Michael Cohen continues to make bizarre TikTok posts despite “repeated” pleas from Manhattan prosecutors to keep quiet about his hush-money scandal, a court heard on Friday.
Lawyers for the former president told Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Marchan that Cohen, like their client, should be muzzled after he live-streamed on social media apps Wednesday night wearing an anti-Trump shirt. He argued that it should be done.
“He’s wearing a white T-shirt with a picture of President Trump on it in prison,” Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche said of the video after jurors in the criminal trial went home for the day. .
“It’s an issue every day that President Trump is not allowed to respond to this witness, and yet this witness continues to speak,” he said.
Prosecutors admitted they had begged their star witness to remain silent about the case, but admitted he was chatting about it anyway.
After Blanche asked the judge to expand the gag order in the case to prevent Cohen from speaking about the charges, Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass said, “We are asking the witnesses not to do that.” I have requested this over and over again.”
“The fact is that these witnesses are not subject to gag orders and we have no recourse if they engage in such activity,” Steinglass added.
At the request of Trump’s lawyers, Marchand instructed prosecutors to “inform Mr. Cohen that the judge has asked him to refrain from making any further comments about this case or Mr. Trump.”
“That’s from the court and you’re communicating that on behalf of the court,” the judge added.
The proclamation is expected to come as Cohen, 57, is scheduled to take the stage on Monday to detail his role in paying porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in hush money before the 2016 election. , allegedly to silence her story about having sex with President Trump. She is a Republican.
Trump, 77, is prohibited by a court gag order from bashing Cohen and was fined $10,000 for publicly defaming his former fixer Daniels and the entire jury.
Cohen, who previously served a prison term for campaign finance crimes based on the same hush money payments, repeatedly criticized President Trump during his trial.
The now-disbarred attorney worked for 12 years as one of President Trump’s top advisers and eventually as his personal attorney.
Earlier on Friday, jurors heard that both parties were accused of indicting Cohen after Cohen claimed in 2018 (as part of a plea he advanced in cooperation with federal prosecutors) that the real estate mogul directed payments to the Daniel family. It was a glimpse of how quickly the relationship deteriorated.
Prosecutors say President Trump has defended his longtime loyal fixer and accused the New York Times and its reporter Maggie Haberman of “going out of his way to destroy my relationship with Michael Cohen in the hopes that he will flip out.” ” showed a tweet from April 2018. ”
In a follow-up, President Trump praised Cohen, saying he was a “great man with a great family” and “something I’ve always liked and respected.”
But months later, when Mr. Cohen pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance crimes for his role in the hush-money scheme, President Trump changed his tune.
“If anyone is looking for a great lawyer, I strongly recommend that you do not continue the services of Michael Cohen,” Trump wrote in an Aug. 21, 2018, Twitter post.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, who watched part of Friday’s trial in a pinstriped suit in the second row of the courtroom bleachers, will be waiting for Cohen next week before adjourning the case. He said he plans to call him and one other witness.
That would give Trump the right to mount a defense and testify if he wishes.
On his way out of the courtroom, Trump lamented the gag order that prohibits him from speaking about witnesses or jurors.
“Everyone can say whatever they want,” he said.
“But I’m not allowed to say anything about anyone.”
“It’s shameful,” he added.
