Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer to President Donald Trump, claimed on Friday that prosecutors in New York pressured him to testify in a way that would help secure a conviction against Trump. He suggested that both the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the New York Attorney General’s Office were not interested in any information that didn’t fit their case.
Cohen, a pivotal witness in two cases involving Trump, expressed his concerns in a Substack post, stating he felt “pressure and coercion” to provide testimony that aligned with the government’s efforts to build a case against Trump.
Attempts to reach the New York Attorney General’s Office and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for comment were made.
Cohen, who has worked closely with Trump for years, noted that he wrote a letter to a federal appeals court regarding Trump’s request to move the hush money case to federal court for more thorough examination. His earlier testimony in a civil case led by Attorney General Letitia James resulted in Trump being found guilty of fraud for inflating assets to receive better loan terms. Additionally, Cohen testified in the case overseen by DA Alvin Bragg, which ended in Trump being convicted of numerous counts related to falsifying business records.
He accused both prosecutors of leveraging their high-profile cases to enhance their own reputations, framing themselves as officials who “took down Mr. Trump.”
Cohen criticized the prosecutors, suggesting they blurred the lines between justice and politics, ultimately harming the credibility of both. He indicated that during the trial, their focus was solely on obtaining testimony that would incriminate Trump.
Moreover, he alleged that when his testimony didn’t support the prosecution’s narrative, leading questions were frequently posed to extract the desired answers.
Having pleaded guilty in 2018 to various charges, including tax evasion and campaign finance violations, Cohen mentioned he had been cooperating with authorities while imprisoned. He felt compelled to tailor his testimony to fit the prosecution’s perspective in hopes of receiving a lighter sentence.
Importantly, Cohen clarified that he wasn’t attempting to defend Trump, but he emphasized the necessity to highlight the potential harm caused when prosecutors select their targets first, seeking evidence to fit an existing narrative.
