Donald Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen testified on Monday that he stole money from Trump's company as a form of "self- help," an admission that could chip away at his credibility as a star witness at the former U.S. president's hush money trial.
Questioned by Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche, Cohen acknowledged stealing from the Trump Organization by including a reimbursement to a technology company in his bonus package and pocketing most of the money.
"So you stole from the Trump Organization, right?" Blanche asked.
"Yes sir," Cohen, 57, testified.
Cohen said he paid roughly $20,000 of the $50,000 that Trump's company owed to the tech company in cash, handing it off in a brown paper bag at his office. He said he kept the rest. He was reimbursed $100,000 total by the Trump Organization for that payment.
While being pressed by defense attorney Todd Blanche, Cohen admitted that he pocketed cash that was supposed to be reimbursement.
fortune.com
Michael Cohen says he stole tens of thousands of dollars from Trump’s company
Former Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen admitted Monday to jurors in the Republican’s hush money trial that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from Trump’s company as defense lawyers seized on the star witness’ misdeeds to attack his credibility.
The landmark trial kicked back off with defense cross-examination of Cohen, whose pivotal testimony last week directly tied Trump to the alleged hush money scheme. Defense lawyers already have questioned Cohen for hours about his criminal history and past lies to paint him as a serial fabulist who is on a revenge campaign aimed at taking down Trump.
The star witness just admitted to stealing thousands of dollars from Donald Trump. This case is dead in the water.
