IS COHEN CREDIBLE?
Blanche told jurors they could not trust Cohen, who testified that as Trump’s fixer, he paid Daniels out of his own pocket and worked out a plan with Trump to be reimbursed through payments disguised as legal fees.
Blanche reminded them that Cohen had previously admitted to lying under oath, and said Cohen had lied again during the trial when he testified that he had spoken with Trump about paying off Daniels before the election.
“He is literally the greatest liar of all time,” Blanche said.
He said there was no evidence that Trump knew anything about how those payments were characterized in his company’s ledger. Prosecutors must prove that Trump knowingly broke the law.
Steinglass said Cohen’s dishonesty was a reflection of Trump’s malign influence.
“Mr. Trump not only corrupted those around him. He also got them to lie to cover it up,” Steinglass said.
The charges brought against Trump are misdemeanors on their own but prosecutors elevated them to felonies on the grounds that Trump was trying to cover up another crime – that of promoting a candidacy for political office by unlawful means.
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