Former President Donald Trump said he could regain his “respect” if Judge Juan Machan, presiding over New York v. Trump, rules to dismiss the case.
“This case should be thrown out by the judge. If the judge takes it down…I think we can get some respect back. The appellate court has to intervene and something has to happen. Think about it. Please, the Republican Party, the two major political parties have nominated someone, and that candidate has been sitting here in a freezing cold room for nearly five weeks now listening to this story,” Trump said in court. He spoke on Monday after a hectic day.
“I think the case is going very well. We asked for the case to end. This case should end. This shouldn’t go anywhere. It needs to end now. And New York State needs to build a system.”Once again, New York State cannot allow this to happen. We have not committed any sin. I want to get back to campaigning on behalf of millions and billions of people. people,” Trump later added.
Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, filed a motion for dismissal on Monday, saying there was no evidence of falsehoods in business records or filings related to the case. The case itself focuses on 34 counts of first-degree business record falsification. Prosecutor Alvin Bragg told jurors that Trump not only falsified business records related to payments to Stormy Daniels, but also committed another crime, namely in furtherance of a conspiracy to promote or prevent an election. must prove that they have done so.
Cohen’s explosive comments could lead to a hung jury, if not an acquittal: Expert
Former President Donald Trump attends the first day of his trial in Manhattan Criminal Court on April 15, 2024 in New York City. Judge Juan Machan poses for a photo in his New York courtroom on Thursday, March 14, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP, AP, via POOL/AP)
Prosecutors claim Trump falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to silence allegations of an affair with her. are doing. Mr. Trump maintains his innocence in the case and has repeatedly denied having any relationship with Mr. Daniels.
NY V Trump: Michael Cohen admits stealing tens of thousands of dollars from former president’s business
Blanche said there were “no false business filings whatsoever” and no evidence of a relationship with Trump.
“How on earth could it be a crime to continue hiding false stories from voters?” Blanche said.
Michael Cohen is defending former President Donald Trump during his 2016 criminal trial in Manhattan on charges of falsifying business records to hide money he paid to hush porn star Stormy Daniels. This courtroom sketch of Todd Blanche being cross-examined and asked on oath in a courtroom on May 16, 2024 in New York City, USA. (Reuters/Jane Rosenberg)
“There is no way the court would send this case to a jury with Mr. Cohen’s testimony,” he added, referring to Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen.
Machan told the court he would rule on the denial of the motion later.
New York vs. Trump: Michael Cohen testifies that he is considering running for Congress
Monday was another action-packed day in court, with Cohen, the prosecution team’s star witness, admitting in testimony that he stole thousands of dollars from the Trump Organization.
On May 14, 2024, in New York City, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen heads from his home to Manhattan Criminal Court for former President Donald Trump’s trial on charges of concealing hush money payments related to an extramarital affair. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)
Cohen said he stole $30,000 from the Trump Organization by inflating payments to technology companies that provided services to the organization. Cohen paid former Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg $50,000 out of his own pocket to tech company Red Finch in 2017, a payment that still needs to be repaid. He said that there was.
Mr. Weisselberg and Mr. Cohen calculated in 2017 that Mr. Cohen would be owed $420,000 for the $130,000 payment to Mr. Daniels and the alleged $50,000 payment to Mr. Red Finch.
But Cohen said in court Monday that he only paid Red Finch $20,000. That means he pocketed $30,000 at the time of repayment.
President Trump slams New York court system, boasts he intends to ‘win’ against empire
“You stole from the Trump Organization, right?” Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, asked Cohen on Wednesday morning.
“Yes, sir,” Cohen replied.
Former President Donald Trump attends the first day of his trial in Manhattan Criminal Court on April 15, 2024 in New York City. (Angela Weiss/AFP, Associated Press, Pool)
Mr Cohen said accepting the funds was “almost self-help” and claimed he took the funds because he was “angry” that his annual bonus had been reduced.
Legal experts said Cohen’s admission to the theft further damaged his credibility. Monday’s comments came after Mr. Cohen had already been repeatedly labeled by legal experts as a “fraud” and a liar. Cohen is a disbarred lawyer who was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 after pleading guilty to charges including campaign finance fraud and lying to Congress.
New York v. President Trump resumes ongoing cross-examination of Michael Cohen as trial nears conclusion
In his testimony Monday, Cohen also said he was considering a potential run for Congress because he has the “best name recognition.”
Cohen was the last witness for the prosecution team, and the defense is currently calling witnesses in the case. The defense team first called Daniel Sitko, a paralegal at Blanche Law Firm, and then Robert Costello, Cohen’s former legal representative who testified before a grand jury last year that Cohen was a “serial liar.” I called Mr.
Robert Costello/America Newsroom (Robert Costello/America Newsroom)
The courtroom became tense during Costello’s testimony, and Marchan ordered the media and jurors to leave after Costello visibly disapproved of the judge’s ruling, which upheld multiple objections from the prosecution team.
After the jury left, Marchan said, “I would like to discuss proper courtroom decorum.” “I’m not going to tell you to hit because I’m the only one who can.”
Michael Cohen once swore Trump was not involved in Stormy Daniels’ payments, his former lawyer testifies
Mr. Machan scolded Mr. Costello not to roll his eyes or react to the verdict. Before the jury returned to the courtroom, Mr Marchan asked Mr Costello: “Are you looking down on me?”
Mr. Costello will resume his cross-examination testimony on Tuesday. Closing arguments in the case are scheduled to be held next Tuesday.
Flashback: Trump v. Manhattan: Bob Costello testifies to grand jury, says Michael Cohen is a ‘serial liar’
President Trump has consistently maintained his innocence in the incident, calling it a “phony” and “witch hunt” promoted by the Biden administration and the Justice Department in the run-up to the 2024 election.
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“That’s an attack [President Biden’s] Political enemy. That’s all. Everything you’ve seen over the past four weeks, most of it probably wasn’t even talked about. Besides, there is no crime. And we continue every day. And I have to go to Iowa and say, “Sorry, I can’t go.” I said to New Hampshire, “Sorry, I can’t go.” I sit in an icebox all day,” President Trump told the media early Monday morning before the start of the 19th day of his trial.
Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman and Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.
