminal hush money trial, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen detailed Donald Trump's extensive involvement in an alleged scheme to hide negative information about himself from voters in the run-up to the 2016 election.
Tuesday afternoon, defense lawyers launched their effort to convince jurors to not believe a single word Cohen said.
Cohen's cross-examination quickly became combative, with defense attorney Todd Blanche highlighting Cohen's animosity for his former boss, who Cohen has called a "boorish cartoon misogynist," a "Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain," and a "dictator douchebag."
The cross-examination focused on Cohen's actions and remarks since being released from prison in 2020, leaving the more substantive cross-examination about Cohen's conduct related to the case for Thursday, when the proceedings resume.
Trump is on trial for allegedly falsifying business records to hide the reimbursement of ahush money paymentthat Cohen made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in order to boost Trump's electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election. The former president has denied all wrongdoing.
Here are four big takeaways from Day 17 of the trial.
Defense questions Cohen's motivations
Defense attorney Todd Blanche began an aggressive cross-examination to highlight Cohen's alleged "obsession" with Trump.
Cohen acknowledged that he often references Trump during media appearances and has made at least $3.4 million from his two books about Trump, as Blanche pushed the suggestion that Cohen has made a living since 2018 profiting from Trump.
Blanche homed in on Cohen's use of TikTok, referring toABC News' initial coveragein his questioning.
"You are also hoping to make money on that?" Blanche asked.
"I do make money on that, but it's not significant," Cohen said.
Blanche also highlighted Cohen's past praise and admiration for Trump.
"You're actually obsessed with President Trump?" Blanche asked, pursuing a line of inquiry that he drew attention to in the defense's opening statement.
Jane Rosenberg via Reuters
"I don't know that I would characterize it as obsessed," Cohen said. "I can't recall using that word, but I can't say it would be wrong."
Blanche asked if Cohen was "knee-deep in the cult of Donald Trump" when he said flattering things about Trump in the past.
"That's how I felt," Cohen said.
"Fair to say you admired President Trump when you were working for him?" Blanche asked.
"Yes sir," Cohen said.
Cohen recounts White House meeting
Cohen recounted a February 2017 meeting with Trump at the White House where prosecutors allege Trump personally discussed the repayment arrangement for the hush money Cohen had paid to Stormy Daniels.
"So I was sitting with President Trump and asked me if I was OK. He asked me if I needed money. And I said no, all good. He said, 'I can get a check.' I said, no I'm OK," Cohen recounted of the conversation.
"He said all right, just make sure you deal with Allen," Cohen said, referring to then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg.
"Did he say anything about anything that would be forthcoming to you?" prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked.
"Yes, there would be a check for January and February," Cohen said, later walking through each of the fraudulent invoices he submitted and checks he received from Trump.
Cohen testified that he last spoke with Trump in April 2018 after the FBI raised Cohen's office and hotel room.
"I received a phone call from President Trump in response to me leaving a message for him to call," Cohen said. "I wanted obviously for him to know what was taking place. He said, don't worry, I am the president of the United States -- there is nothing here. Everything is going to be OK. Stay tough. You are going to be OK."
Cohen said Trump's statements at the time "reinforced my loyalty and my intention to stay in the fold."
Cohen describes Trump's pressure campaign
Cohen told jurors that Donald Trump orchestrated a pressure campaign in 2018 to prevent his cooperation with federal investigators.
"Mr. Trump did not want me to cooperate with the government, certainly not to provide information or flip," Cohen said.
Jurors saw a series of emails between Cohen and attorney Robert Costello, who told Cohen his representation "would be a great way to have a backchannel of communication to the president in order to ensure you're still good and still secure," Cohen testified.
Jurors saw an email where Costello told Cohen, "Sleep well tonight, you have friends in high places."
"The friend in high places was President Trump," Cohen testified.
Cohen said he ultimately declined Costello's offer to represent him, though Cohen said Trump's message was clear.
"Don't flip. Don't speak. Don't cooperate," Cohen said.
Cohen tells jurors why he flipped
After spending a decade working for Donald Trump, Cohen testified that in 2018 he decided to begin cooperating with authorities at the urging of his family.
"My family -- my wife, my daughter, my son -- all said to me, 'Why are you holding onto this loyalty? What are you doing? We're supposed to be your first loyalty," Cohen testified.
"So what decision did you make?" asked prosecutor Susan Hoffinger.
"That it was about time to listen to them," Cohen said. "To my wife, my son, my daughter, to the country."
Cohen testified that he pleaded guilty to federal charges in August 2018.
"I would not lie for President Trump any longer," Cohen said.
While Cohen said he had some "great times" working for the Trump Organization, he testified that regretted many of the things he did on Trump's behalf.
"I regret doing things for him that I should not have. Lying. Bullying people in order to effectuate a goal," Cohen said. "But to keep the loyalty and do things that he had asked me to do -- I violated my moral compass, and I suffered the penalty, as has my family."
