As Trump's personal counsel, Cohen sought to 'lie for' and 'protect' him
Cohen said that during the 15 months he was personal counsel to Trump, his goal was to protect and lie for him.
“Did you continue to try to protect him?” prosecutor Hoffinger asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Cohen replied
“Did you continue to lie for him?” Hoffinger asked.
“Yes,” Cohen replied.
"Why did you do that?” Hoffinger asked.
“Out of loyalty and in order to protect him,” Cohen said.
Cohen describes 'minimal work' he did for Trump in 2017
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked Cohen whether he did any work as Trump's personal attorney in 2017. Cohen said he did "minimal work" on the Summer Zervos matter — a reference to a former contestant on "The Apprentice" who accused Trump of sexual assault, which he denied — on which Cohen was working with lawyer Mark Kasowitz.
Cohen said he hand-delivered documents to Trump in the Oval Office that Kasowitz asked him to bring. And then for Melania Trump, he reviewed an agreement that Madame Tussauds sent to her to create her likeness, but Cohen said it was “not enough work to have me send an invoice.”
Cohen, confirming fake invoices, appears subdued
Cohen is subdued and polite as he reads the invoices and confirms under oath that each one contains false statements. He continues to provide a simple answer: "Yes, ma'am."
Cohen's testimony is legally important for the prosecution
Cohen's testimony today is slow-going but legally important. The jury has already seen his invoices and checks but now the prosecution has him directly confirming each of the alleged false statements on the record.
It's anticipated that Trump's defense will argue that the statements weren't false because Cohen was acting as his lawyer at the time.
The jury is showing no emotion to this evidence and testimony.
Cohen admits he created false invoices
Cohen is now recounting how, when he was asked by Jeff McConney for invoices, he actually “didn’t have a copy of the document made with Weisselberg.”
“It would’ve been on a retainer agreement, but there was none,” Cohen told prosecutors.
As a result, Cohen explained, he “created a document and called it an invoice” requesting “payment for services rendered for the months of January and February” from Weisselberg.
He continued to send such documents as monthly invoices.
Asked by prosecutors about whether services had actually been rendered, Cohen replied, “No, ma’am.”
Asked whether “for services rendered” was a “truthful statement,” Cohen repeated, “No, ma’am.”
The true purpose, Cohen explained: “The reimbursement of hush money.”
Cohen said “yes” when asked whether the invoice was a “false record” and whether “each invoice made the same false representation.”
Cohen describes visiting Trump at White House in February 2017
Cohen said that he visited the White House on Feb. 8, 2017, and had a conversation with Trump in the Oval Office.
“I was sitting with President Trump and he asked me if I was OK. He asked me if I needed money. And I said, 'All good,'" he testified.
“He said I could get a check ... I said, 'No I’m OK,'" Cohen continued. “And he said, 'OK, make sure you deal with Allen,'" referring to then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg.
Cohen said Trump told him there would be a check for January and February.
Trump allies taking advantage of cellphones while press is limited
Trump's nonlegal staff and allies are taking advantage of the fact that they are allowed to use cellphones in the courthouse and courtroom — even where members of the press are not allowed to use theirs.
During this morning's hallway press conference, a member of Trump's team raised a smartphone with a lavender case, turned it sideways and appeared to take video of the assembled crowd.
This is the latest example of how Trump team members are deploying cellphones to their advantage inside the courthouse.
Michael Cohen has taken the stand
Trump's former "fixer" walked by the former president's surrogates and made his way to the witness stand.
Trump was chatting with his lawyer Todd Blanche as Cohen entered and appeared to avoid making eye contact.
Trump again denies wrongdoing and says trial is an 'election interference' effort
Moments before entering the courtroom, Trump continued to deny wrongdoing in the hush money case and accused New York-based prosecutors of corruption without evidence.
After criticizing President Joe Biden’s expected announcement of increasing tariffs on numerous Chinese goods, including electric vehicles, Trump, holding papers, read aloud quotes from several conservative legal analysts who argue that the hush money trial is an effort to hurt his presidential campaign.
He slammed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the hush money case against him, for what he described as “making a mockery” of the legal system. He called Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the civil fraud trial against him, a “crooked judge.” He also argued that Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the hush money trial, shouldn’t be allowed in the case and called on him to “rule in favor of a directed verdict immediately.”
“There is an insufficient amount of evidence,” he said. “No crime has been shown. No crime has been committed.”
"There's never been anything like this in the history of our country," he added. "It's a scam. It's election interference at a level that's never taken place before."
Prosecutors and Todd Blanche are having a bench meeting to start the day
Trump lawyer Todd Blanche is the only representative of the defense at the bench meeting. All prosecutors are at the bench.