Michael Cohen To Face Defense Grilling At Trump Trial

Donald Trump's former personal attorney, turned foe, Michael Cohen will undergo a grueling cross-examination Tuesday while senior Republicans increasingly politicize the trial by filing in to support the White House candidate six months before election day

New York, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2024) Donald Trump's former personal attorney, turned foe, Michael Cohen will undergo a grueling cross-examination Tuesday while senior Republicans increasingly politicize the trial by filing in to support the White House candidate six months before election day.

Trump was joined at court by the most high-profile political supporters to date, including House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson and one-time rival for the Republican nomination turned Trump ally and possible vice presidential pick Vivek Ramaswamy.

Johnson reiterated Trump's constant claim that the justice system was "weaponized" against the scandal-embroiled Republican.

Cohen, who served as Trump's "fixer" for years but is now a bitter foe of his onetime boss, is the prosecution's star witness at the first criminal trial of a former occupant of the White House.

Trump is accused of falsifying business records to reimburse Cohen for a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, when her claims of a sexual encounter with the Republican candidate could have doomed his campaign.

A prosecutor asked Cohen if he received 11 checks -- most signed by Trump -- in return for 11 false invoices he submitted to be reimbursed for the payment, to which Cohen answered "yes."

The dramatic courtroom faceoff is taking place ahead of the November presidential election in which Trump is hoping to recapture the White House from President Joe Biden.

Cohen answered questions from prosecutors for more than five hours on Monday and is expected to be turned over to Trump's defense attorneys at some point on Tuesday for a likely combative cross-examination.

The 57-year-old Cohen is crucial to the Manhattan district attorney's case and Trump's lawyers have spent the first few weeks of the trial seeking to undermine his credibility.

Cohen spent 13 months in jail and another year and a half under house arrest after pleading guilty in 2018 to lying to Congress and committing financial crimes.