Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records tied to the reimbursement. Prosecutors say the altered records covered up election-law and tax-law violations – since the money was essentially an unreported contribution to Trump’s campaign – that elevate the crimes from misdemeanours to felonies punishable by up to four years in prison.
Trump, who is running against Democratic President Joe Biden in November has pleaded not guilty and denies having had a sexual encounter with Daniels, who testified last week. He argues the case is a politically motivated attempt to interfere with his campaign to take back the White House.
Trump’s defence has suggested the payment to Daniels was meant to protect his family from embarrassment. But Cohen testified that Trump appeared solely concerned with the effect on his campaign.
“He wasn’t thinking about Melania. This was all about the campaign,” Cohen said, referring to Trump’s wife. At the defence table, Trump shook his head.
Cohen said Trump urged him to delay sending payment to Daniels’ lawyer until after the election, telling him that the story would no longer matter.
Trump’s lawyers have argued that Cohen acted on his own, a notion he rejected on the witness stand.
“YOU’LL GET THE MONEY BACK”
“Everything required Mr. Trump’s sign-off,” Cohen said. He said he resisted paying out of his own pocket but eventually relented after Trump promised him, “You’ll get the money back.”
Offering a detailed timeline of the chaotic days during the campaign’s final weeks, Cohen described how he set up a shell company – falsely listed as a “real estate consulting company” – to facilitate the payment through a bank across the street from Trump Tower.
Prosecutors showed phone records to jurors indicating that Cohen called Trump’s line twice on the morning he visited the bank.
The Manhattan trial is widely seen as less consequential than three other criminal prosecutions Trump faces, all of which are mired in delays.
The other cases charge Trump with trying to overturn his 2020 presidential defeat and mishandling classified documents after leaving office. Trump pleaded not guilty to all three.
Trump, who is on trial while also campaigning to avenge his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden, could still stand in the November election and be sworn in as president if he were to be convicted and even jailed.
Trump’s son Eric, who was joined in court by Senator JD Vance, a contender for Trump’s vice presidential pick, tweeted he had “never seen anything more rehearsed” than Cohen’s testimony.
