50/ ICYMI: Via Griffin...

Closing arguments in Trump's New York criminal trial will begin the Tuesday after Memorial Day — May 28 — Judge Merchan says, to ensure there are not multiple days between summations and deliberations.

WHICH SUCKS because I'll be in the car on my way to Canada, which will make it REALLY hard to do any live posting.

51/ McB:

The defense submits B260 into evidence, 1/31/17 email response from Weisselberg to Cohen, re Note and mortgage modification agreement for Trump Park Ave condo—Thank you. You never stopped on for a bro hug. Anyway please prepare the agreement we discussed so we can pay you monthly

52/ McB:

Q: Why would you have to prepare an agreement so that you could get paid monthly?
A: In order to get the reimbursement, the $35k for month

Blanche lowers his voice in a sort of "gotcha" way: But you testified that there would never be an agreement.

It's all a bit fuzzy to me.

53/ Bower:

Why would you need to prepare an agreement if there was never any expectation that you would have one?

Because it was so that I could be repaid the reimursement, the 35K per month.

But you testified that you and Weisselberg agreeed that there would be no retainer agreement?

54/ McB:

Blanche asks why payments would be signed by Eric and Don Jr., but we already know why: they were signatories on the Trust account.

55/ McB:

Now we're talking email signatures: starting in 2017, Cohen signed his emails as he always had, except instead of personal attny to the CEO of Trump Org, it was to the president of the United States.

56/ McB:

You told everyone about your new role?
Well, not everyone, says Cohen.
You told TMZ? (Yes) You gave a little scoop to the NYT? (Yes) You announced it on Hannity? (Yes)

McB: While technically not everyone, I think it's fair to say he told most people. Cohen was a fixer—and a gossip.

57/ McB:

We see B261: Cohen's 1/27/17 goodbye email to the Trump Org.

I'm sorry to say it reads like a pretty typical office goodbye email. Nothing too juicy there.

58/ McB:

As personal attorney, sometimes Cohen would help out on a case, and sometimes he would help Trump find another lawyer with more expertise.

Yes sir, that was part of my job, Cohen says.

59/ Bower:

And is one of the things you did as Trump's attorney help Trump find attorneys to work a case? Correct.
You recall doing that in Jan. or Feb. in 2017? Yes, sir.
For example, there were reporters making defamatory statements about Trump...it was part of your job to help w/ that? Yes, sir.

60/ Bower:

Back to the case that Cohen was on with Kasowitz.

There were legal filings in that case? Yes.
You helped with the filings? I reviewed the documents, yes.
You recall helping Trump serve subpoenas on government agencies? No, sir.

Blanche shows Cohen a document.

61/ Bower:

You recall working with Mr. Kasowitz about serving subpoenas? Blanche asks again. Cohen says he received an email related to those matters.

Press:

Blanche: You worked on a real lawsuit, with filings due, with Marc Kasowitz, right?
Cohen: Yes
Blanche: Show B-237. Subpoenas of the State Department? Did you do something on this?
Cohen: Yes, sir.
Blanche: In May 2017 Robert Mueller was appointed

62/ McB:

Now to May 2017—what effect did the appointment of special counsel Mueller have on Cohen's attorney-client relationship with Trump?

None, says Cohen, and says he played no role in selecting Kasowitz.

Were you happy, sad, or indifferent about Trump hiring Kasowitz?

Probably happy, Cohen says, and that he wasn't really part of that case or that work, even though he was still personal attny.

63/ Sidebar via Klasfeld:

ICYMI, this morning, via the hallway press pool.

"[Trump] did not respond to shouted questions:

Mr. Trump, will you testify?
Have your lawyers advised you not to testify?
Mr. Trump, do you want to testify?
Are you afraid to testify?"

64/ Time for my break. I will catch you up on every detail, as always, when I return.

But Mr. BlowDryer is glaring at me. I told him he was a blowhard, full of hot air, and if he's not careful, he'll blow it.

#bygones

See you in a few.

65/ Okay, I'm back, I triumphed over Mr. BlowDryer once again, time to catch up.

Via Katie Phang:

BLANCHE: In May 2017, [Special Counsel Robert] Mueller began his investigation, did that affect your relationship [with Trump]? COHEN: It did not
BLANCHE: Later in the year did it affect your relationship? COHEN: Yes.

66/ Phang:

BLANCHE: You did a fair amount of legal work for the First Lady in 2017? COHEN: I did legal work for her.

BLANCHE: Part of your job was not only legal work but helping the [Trump] family for an array of issues? COHEN: Yes sir

67/ Maddow:

as blanche cross-examination of cohen stretches on, some members of the jury are looking a little glazed over. some still watching blanche intently, but some of them starting to yawn, look around the courtroom.

68/ Phang:

Katie's Sidebar:
From inside of the courtroom, we're getting reporting that the jury is having a tough time staying alert for this cross-examination by Blanche. Jurors are rubbing their eyes, shifting in their seats.
I don't blame them. Once again, Blanche has lost the plot here. With cross-examination, you get in and get out. Dragging it out for more hours doesn't make any sense.

69/ Phang sidebar cont'd:

At some point in time, you'd expect the Prosecution to get up and object to the questions being "asked and answered," and yet, I'm thinking that the Prosecution is reading the room (more specifically, reading the jury box) and letting Blanche just be all out there boring them.

70/ Phang:

BLANCHE: How much were you paid in 2017 by Trump personally? COHEN: 9 checks, $35,000 a piece
BLANCHE: The other two came from the Trust? COHEN: yes
BLANCHE: you continued to get paid all 12 months, correct? COHEN: Yes sir
BLANCHE: That was the agreement that was struck? COHEN: yes sir

BLANCHE: you also did a ton of consulting work in 2017?
COHEN: I did consulting work, i don't how to define a little or a lot, i had consulting clients, 6 in total, I made $4 million

71/ Phang:

BLANCHE: You told Pres Trump you had 6 consulting agreements? COHEN: i did not specifically tell mr trump that, no
BLANCHE: at some point he found out? COHEN: I believe so

Blanche is running Cohen through all of his consulting clients, emphasizing for the jury how much Cohen made off of his relationship/connections to Trump.

72/Me: Sorry this is disjointed. Trying to find threads on Threads is impossible, ironically.

Phang:

BLANCHE: You told multiple people that Pres Trump knew nothing about the payment? COHEN: Yes sir
BLANCHE: you called Melania and told her trump didn’t know about it? COHEN: No, not that I recall.

73/Phang:

BLANCHE: Were you told you should keep that quiet? COHEN: Not that I recall, no sir BLANCHE: Putting aside whether you were told that, you didn’t keep it quiet? COHEN: I did not
BLANCHE: You spoke to [Maggie] Haberman and told her Pres Trump did not know about it and you said that on the record? COHEN: yes, on the record

BLANCHE: You told anybody who asked that Pres Trump knew nothing about the payment, you told reporters, friends and family? COHEN: correct

74/ Phang:

Now Blanche is asking Cohen about Robert Costello:
BLANCHE: On April 17th you had a meeting with Costello and Citron? COHEN: yes they came to me, i don’t recall how long. BLANCHE: You had multiple communications with Mr Costello over the next several months? COHEN: 10 calls, maybe a few more BLANCHE: after first meeting, a few days later, costello followed up and said he spoke to someone you’d asked him to speak to? COHEN: Yes sir

75/ Phang:

Katie's Sidebar:

As of last week, Robert Costello has indicated to NBC News that he has not been requested to testify, but that he was willing to do so.
Could we see Costello take the stand? I don't think it would be good for Trump for Costello to testify.
Costello's communications with Cohen are not good for Trump: i.e. "Sleep well, you've got friends in high places" and Rudy Giuliani is a backchannel to Pres. Trump)

76/ Phang:

Cohen testifies that he did ask Costello to have Rudy Giuliani find out why "the matter ended up in the SDNY and in particular who in Main Justice approved this," as Costello wrote to Cohen in an April 23, 2018 email.

On May 15, 2018, Cohen reads from an email that he wrote to Costello, copying Citron: "As I have stated in the past, when the right time comes, and now is not the right time, we will advance our conversations regarding the issue."

77/ Phang:

BLANCHE: Would it surprise you to learn you communicated with Costello 75 times? COHEN: It seems high but possible BLANCHE: would it surprise you to learn there were multiple calls that lasted over a half hour COHEN: No sir BLANCHE: that you spoke over nine hours with Mr. costello, would that surprise you? COHEN:: No sir BLANCHE: A Memorial day weekend call that lasted an hour and a half? Do you recall weekend calls that lasted a long time? COHEN: yes sir

78/ Phang:

BLANCHE: Based on your recollection did you initiate more calls or did Mr. Costello? COHEN: to the best of my recollection, “I believe Mr. Costello reached out more to me”
BLANCHE: Those nine hours of calls that you had, how many times did you meet in person? COHEN: once or twice I believe

79/ Phang:

BLANCHE: You understood those were privileged conversations? COHEN: yes sir, in anticipation of potential representation
BLANCHE: The fact that you did not sign an engagement letter did not mean those calls and meetings were not privileged? COHEN: correct

80/ Phang:

EXHIBIT B1013 JUNE 14th email at 11:44am EMAIL FROM COHEN TO COSTELLO "Trump’s campaign to discredit Michael Cohen is already underway”... "Since we are sharing this morning…they are again on a bad path"
BLANCHE: You were talking about Trump and his team trying to discredit you? COHEN: Correct
BLANCHE: You decided to cooperate shortly thereafter? COHEN: correct

81/ Phang:

BLANCHE: in the time you spoke with Costello to now, there was a change in whether trump org was paying for lawyers? COHEN: correct BLANCHE: what happened that caused you to write to Costello? COHEN: There were significant invoices being sent to Trump Org for payment and payment was not being paid in accordance with the invoices

BLANCHE: you wanted Costello in June 2018 to communicate to Giuliani that nonpayment was becoming an issue? COHEN: Yes sir

82/ Phang:

BLANCHE: you never signed engagement letter and never paid bc you didn’t sign an engagement letter? COHEN: Correct

Blanche now runs Cohen through the amount of money he has made in 2018 until now, from his books, podcasts, etc.

83/Maddow:

just before a ten minute morning break, trump defense counsel todd blanche lets the world know that there is a proposed TV show called "The Fixer" based on Cohen's life... that has not yet been picked up. (call now! operators standing by!)

84/ All caught up! Recess over.

Klasfeld:

Blanche resumes

Q: How long have you been working with the gentleman you described to pitch this show?
A: Approx 3 mos.

Cohen says the pitches happened after it was shot 7-8 months ago.

👉🏼Cohen confirms that he's considering running for Congress, agreeing it's partly because of his name recognition.

"My name recognition is because of the journey I've been on. Is it affiliated with Mr. Trump? Yes." But it's not because of Mr. Trump, he insists.

85/ Klasfeld:

Blanche notes that his journey has included near-daily attacks on Trump.

McB:

Back to Cohen's role as personal attorney to Trump:
You Trump trusted you? Yes. His family trusted you? Yes. His wife trusted you? Yes.
Part of your job was to give him counsel and discuss legal issues with Trump?

But Hoffinger asks to approach—sidebar.

86/ McB:

When did you view your attorney-client relationship w/ Trump as ending?

Objection—sustained.

Now some math from Blanche: Going back to the $420k you were paid, Blanche restarts, the "Stormy Daniels payment" was $130k and the $20k to RedFinch adds up to $150k, and the remainder was grossed up + the bonus.

You didn't claim that $35k on your taxes—objection, sustained.

87/ FYI, via Pagliery:

Here's Trump's full entourage, per his campaign:

- S Carolina AG Alan Wilson
- Reps. Eric Burlison, Rep. Andrew Clyde, Rep. Mary Miller, Rep. Keith Self
- John Coale (America First Policy Instit & Greta Van Susteren's husband)
- MO AG candidate Will Scharf
- real estate investor Steve Witkoff
- disgraced former NYPD chief Bernie Kerik
- Kash Patel, national security lawyer who promises a new Trump administration would jail journalists
- Ga state politician Vernon Jones

88/ Maddow:

Trump defense counsel Todd Blanche attempts to ask Michael Cohen about whether he paid taxes on the 35k/month payments he received from the Trump org to reimburse him for the hush money, etc.
Prosecution objects -- sustained.
Blanche asks to approach the bench. Bench conference.

89/ McB:

We resume discussing the exorbitant amounts of money Cohen made during much of the past decade, 👉🏼as an underpaid, overworked press corps has to report it.