Michael Cohen sparks uproar as he testifies Trump's acquittal would benefit him financially
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Michael Cohen had previously stated that he wanted to see his former employer, Donald Trump, imprisoned.
However, the former Trump attorney-turned-critic testified on Monday, May 20, that if the 77-year-old MAGA figurehead is acquitted in his ongoing hush money criminal trial, it would probably be better for him when it came to his finances, as reported by the Business Insider.
Michael Cohen says Donald Trump's acquittal will give him more to talk about in the future
During Monday morning’s court proceedings, defense lawyer Todd Blanche asked Cohen whether a Trump conviction would benefit him financially, to which the witness replied that the opposite was true.
"The answer is no," said Cohen.
Trump's alleged "fixer" might be able to increase his income from his podcast and a possible third book if the former president gets away with it.
"It's better if he's not, for me, because it gives me more to talk about in the future," noted Cohen, explaining his point of view.
On his third day of questioning Cohen, Blanche attempted to portray him to the jury as a dishonest person seeking revenge against Trump.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office has accused the former president of falsifying business documents to reimburse Cohen for hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election.
Trump's legal team claims that Cohen acted on his own when making the hush money payments and that the real estate magnate was not involved in the plan.
Cohen, who used to be Trump's personal lawyer and an executive at the Trump Organization, has had his fair share of legal setbacks.
In 2018, he pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance laws with the hush money payment, on top of committing various tax crimes and lying to Congress about Trump's business deals.
Since then, Cohen has become a vocal critic of the ex-POTUS. He has spent time in prison, authored two books, 'Disloyal' and 'Revenge' as well as hosts two podcasts discussing his 10-year experience with Trump.
During his cross-examination, Blanche implied that Cohen's media activities gave him a financial stake in the trial's outcome.
Cohen stated that he has earned around $4.4 million since September 2020 from book sales, podcasts, and merchandise related to his podcasts. Due to his guilty pleas, the former attorney has lost his law license and sold off his properties.
Almost all of his income comes from book sales and podcast deals, along with some money from leasing his remaining investment property and a small amount from TikTok, according to his testimony.
He also mentioned that he is trying to sell a reality show about his life called ‘The Fixer’, but no studio has picked it up yet.
Cohen has stated that regardless of the trial's outcome, he will continue to speak about the case, revealing that he is thinking about writing a third book and running for Congress.
"Whether Mr Trump is ultimately determined innocent or guilty is not going to affect whether I speak about it or not," stressed Cohen.
Netizens weigh in as Michael Cohen testifies Donald Trump's acquittal in the hush money case would benefit him
The Internet had a lot to say about Cohen's stark claim, with a person commenting, "Even if Cohen thinks he will be financially better if Trump is acquitted I'm pretty sure he still prefers him in jail."
Another shared, "THIS is the guy the prosecution is hanging their hopes on for a conviction?! So far, this has been a total disaster of a trial. What credibility did the prosecution expect from the testimony of an adult entertainer and convicted perjurer (who just admitted to stealing from a company) regarding an 'election interference' charge? You can NOT make this stuff up!"
"Anybody really believe this guy… If Trump is convicted, Michael Cohen goes down in history as the man who got Trump! How many book deals and Podcasts is that worth?" asked someone else.
One more argued, "Exactly the opposite is true, he's hoping for a conviction so he can hit every radio and TV show to let them know he is the one responsible for a conviction!"
"A mob boss with a crooked lawyer isn’t surprising," expressed an individual, while another person stated, "He should run for office as he is already a known liar. Requirement number one, check."
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
