Key witness Michael Cohen testified on weeks of evidence: See tape, emails shown to jury
Michael Cohen has provided the longest testimony so far in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial as he wove together dozens of pieces of evidence for the prosecution and withstood intense scrutiny from the defense.
Cohen is undoubtedly the key witness in Trump's trial for 34 counts of falsifying business records to allegedly disguise reimbursements to Cohen as legal expenses. Prosecutors say Trump was paying Cohen back for the $130,000 he paid porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 to stay quiet about an alleged sexual encounter in 2006. Trump says the payments weren't reimbursements, and maintains he never had sex with Daniels.
The prosecution questioned Cohen on evidence previously shown to jurors, and the defense introduced more evidence to try to undermine Cohen's credibility and motives.
Here is a look at some of the key pieces of evidence in last week's testimony:
Inside the courtroom: Trump trial sketches show a tearful Hope Hicks, indignant Stormy Daniels and 'Sleepy Don'
Donald Trump and Michael Cohen conversation recording
Who introduced the evidence: The prosecution. This recording was teased in opening arguments and introduced with an earlier witness, computer forensic analyst Douglas Daus. "So, what do we got to pay fo this? One-fifty?" Trump says in the conversation, allegedly referring to the hush money deal for former Playboy model Karen McDougal.
Testimony: Cohen confirmed that the "David" mentioned was David Pecker, the former American Media Inc. executive who used the National Enquirer to help Trump's campaign. Cohen testified he stopped recording when he had the necessary assurance that Pecker would be paid back, though Pecker eventually decided to not get reimbursed after consulting with an attorney.
Blanche pressed Cohen about the recording on cross-examination, asking Cohen if he agreed lawyers aren't supposed to record clients. Cohen said there were some exceptions, noting the "crime-fraud exception" as an example.
Quote from the transcript: "Mr. Trump knew who I was referring to. It was an ongoing conversation that we had been having," Cohen testified. "We were referring to the $150,000 that was advanced by AMI in order to purchase the life rights of Karen McDougal."
Michael Cohen 'Mar-a-Lardo' merchandise
B151 (2) by Kinsey Crowley on Scribd
Who introduced the evidence: The defense. Many early cross-examination questions focused on Cohen's comments online about hoping Trump gets convicted and disparaging the defense lawyers.
Testimony: Michael Cohen confirmed that he has profited from his role being close to Trump. Not only did he make $4 million from clients after being named a personal attorney to the president, but he has also sold merchandise, books and podcast advertisement spots. Blanche also asked about Cohen calling the former president names like "Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain" in 2020. Cohen said it sounds like something he would say.
Todd Blanche: "You actually wore that T-shirt on your TikTok, didn't you, on Wednesday night?"
Cohen: "I did."
What to do about Access Hollywood tape? 'Deny, deny, deny'
Who introduced the evidence: The prosecution.
Testimony: Cohen testified he was in London when he received this Oct. 7, 2016 email, alerting him that the Access Hollywood tape would soon be published. In the recording, Trump boasts about grabbing women by the genitals. Cohen said he had several calls with Trump on how to handle this tape coming out. There was a lot of concern from the media and from people within the Trump campaign that the tape would be significantly damaging to his campaign.
Prosecutors have tried to show how that fear stoked the urgency to pay for Daniels' silence.
Quote from the evidence: "(Trump) wanted me to reach out to all of my contacts with the media. We needed to put a spin on this. And the spin that he wanted put on it was that this is locker room talk, something that Melania had recommended, or at least he told that that's what Melania had thought it was. And use that in order to get control over the story and to minimize its impact on him and his campaign."
Cohen said he talked to Trump in the days that followed about Stormy Daniels' story resurfacing.
Contributing: Aysha Bagchi
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michael Cohen testified on these key pieces of evidence in Trump trial
