Michael Cohen, former lawyer of Donald Trump, testified against him in court regarding hush money payments

Michael Cohen, former lawyer and fixer for Donald Trump, testified during a court hearing on the allegations of hush money payments made by the former U.S. president. He stated that he personally managed secret payments to tabloid publications to prevent the release of stories that could harm Trump's 2016 election campaign. According to Reuters, Cohen, who was once one of Trump's most trusted aides, made these statements on Monday, May 13, during the fifth week of hearings at the Manhattan criminal court in New York, while Trump was present in the courtroom. The $130,000 hush money payment made by Cohen to Stormy Daniels, a former porn star, was sourced from the 2016 election campaign funds and aimed at preventing the disclosure of Trump's sexual relationship with Daniels, which is the main subject of this trial. Cohen, the key witness for the prosecution in this case, stated that Trump and David Pecker, the publisher of the tabloid 'National Enquirer', had agreed that the publication would not only support Trump's campaign but also block any negative news related to it. He added that in June 2016, about a month before the Republican National Convention, he learned through Pecker that Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Karen McDougal, was looking to sell her story about her year-long affair with Trump. Cohen said that at that time, Trump told him: 'Make sure this news doesn't get out.' A part of a phone conversation between the two was played for the jury, in which Trump asks: 'How much do we have to pay for this?' Cohen explained that Trump's reference in this conversation was to the $150,000 that Pecker paid to Daniels for the exclusive rights to her story. In another part of the phone conversation, Trump says 'Pay cash,' which Cohen stated was to avoid any contracts or paper trails. Pecker testified that he bought the story solely to ensure it would never be published. The prosecution argues that the hush money payment to Daniels was part of a conspiracy involving Trump, Cohen, and Pecker to find and suppress any damaging news for Trump's election campaign. Additionally, the payment from campaign funds is considered a crime under federal law. Trump is accused of paying Cohen through a fake contract labeled as legal services, and this invoice was included in Trump's business audit. The prosecutor stated: 'The hush money payment is a clear case of election fraud.' The prosecution argues that these two legal violations, one regarding campaign finance and the other concerning tax fraud, collectively amount to 34 crimes, with potential prison sentences. Trump has denied these allegations and has refuted any sexual relationship with Daniels. He has described this trial, like other cases he is involved in, as a politically motivated action aimed at undermining his presence in this year's presidential election. Michael Cohen, 57, worked as a lawyer and manager in Trump's business and had previously stated he would stand by Trump 'even in front of a bullet' before his own legal troubles were revealed. In another part of his testimony on Monday, he said that the term 'fixer' accurately describes the services he provided for Trump, as he did whatever Trump wanted. Unlike the usual practice of lawyers, Cohen did not operate under the management of Trump's business and was in direct contact with him. Cohen stated that one of his duties was to threaten lawsuits against individuals and to ensure positive media coverage of Trump.