Ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen wraps up his grand jury testimony in Stormy Daniels hush money probe
Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on March 16, 2023
(NEW YORK) — Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, on Wednesday completed his testimony before a Manhattan grand jury investigating a 2016 hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
Cohen answered questions from each of the grand jurors over the course of about two hours, before emerging from the courthouse and declaring himself “relieved.”
“I’m relieved that my role, for the time being, is now over,” Cohen said. “I’ve complied with every request that was asked of me by the district attorney’s office so they can review this case as best as they can.”
Cohen paid $130,000 to Daniels in the closing days of the 2016 presidential campaign to allegedly keep her quiet about an affair she claimed to have had with Trump. The former president has denied the affair and his attorneys have framed the funds as an extortion payment.
Cohen served prison time after he pleaded guilty to federal charges that included campaign finance violations related to the hush payment. Cohen’s attorney, Lanny Davis, noted Wednesday that when federal prosecutors charged Cohen they said that Trump — identified in court records as Individual 1 — directed Cohen to make the $130,000 hush payment, after which his reimbursement to Cohen was falsely logged in the Trump Organization’s records, according to prosecutors.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is mulling whether to charge Trump with falsifying business records, sources have told ABC News.
Davis said, however, that he was uncertain whether the DA would move forward with an indictment of Trump.
“I am certain that they’ve been very thorough and factual,” Davis said.
No current or former U.S. president has even been indicted for criminal conduct.
Appearing on Fox News on Monday, Trump’s defense attorney, Joe Tacopina, questioned whether Cohen even had a law license when he served as Trump’s personal attorney.
On Wednesday Cohen was prepared with a retort: “I think Joe Tacopina needs to take a refresher course.”
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