Former Trump associate and lawyer Michael Cohen confessed to stealing thousands of dollars from the Trump Organization during his testimony at the former president’s trial in New York City. This admission came during cross-examination by defense attorney Todd Blanche, who pointed out that Cohen stole the money based on the expected reimbursement from Red Finch. Cohen acknowledged this and revealed that he withdrew cash from the bank over several days, totaling about $20,000, which he kept in a small brown paper bag before giving it to the tech firm. However, he did not provide the full $50,000 amount to Red Finch.
The Trump Organization later repaid Cohen $50,000 and doubled the payment to cover taxes he would incur by declaring the money as income. Despite Cohen’s guilty pleas in 2018 to federal charges, including a campaign finance violation, tax evasion, and bank fraud, he was never charged with stealing from President Trump’s company.
During the trial, defense attorney Blanche asked Cohen if he had repaid the stolen money to the Trump Organization, to which Cohen responded negatively. President Trump was observed looking directly at Cohen as he made the admission. Eric Trump, the president’s son, reacted on social media, stating that Cohen’s admission of stealing money from their company had made the trial more intriguing.
The trial also involved charges related to falsifying business records within the Trump Organization, where payments to Cohen were misrepresented as legal expenses instead of reimbursements for Stormy Daniels’ payment. Cohen implicated President Trump in a scheme to pay off Daniels, preventing her from disclosing an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.
The judge overseeing the trial ruled against allowing an expert witness to provide insights into election laws, indicating that the trial’s closing arguments would conclude the following week. The defense’s attempt to define terms in federal election law through the expert witness was rejected.
The trial is expected to end on May 28, with the prosecution planning to rest its case once Cohen’s testimony concludes. President Trump’s lawyers may call their witnesses, and the prosecution would have the opportunity to present rebuttal witnesses. Earlier in the day, President Trump addressed reporters outside the courtroom, asserting that the payments were legal expenses and not criminal acts. Please provide another version.
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