CNN’s legal panel was rocked by Michael Cohen’s latest testimony, which could redefine former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial. On Monday, Cohen, the former lawyer and fixer for Trump, admitted to stealing funds from the Trump Organization, casting significant doubt on the integrity of the prosecution’s case.
CNN legal analyst Elie Honig remarked on the gravity of the situation, saying, “This is a bomb. This is really important. This is a bomb dropped in the middle of the prosecution’s case… This is crushing to the prosecution’s credibility because the prosecution did not ask Michael Cohen about that on direct and they haven’t made him plead guilty to larceny, which this is.”
The admission not only questioned Cohen’s reliability but also the diligence of Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s office in handling crucial testimonial evidence. During the discussion, even CNN host Jake Tapper emphasized the potential impact on the jury, pointing out that all it takes is “one juror to say I have reasonable doubt.” The panel agreed, noting major gaps in the prosecution’s approach, particularly their failure to preemptively address the theft in their questioning, which could have mitigated the damage.
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The discussion also touched on the connection of the stolen funds to a larger narrative involving a payment to Stormy Daniels, an aspect that lies at the heart of the prosecution’s charges against Trump. Tapper questioned, “How did they not get this out ahead of time? If you’re a juror even if you think well, I think he probably knew what he was paying for Michael Cohen, there has to be reasonable doubt now because I mean, Michael Cohen has given them this huge gift.”
“Is it possible that the prosecution can come back and redirect and somehow tie what looks like him just flatly stealing money… to him paying himself back in order to cover up the crime that’s alleged in this case?” Honig asked. The answer to this could be crucial in determining the trial’s outcome.
During a fiery cross-examination at Trump’s New York City trial on Monday, Cohen confessed to embezzling thousands of dollars from the Trump Organization. During the questioning, Trump attorney Todd Blanche challenged Cohen, asking, “You did steal from the Trump Organization based upon the expected reimbursement from Red Finch,” referring to a payment scheme involving $130,000 for Stormy Daniels and $50,000 for the tech company Red Finch.
“Yes, sir,” Cohen responded. According to Fox News, Cohen detailed how he withdrew $20,000 in cash over several days, storing it in a small brown paper bag and delivering it to Red Finch, but he admitted he never paid the full $50,000 after the company stopped pressing for the remaining amount.
Despite not fully settling the payment, Cohen indicated that the Trump Organization was under the impression he had paid the entire sum, and he was still reimbursed for it. Cohen, serving as the prosecution’s key witness, was the last to testify. Trump is battling 34 charges of falsifying business records, linked to alleged secret payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels, who also appeared earlier in the trial.