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Michael Cohen has been an absolute disaster on the witness stand.
Not only has the tanked any chance the prosecution has of “getting Trump” but he’s also opened himself up to potential legal liability.
You probably saw this report from yesterday:
And this too:
LAWFARE: Michael Cohen Admits Financial Stake in Trump Case, Vows to Lie
You might also have been confused about whether it was $30,000 or $60,000.....
Well, this guy is SO sleazy that he "double dipped" and it's kind of both.
Byron York explains that Cohen stole $30k and then "grossed it up" to $60k:
This is Michael Cohen's sorta admission of theft last Monday 5/13/24. Defense fleshed it out today. Bottom line: Cohen stole $30k from Trump, 'grossed up' for total theft of $60k. pic.twitter.com/wfPxvF9Gm3
— Byron York (@ByronYork) May 20, 2024
Not only is this guy the worst possible lawyer you can have (incompetent and steals from you) but he's also just a low-life human being.
But now here's the real kicker.....
The crimes that Cohen himself just admitted to are actually a HIGHER degree of crime than the absolutely maximum they are trying to prove Trump did:
CNN analyst notes that Michael Cohen's admission of stealing $60,000 from his employer is 'a higher degree of crime than what Trump is charged with.'
— Byron York (@ByronYork) May 20, 2024
So let me put that another way.....even if they proved 100% of everything they have alleged in Alvin Bragg's Lawfare case against Trump, it would still amount to a LESSER "crime" than what Michael Cohen just ADMITTED on the witness stand to doing!
Who is on trial again?
Who SHOULD be on trial again?
These people are sick!
Here's our original report from yesterday in case you missed it:
Breaking: Michael Cohen Just ADMITTED Stealing $30,000 From Trump Organization
Disgraced former Trump attorney Michael Cohen continues to dig himself into a deeper hole as he faces questioning during the ongoing Manhattan "hush money" trial against the former president.
News broke on Monday that Cohen casually made a stunning admission about stealing a large sum of money from his former boss.
As the New York Post reported:
"You did steal from the Trump Organization based on the expected reimbursement from Red Finch, correct?" Trump lawyer Todd Blanche, his voice rising to a high pitch, asked Cohen.
"Yes, sir," Cohen calmly replied.
Trump broke away from his eyes-closed position during this exchange and popped a mint before appearing to pay close attention to Cohen's testimony.
"Have you paid back the Trump Organization for the money you stole from them?" Blanche asked later.
ADVERTISEMENT"No, sir," Cohen responded.
Some critics of Donald Trump hoped Cohen would provide testimony that would help secure a conviction, but he has instead inflicted further damage to his own tattered reputation.
His latest admission sparked a flurry of discussion on social media:
Michael Cohen was Alvin Bragg's STAR WITNESS!
He is a convicted liar, and he just testified that he STOLE TENS OF THOUSANDS of dollars from the Trump Organization.
This trial is a COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME. pic.twitter.com/GizBFpaVDk
— Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) May 20, 2024
Michael Cohen just admitted on the witness stand he stole $30,000 from the Trump organization. This is the only actual crime that’s been proven in this show trial so far: pic.twitter.com/jR77lGWhCw
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 20, 2024
CNN reacts to Michael Cohen embezzling money from the Trump Organization
"This is significant... they appear to have caught Cohen in another lie"
"It was Michael Cohen who arranged this scheme"
"So far there is no direct link... to [Trump] in this alleged conspiracy" pic.twitter.com/ZC29XsnhvW
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) May 20, 2024
As for the context of his embezzlement, the Daily Beast offered some additional coverage:
Cohen’s $420,000 included $50,000 meant to repay him for an entirely different deal: the way he recruited a tech company called Red Finch to do some internet domain-related work for Trump.
However, in recent days, Cohen has revealed that the notorious miser Trump stiffed the tech company—putting Cohen in the awkward position of having to pull $20,000 out of his own TD Bank account and giving it to Red Finch’s CEO in late 2015 or early 2016. On Monday morning, Cohen described meeting the man at an office and handing him a brown paper bag full of cash—drawing muted laughs from the courtroom given its comically crooked appearance.
But as Blanche pressed for details, Cohen acknowledged that he never paid Red Finch the remaining $30,000 bill. And as far as the tech company is concerned, the Trump Organization still owes it that money.
Here's some previous coverage of the damage Cohen has done to the prosecution's flimsy case against Trump:
RELATED REPORT:
JUST IN: Michael Cohen's Testimony Can Be Used Against Him!
It just keeps getting better (my perspective) when it comes to Michael Cohen.
Now Fox News reports that not only has the case against Donald Trump imploded, but things may now Boomerang and turn on Cohen.
From Fox News:
Full transript:
The defenses cross-examination of Michael Cohen is back underway let's bring in trial attorney Mercedes Cen uh Todd blanch is exploring some
interesting ground right now and that is secret recordings that Michael Cohen had on his phone according to our Carrie kupek Cohen has testified that he had
about a hundred secret recordings on his phone about 40 of them were with journalists one of them was with the former president of the United States we
don't know what the other ones were but I'm not quite sure what he's getting at here I mean legally speaking if you're in New York which is a one party
consent state but you're recording somebody who's in California which is a two-party State the stricter law is the superseding law so potentially there's a
an infringement on the law there but what do you think the bigger picture is here great to be on with you John and Sandra as always it really is about
giving the jury the perspective that Michael Cohen is untrustworthy it's cringeworthy for jurors even though you're absolutely right if it's a one-
party state there's no laws that have been broken but it's cringeworthy for jurors to sit there who are trying to determine his credibility that he has so
many recordings in which when it's a one party State you know you don't have to disclose it to the participant in the call that you're actually recording them
so it is personally when this comes up in cases that I've handled it is something that especially if it's at the opposing side you can certainly put your
arms around it and almost jump up and down and Glee because this is something that can be used against the opposing side Mercedes let me get your reaction
to this Cohen um would communicate he said in this courtroom just now with reporters via text signal and other encrypted apps Cohen decided what
communication to use depending on the topic that he was discussing with the particular reporter saying if it was a private or unusual conversation I'd go
to one of the encrypted apps to John's point and uh what Carrie was highlighting a moment ago there were a total of 95 total recordings on his
phone he'd record Trump and reporters Cohen says he understands that it's not ethical for a lawyer to record their client but he noted that there is a
quote crime fraud exemption rule blanch then said but didn't you just record Trump to show to pecker not the crime fraud exemption rule Cohen answers
saying yes but you asked me if there are any exceptions your response to that Mercedes well those that's a great Q&A think about the two lawyers that are on
that jury they know how inappropriate generally speaking it is to record your clients without them knowing that they're being recorded that is something
that because we're fiduciaries we have this this hir duty to our clients you don't generally typically record your client if you believe that your client's
about to commit a crime then of course you can set aside the attorney client privilege then you have to notify the authorities there's a whole body of law
that talks about that but the good thing about that Q&A between Todd blanch and Michael Cohen is that there seems to be an inconsistency and wherever you have
an inconsistency with a witness that you are attacking their credibility it has to be highlighted before the jury and that's exactly what Todd blanch did all
right so uh so blanch is trying to paint a picture of a guy here who literally cannot be trusted and then there's this idea too of has he lied on the stand and
there's a lot of people who believe that Cohen wasn't truthful when he said that he made the recording of trump to show David pecker uh because why would he
need to show that to David pecker some people think it was for his own purposes and then there's this idea the phone call with the chief of security Keith
Schiller which Cohen said was about story Daniels but blanch is now saying or eliciting from Cohen that it was about a 14-year-old Prank Caller does
this go to the potential instruction from the judge uh that if the jury believes that Cohen has lied about anything on the stand they can discount the entirety of his
testimony there is a perfect jury instruction that I use in every single trial falses Anum falses and Plum basically false in one false in
everything if the jury and this will be an instruction we'll have to see if if the judge allows this instruction but generally speaking it is allowed if the
jury believes that Michael Cohen has lied under oath in this during this trial they can discount his entire testimony now that's obviously that is
very Broad and sweeping we'll have to see what the what the jur what the judge decides about that jury instruction in particular but you see that jury
instruction just about all trials lot more to come this afternoon Mercedes thanks so much we'll be right back hey everyone I'm Emily compono catch me and
my co-hosts Harris vulner and Kaye mcki on outnumbered every weekday at 12:00 p.m. Eastern or set your DVR also don't
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