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Tag: michael cohen

  • Aubrey O’Day Says Donald Trump Jr. Is a “QAnon Freak,” but Pauly D Is Way Worse

    Aubrey O’Day Says Donald Trump Jr. Is a “QAnon Freak,” but Pauly D Is Way Worse

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    In the immortal words of REM, everybody hurts. That includes Aubrey O’Day, who has a lot of feelings about people comparing her ex-boyfriend Pauly D to Donald Trump Jr., her alleged former flame. 

    In an interview on the podcast Sofia With an F, released Thursday, the former Danity Kane singer and Celebrity Apprentice cast member went hard on defending—and dunking on—the former president’s son, with whom she claims she had an affair while he was married to Vanessa Trump. Even though she referred to Don Jr. as having become “a crazy QAnon freak that’s gotta sell what he’s selling,” she still thinks he’s miles classier than a certain Jersey Shore cast member. (Vanity Fair has reached out to reps for Don Jr. for comment.)

    “The fact that I do interviews and they say, ‘Oh, we should’ve known you were with Don because you were with Pauly,’ and they say these names in the same sentence…I’m like, Whoa!

    “That, to me, hurts the most because a guy that had a tanning bed in his home in Rhode Island, not even in Jersey, that was chosen to be part of a show that was made to laugh at them, is so beyond different than Donald Trump Jr.,” she said. “They’re not even in the same league.”

    She later referred to her relationship with Pauly D (real name Paul DelVecchio Jr.) as “drama. Hellfire. Dumpster fire.” (Vanity Fair has reached out to reps for Pauly D for comment.)

    O’Day spilled tea on covering up the alleged affair personally and in the media, saying that she cooperated with Donald Trump’s former aide Michael Cohen to keep it out of the press.

    “When the Trump, Don Jr. thing got leaked in the media, I mean, I spent likely a decade or something, maybe a little less than that, covering it up with Michael Cohen,” she said of the former president’s ex-fixer, who went to prison for tax evasion and campaign finance violations, among other charges. She referred to the elder Trump as “Dad”—not his dad, but just “Dad,” saying that “it came out when Dad was president.”

    “I think once Michael Cohen wasn’t there and once people saw what happened to somebody that was a fixer that was doing things for them, that you can actually go to prison and serve a sentence for it, I think a lot of people probably stopped choke holding the truth.”

    Before, however, the story was suppressed through other means, she claimed. “You can’t go to Us Weekly and kill a story,” she explained. “They just do ad buys, so you see Kim K coming out of the Trump Hotel instead of Aubrey and Don Jr. in Africa, making out on a security camera. So they buy and sell their way down.”

    The alleged affair reportedly took place from the end of 2011 to March 2012, and O’Day maintains that she was in love with Don Jr.

    “I just know it was, ‘I’m leaving my wife and kids, and this is gonna be what I want, and I love you and you’re my wife and everybody knows what it is,’” she said of the message she got from Don Jr., who was then married with three children, at the time. “My response was always, ‘I never cheated on anyone.’”

    She admitted, however, that after she took “enough psychedelics” while she was in Bali, she realized she “played a role too.”

    Now, though, O’Day presents a bizarre blend of defending her alleged former companion and absolutely shredding him, saying that “everybody that I run with doesn’t fuck with him or the family,” shortly after insisting that “the man that I loved was not a mockery, was not a joke, was not the guy that everyone thinks is coked out of his mind, making crazy videos all the time. He was an intellect; he was well pedigreed; he was incredibly insightful and wise.”

    Whether Pauly D and Don Jr. are comparable or not, O’Day blames her connection to them for putting her in Raya purgatory. She said she’s been in a “hold pile” forever, and doesn’t expect to be granted a coveted membership on the invite-only dating app due to bad blood. The app’s decision-makers, she said, are “likely friends with a Trump or a Pauly D human being.”

    To sum it up in O’Day’s own words: “yikes.”

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  • Michael Cohen settles lawsuit against Trump Organization

    Michael Cohen settles lawsuit against Trump Organization

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    Days before it was set to go to trial, a lawsuit filed by former Trump attorney Michael Cohen against his former employer, the Trump Organization, has been settled.

    Cohen planned to call one of the former president Donald Trump’s sons as a witness in the trial. Cohen sued in 2019, saying the company owed him legal fees for his work defending Trump and himself during investigations in 2017 and 2018, and during roughly 20 meetings with the Manhattan district attorney and a grand jury before Trump was indicted in March. 

    Michael Cohen at Manhattan Civil Court
    File: July 7: Michael Cohen leaves Manhattan civil court during lunch break July 7, in Manhattan, New York.

    Barry Williams, New York Daily News via Getty Images


    A spokesperson for the Trump Organization did not return a request for comment.

    An attorney for Cohen said in court earlier this month that Donald Trump Jr., a Trump Organization executive vice president, was a relevant potential witness because the company covered his legal fees in relation to some of the same investigations for which Cohen is seeking payment.

    “We would like to introduce testimony about what Mr. Trump Jr. paid his lawyers in the exact same matters,” said the attorney, Hunter Winstead.

    Cohen entered a guilty plea in 2018 to federal campaign finance violations and tax evasion, and the company has argued his criminal conduct was in violation of any agreements it had with him.

    Cohen, now a Trump adversary who is enmeshed in a tangled web of litigation involving his former boss, is the key witness in the Manhattan criminal case. Cohen’s attorneys say he incurred more than $500,000 in legal fees related to that case, in which Cohen is a key witness against Trump.

    Trump has entered a not guilty plea in the case, which centers on a series of reimbursements paid to Cohen after the ex-lawyer arranged a “hush money” payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election. 

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  • Judge rejects Trump effort to move New York criminal case to federal court

    Judge rejects Trump effort to move New York criminal case to federal court

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    A federal judge Wednesday denied former President Donald Trump’s effort to move his New York State “hush money” criminal case to federal jurisdiction.

    U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein wrote in his ruling that he didn’t believe payments made to a former Trump attorney — which are at the center of the 34 New York State felony counts of falsification of business records — were tied to Trump’s service as president.

    “Trump has failed to show that the conduct charged by the indictment is for or relating to any act performed by or for the President under color of the official acts of a President,” Hellerstein wrote. “Trump also has failed to show that he has a colorable federal defense to the indictment.”

    Lawyers for Trump and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had argued over whether reimbursements to Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, were made as official acts tied to Trump’s presidency. Trump’s lawyers said the case belongs in federal court — not the state court where Bragg’s prosecutors typically work — because the payments were made while Trump was president.

    Trump entered a not guilty plea on April 4 in the case, which revolves around a series of transactions between Trump and Cohen. 

    Manhattan prosecutors say the payments were obscured reimbursements for a “hush money” payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 presidential election.

    Attorneys for Trump said he is immune from state prosecution for acts “performed when carrying out his federal duties.” 

    A spokesperson for Trump’s presidential campaign criticized the decision in a statement to CBS News, and accused Bragg, a Democrat, of targeting the Republican out of political animus.

    “They’re throwing everything they can at President Trump to prevent his re-election, because deep down, they know he’s going to win,” the spokesperson said. “This case belongs in a federal court and we will continue to pursue all legal avenues to move it there.”

    The push to move the case has gone forward as attorneys for Trump have also sought a new state court judge. They asked in a June 1 filing that New York Judge Juan Merchan recuse himself. 

    Last year, Merchan presided over the trial of two Trump Organization companies that were found guilty of 17 counts related to criminal tax evasion. Trump’s motion accuses Merchan of encouraging the prosecution’s key witness in that case, former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, to testify against the companies. It also notes that Merchan’s daughter has worked for a Democratic consulting firm, and that he made a pair of donations — totaling $35 — to Democratic groups during the 2020 election cycle.

    Bragg’s office opposes the recusal and Merchan has not announced a decision.

    Hellerstein’s decision came the day after Trump announced that he received a letter from the Justice Department identifying him as a target in another criminal investigation, indicating he may soon be indicted for a third time. Trump said he was given the opportunity to testify before a federal grand jury in that probe, an investigation into allegations Trump and his allies sought to undermine the 2020 presidential election following Trump’s defeat.

    That investigation is being overseen by special counsel Jack Smith, who is also leading a federal case in which Trump is charged with 37 felony counts related to alleged “willful retention” of national security information after Trump left the White House.

    Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, claiming Smith is engaged in a “witch hunt” and criticized the investigations as a “complete and total political weaponization of law enforcement.”

    He has made similar allegations against Bragg and Fulton County, Georgia district attorney Fani Willis, who has indicated that Trump and some of his allies may soon be charged in connection with their alleged efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 presidential election.

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  • Jimmy Kimmel Taunts Trump With The ‘Weird Side Project’ No One Wants

    Jimmy Kimmel Taunts Trump With The ‘Weird Side Project’ No One Wants

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    “Trump now has more active cases in New York than COVID does,” Kimmel said.

    Kimmel noted a new report that the special counsel investigating Trump is looking into claims the former president showed people a map with classified information that he took from the White House “like a big orange Dora the Explorer.”

    That, Kimmel noted, would be a violation of espionage laws.

    “I really think at this point the only crime Trump hasn’t been charged with is aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft,” he cracked.

    Trump, he said, is also suing his former attorney, Michael Cohen, for $500 million, calling it a sign he needs money.

    Kimmel shared a joke ad for a “weird side project” the former president has launched to help pick up some more quick cash:

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  • Donald Trump Sues Michael Cohen, Alleging ‘Vast Reputational Harm’

    Donald Trump Sues Michael Cohen, Alleging ‘Vast Reputational Harm’

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    Donald Trump on Wednesday filed a $500 million lawsuit against his former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, a week after the former president was indicted over a hush money payment Cohen facilitated to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.

    Cohen testified before the Manhattan grand jury that indicted Trump on 34 criminal charges of falsifying business records and may be a key witness in the criminal trial. Trump, who pleaded not guilty, has denied involvement in the scheme.

    In the suit, Trump alleges Cohen violated attorney-client privilege by sharing confidential information and spread lies about him “with malicious intent and to wholly self-serving ends.”

    “Plaintiff has suffered vast reputational harm as a direct result of Defendant’s breaches,” the lawsuit filed by Trump attorney Alejandro Brito in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida states.

    The suit claims the most “egregious breaches of fiduciary duty” involve two books authored by Cohen, his podcast, and other public statements about Trump.

    “Defendant derived a significant benefit, to Plaintiff’s detriment and at Plaintiff’s
    expense, as a direct result of his breach of fiduciary duty, including, without limitation, realization of substantial monetary gain in the form of compensation, advances, royalties, proceeds and/or profits received for his role in the writing, publication, promotion, and/or sale of the Books,” the suit says.

    Trump is requesting over $500 million in “actual, compensatory, incidental, and punitive damages” from Cohen, and any profits he made through his books and podcast.

    Cohen’s lawyer, Lanny Davis, predicted Trump’s lawsuit would fail. In a statement, the lawyer characterized the lawsuit as an effort by Trump “to send a message to other potential witnesses who are cooperating with prosecutors against him.”

    Cohen, who arranged the payoff of Daniels and served prison time for campaign finance violations, has vowed to continue fighting for the truth.

    “Despite Trump’s attempts to intimidate and harass me, I will NEVER stop fighting and holding him accountable for his dirty deeds,” Cohen wrote on Twitter Wednesday, linking to a GoFundMe page raising money for his legal defense.

    Manhattan prosecutors alleged Cohen handled three hush money payments for Trump involving Daniels, model Karen McDougal, and a former Trump Tower doorman who claimed Trump had had a child out of wedlock.

    Trump has a long history of attacking perceived enemies in court. Earlier this year, a Florida judge ordered Trump and his lawyer Alina Habba to pay just under $1 million for bringing a “completely frivolous” lawsuit against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other defendants.

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  • Trump Sues Former Attorney Michael Cohen for Telling People About All His Alleged Crimes

    Trump Sues Former Attorney Michael Cohen for Telling People About All His Alleged Crimes

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    Once upon a time, Donald Trump could rely on attorney Michael Cohen to do his dirty work, like demanding The Onion take down an article with Trump’s byline and a headline that read, “When You’re Feeling Low, Just Remember I’ll Be Dead in About 15 Or 20 Years”; or paying a porn star $130,000 to keep quiet about an alleged affair. “If somebody does something Mr. Trump doesn’t like, I do everything in my power to resolve it to Mr. Trump’s benefit,” Cohen told ABC News in 2011. “If you do something wrong, I’m going to come at you, grab you by the neck, and I’m not going to let you go until I’m finished.” We’re guessing Trump liked this arrangement, because he employed Cohen for more than a decade. Fast-forward a few years, though, and the ex-president is no longer so pleased with his former “fixer”—which presumably has something to do with Cohen telling a grand jury everything he knows about the hush money deals that led to Trump being charged with nearly three dozen felonies last week.

    Per Reuters:

    Former US President Donald Trump is suing his former lawyer Michael Cohen for more than $500 million, according to a filing in federal court in Florida on Wednesday. The lawsuit comes after Cohen, once Trump’s loyal “fixer,” testified before a Manhattan grand jury that later indicted Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, marking the first time in US history that a former president has been charged with a crime. Trump, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, pleaded not guilty in that case on April 4. Cohen is poised to be a star witness in any eventual trial in the case, which centers around a hush money payment he made before the 2016 election to a porn star who says she slept with Trump.

    The lawsuit accuses Cohen of violating his attorney-client relationship with Trump by revealing his “confidences” and “spreading falsehoods” in books, podcasts, and media appearances. It says Cohen wrongfully called Trump “racist” in his 2020 book, Disloyal, and fabricated conversations with Trump.

    “The timing of Disloyal’s release, just prior to the November 3, 2020, Presidential Election, suggests that Defendant intended to improperly disclose Plaintiff’s confidences when it would be most lucrative to do so—and while Disloyal would be sure to have the most damaging reputational effect,” the lawsuit reportedly reads. If you’re doing the math, Cohen’s book came out about 2.5 years ago, and while we’re not legal experts, it appears that this suit has a lot less to do with the things Cohen said about Trump in Disloyal than what he told a Manhattan grand jury last month.

    Cohen’s testimony was presumably of significant interest to the grand jury given his central role in the hush money case. Cohen was the one who paid Stormy Daniels in October 2016, and was subsequently reimbursed while Trump was in office, with the leader of the free world, per The New York Times, “signing monthly checks.” Asked while testifying before Congress why his reimbursement was spread out over several months instead of being taken care of in one lump sum, given that Trump could clearly afford it, Cohen said it was “in order to hide what the payment was” and make it “look like a retainer.” Asked during the congressional testimony if Trump knew about the deal, Cohen answered, “Oh, he knew about everything, yes.”

    Cohen did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

    Something something Trump is my lord and savior, something something throw the Clintons in jail

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    Just another day in WTF-ville (Population: most of the Republican Party)

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    Elsewhere!

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    Missouri House Republicans vote to defund libraries (Heartland Signal)

    NPR quits Twitter, says the platform is “undermining” its credibility (NBC News)

    Stormy Daniels’s lawyer submits complaint against Trump lawyer to NY panel (Washington Post)

    Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s continued absence is impacting judicial nominees (San Fransisco Chronicle)

    J.D. Vance’s “Big Tech” Plan Conveniently Makes More Money for J.D. Vance: Report (Rolling Stone)

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    Elon Musk says in BBC interview that his dog is Twitter CEO (Washington Post)

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  • CBS Evening News, April 4, 2023

    CBS Evening News, April 4, 2023

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    CBS Evening News, April 4, 2023 – CBS News


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    Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony counts; Suspect drives stolen box truck onto Houston airport tarmac during pursuit

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  • Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony counts

    Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony counts

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    Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony counts – CBS News


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    Former President Donald Trump appeared in a New York City courtroom Tuesday, where he pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The allegations are in connection to payments to three people, including a $130,000 hush money payment made by Trump’s attorney, Michael Cohen, to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Scott MacFarlane reports from Manhattan.

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  • Examining the criminal charges against Trump

    Examining the criminal charges against Trump

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    Examining the criminal charges against Trump – CBS News


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    Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement Tuesday that former President Donald Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal crimes” during the 2016 election. Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts Tuesday. Legal analyst Rikki Klieman and CBS News chief political analyst John Dickerson examine the case that was brought against Trump.

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  • Donald Trump, Making History, Is Charged With 34 Felony Counts for Porn Star Hush Money Deal

    Donald Trump, Making History, Is Charged With 34 Felony Counts for Porn Star Hush Money Deal

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    Donald Trump, who surrendered to the Manhattan district attorney’s office earlier today, has been arraigned on charges related to the hush money payment he made to porn star Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election. He was charged with a whopping 34 felony counts of falsifying business records—in the same New York courtroom where the Trump Organization was found guilty of tax fraud last year—and entered a plea of not guilty. 

    As The New York TimesMaggie Haberman noted, “Trump looked very unhappy as he walked into the courtroom,” which is unsurprising given he was there to be arraigned on criminal charges after a lifetime of escaping any and all responsibility for his actions.

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    If convicted of all 34 felonies, the former president could go to prison for up to 136 years

    To his apparent surprise, Trump was indicted last week, making him the first president in US history to be charged with a crime after leaving office. He departed Florida for New York around noon on Monday, and spent the night at his triplex in Trump Tower, the interior design of which might be described as “If Louis XIV threw up all over the place. The walls, the floors, the couches, everywhere.” (In related news, Trump’s lies about said triplex were cited by New York attorney general Letitia James in her $250 million fraud suit against the ex-president, his company, and his three eldest children.) Rolling Stone reported on Monday that Trump was “offered a chance to surrender quietly and be arraigned over Zoom” but instead “opted for a midday, high-profile booking at the Manhattan courthouse…. ‘He wanted a perp walk, he wanted daylight hours,’” a law enforcement official told the outlet. Said a person close to Trump’s legal team: “It’s kind of a Jesus Christ thing. He is saying ‘I’m absorbing all this pain from all around from everywhere so you don’t have to’.”

    According to multiple sources who spoke to CNN, the former president has hired a new attorney to serve as his lead counsel. That lawyer is Todd Blanche, who previously represented Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, who was found guilty of eight felonies in one trial and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to obstruct justice in another. (He was later pardoned by Trump.)

    As the outlet noted, Susan Necheles and Joe Tacopina will remain on Trump’s legal team, though Blanche’s hiring “has been seen by some inside Trump’s orbit as a sidelining of Tacopina, who up until this point has been one of the most forward-facing attorney’s dealing with Trump’s defense.” Last month, the internet uncovered footage of Tacopina saying in a 2018 TV interview, before he represented Trump, that the Daniels hush money payment was against the law; that it was potentially a “campaign finance issue”; and that the story that Michael Cohen acted in his own capacity when he paid Daniels $130,000 was BS. “That doesn’t make sense, that a lawyer took out a home equity loan with his own money, paid somebody that he didn’t even know on behalf of a client who, by the way, had the wherewithal and the money to afford $130,000,” Tacopina said, adding: “It’s an illegal agreement.”

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  • Preparations for Trump’s court appearance underway as he arrives ahead of Tuesday arraignment

    Preparations for Trump’s court appearance underway as he arrives ahead of Tuesday arraignment

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    Preparations for Trump’s court appearance underway as he arrives ahead of Tuesday arraignment – CBS News


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    Former President Donald Trump arrived in New York City via private plane and accompanied by Secret Service agents to await his historic arraignment in downtown Manhattan Tuesday. CBS News chief election and campaign correspondent Robert Costa and chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett join John Dickerson to discuss the indictment and its political impact.

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  • Michael Cohen, Of All People, Explains Why Trump’s Arrest Should Be ‘Classy’

    Michael Cohen, Of All People, Explains Why Trump’s Arrest Should Be ‘Classy’

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    Michael Cohen said Thursday that he doesn’t want his former boss Donald Trump to be “paraded” during his arrest, which is expected to happen next week, following the former president’s indictment in the Stormy Daniels hush-money case.

    Instead, the ex-president’s former longtime fixer and attorney — who himself served prison time for his role in the scheme and turned witness against Trump — explained why he wanted the proceedings to remain “classy.”

    “Personally, I don’t want to see him paraded that way,” Cohen told CNN’s Don Lemon and Alisyn Camerota during a discussion about how Trump’s arrest would be handled, like whether he’d be handcuffed or put behind bars.

    “Because he’s the former president of the United States. Because I actually care more about the office of the presidency of the United States than he does,” Cohen continued. “I don’t want to see this made into the laughingstock of the world.”

    “These are things that you see from other countries, like Venezuela,” Cohen added. “This is a first time ever in the history of this country that a former president has been indicted, this is unprecedented and the more that we keep this, we’ll call it ‘classy,’ the better it is for our position in the world.”

    Cohen suggested Trump would in private be “seething” at the indictment.

    “To the world, he wants to appear to have this thick skin. He’s not thick-skinned,” Cohen said. “This is his biggest fear, that he will be mug-shotted and that he’s now going to have an f, a felony, next to his name.”

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  • Oops: Trump’s Lawyer Called the Stormy Daniels Hush Money Deal “Illegal” in 2018

    Oops: Trump’s Lawyer Called the Stormy Daniels Hush Money Deal “Illegal” in 2018

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    In his capacity as Donald Trump’s attorney, Joe Tacopina has spent much of his time lately appearing on TV to defend the hush money payment Trump made to adult film star Stormy Daniels back in 2016. On Fox News, he claimed the ex-president was the victim of extortion. On MSNBC, he insisted Trump’s lies about the matter—like initially denying he was aware of the payment—weren’t lies because Trump wasn’t under oath when he uttered them. Speaking to Sean Hannity, he declared that the legal system is “completely weaponized.” One TV hit he probably doesn’t like mentioned? The one in which he called the hush money deal “illegal,” among other things.

    Yes, back in 2018, years before he would be hired to represent Trump, Tacopina went on CNN and stated, for all the world to hear, that the payment was against the law, that it was potentially a “campaign finance issue,” and that the story that Michael Cohen acted in his own capacity when he paid Daniels $130,000 was total BS. “That doesn’t make sense, that a lawyer took out a home equity loan with his own money, paid somebody that he didn’t even know on behalf of a client who, by the way, had the wherewithal and the money to afford $130,000,” Tacopina said in March 2018. He added: “And, by the way, didn’t tell the client about the settlement agreement. It’s an illegal agreement. It’s a fraud, if that’s, in fact, the case.”

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    In a separate appearance, he reiterated that the hush money deal was “illegal.”

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    Several months later, Cohen pleaded guilty to, among other things, campaign finance violations, saying he did so “in coordination with and at the direction of” Trump.

    It’s not clear if Trump was made aware of Tacopina’s comments before hiring him.

    In related news, the former president on Monday used the looming potential indictment from the Manhattan district attorney’s office to raise money off of his supporters, who he hit up for as much as $3,300 a pop.

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  • Donald Trump awaits New York grand jury decision after new witness gives testimony

    Donald Trump awaits New York grand jury decision after new witness gives testimony

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    Donald Trump awaits New York grand jury decision after new witness gives testimony – CBS News


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    Law enforcement officials are on high alert in New York and across the country on Tuesday as a Manhattan grand jury mulls whether to indict former President Donald Trump. Should the grand jury choose to move forward with an indictment, it would be the first time in U.S. history that a former president is charged with a crime. CBS News investigative reporter Graham Kates discussed the latest with Lilia Luciano and Lana Zak, and CBS News legal contributor Rebecca Roiphe explained the legal implications of a possible indictment.

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  • NYPD prepares for possible protests as Trump claims arrest is coming

    NYPD prepares for possible protests as Trump claims arrest is coming

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    NYPD prepares for possible protests as Trump claims arrest is coming – CBS News


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    Police in New York are setting up metal barricades near the Manhattan courthouse as the investigation into former President Trump appears to be nearing a conclusion. Trump claimed on social media he would be arrested Tuesday, although officials have not said so. CBS News chief election and campaign correspondent Robert Costa has the latest.

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  • Attorney seeks to discredit Michael Cohen in Trump grand jury investigation

    Attorney seeks to discredit Michael Cohen in Trump grand jury investigation

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    A former legal adviser to Michael Cohen, a key witness in a Manhattan grand jury’s investigation into former President Donald Trump, sought to discredit Cohen on Monday as a liar on a “revenge tour.” 

    Robert Costello, who appeared before the grand jury at the request of Trump’s attorneys, told reporters after his testimony that Cohen has said things “that are directly contrary to what he said to us.” 

    Costello described Cohen as being in “a manic state” when they met for the first time at Cohen’s request in April 2018. By that time, federal agents had already raided Cohen’s home and office as part of a number of investigations, including a probe into the $130,000 payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election. 

    “He’d be talking to us while pacing like a wild tiger in a cage, back and forth,” Costello said. “He was really frazzled. He looked like he hadn’t slept in three, four, five days. And he’d just suddenly stop in the middle of talking about something, point at us and he’d say, ‘I want you guys to know, I will do whatever the f— it takes. I will never spend one day in jail.’ He must have said that close to 20 times. 

    “Well, he went to jail,” Costello continued. “And now he’s on the revenge tour.” Cohen was sentenced to 3 years, which he served partly in home confinement. 

    “If Bob Costello’s comments were any more fantastical, he would be a bestselling fiction author,” Cohen told CBS News on Monday evening. “It is important to note that I am not the one who slept with Stormy. I stated years ago and remain consistent that the payment was done at the direction of, in coordination with and for the benefit of Donald J. Trump. Truth is truth and the documents in the possession of the DANY demonstrate this. Then again, Bob works for Rudy Giuliani which should explain his lack of veracity.”

    As the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation picked up steam, Cohen repeatedly met with investigators and spent two days testifying before the grand jury about Trump’s alleged role in the payments, including potential campaign finance violations and falsification of business records. 

    Costello said Cohen told him that he was approached by Daniels’ lawyer about a potential lawsuit. Daniels has claimed she had sex with Trump in 2006, which he denies. 

    “So Michael Cohen decided on his own — that’s what he told us, on his own — to see if he could take care of this,” Costello said. “So he sat with the lawyer for Stormy Daniels. They negotiated a nondisclosure agreement for $130,000.” 

    Costello said he asked Cohen whether he took the money from his own account or whether it was Trump’s money, and Cohen told him it was from a home equity line of credit. 

    “I said, ‘Why would you do that?’” Costello said of their conversation. “He said, ‘Because I wanted to keep this secret, even secret from my own wife.’” 

    Cohen has alleged that Trump authorized the payment to Daniels to buy her silence during the 2016 campaign and that the Trump Organization reimbursed him for the payment.

    “He’s totally unreliable,” Costello said. 

    Costello said he has given five packets of materials that contain hundreds of emails between Cohen and his law firm from 2018 and 2019 to the Manhattan district attorney and Trump’s lawyers. He urged the district attorney to provide all the documents to the grand jury, instead of a select few. 

    “Let them see exactly who Michael Cohen is,” he said. 

    –Graham Kates contributed to this report.

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  • Is Trump Going to Prison? And Answers to Every Other Burning Question About His Likely Indictment

    Is Trump Going to Prison? And Answers to Every Other Burning Question About His Likely Indictment

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    Later, Manhattan district attorney Cy Vance began investigating Trump, but ultimately chose to focus not on the Daniels payment, but the broader business practices of the Trump Organization, charging Trump’s family business with a cornucopia of crimes, 17 of which it was found guilty of in December

    Vance left office in December 2021. A short time after that, his successor, Alvin Bragg, reportedly indicated to prosecutors that he had doubts about taking a case against Trump, personally, to court.

    But then!

    Last November, The New York Times reported that Bragg had refocused the criminal investigation into Trump—but not over the crimes the Trump Organization would be found guilty of just a month later. Instead, prosecutors were returning to the matter that originally sparked their investigation into Trump a number of years back: the hush money payment. In January, the Times reported that the DA’s office had begun presenting evidence to a grand jury.

    Who spoke to the grand jury?

    A whole bunch of people, including but not limited to former AMI publisher Pecker, longtime Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, and, crucially, Michael Cohen. Trump himself was invited to appear before the grand jury but declined. Stormy Daniels met with prosecutors in mid-March.

    And we’re assuming Trump has never actually admitted to the hush money deal, right?

    In fact, he has! Even more hilariously, he literally wrote, on Twitter, of the NDA they made Daniels sign after paying her off: “These agreements are very common among celebrities and people of wealth.”

    What has Trump more broadly said about all of this?

    Not surprisingly, Trump has, on numerous occasions, dubbed the investigation into the hush money payment a “witch hunt,” which is how he describes anything he doesn’t like, especially if it concerns the possibility that he will receive the same treatment as everyone else in the eyes of the law.

    He has also denied having an affair with Daniels (with McDougal as well), despite admitting to the hush money payment in Daniels’s case.

    When might the indictment happen?

    According to numerous reports, it could happen as early as this week. Steel barricades have been placed outside Manhattan criminal court, and law enforcement agencies have reportedly held meetings to discuss “security, staffing, and contingency plans in the event of any protests.” On Saturday, according to a copy of an email obtained by Politico, Bragg told his employees: “Our law enforcement partners will ensure that any specific or credible threats against the office will be fully investigated and that the proper safeguards are in place so all 1,600 of us have a secure work environment.”

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    Are Republicans losing their minds?

    Of course. Kevin McCarthy tweeted, “Here we go again—an outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA who lets violent criminals walk as he pursues political vengeance against President Trump. I’m directing relevant committees to immediately investigate if federal funds are being used to subvert our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions.” Ted Cruz wrote, “The Trump indictment is garbage.” Marjorie Taylor Greene insisted that “Every single Republican should go scorched earth.”

    Has Trump suggested his supporters should engage in violence on his behalf, à la January 6?

    In his typical Trumpian way, yes. Over the weekend, he wrote on Truth Social that people must “PROTEST” and “TAKE OUR NATION BACK,” in response to what he predicted would be a Tuesday arrest. While he did not literally call for violence, his language was deeply reminiscent of him telling his supporters to “fight like hell” on January 6, shortly before they stormed the US Capitol.

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    Bess Levin

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  • Michael Cohen asked to be available in case witness is called to discredit him in Trump grand jury investigation, sources say

    Michael Cohen asked to be available in case witness is called to discredit him in Trump grand jury investigation, sources say

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    An attorney may be called before a Manhattan grand jury on Monday to discredit star witness Michael Cohen in the investigation into former President Donald Trump, two sources confirmed to CBS News. 

    Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney, has been asked to be available if needed before the grand jury, which is investigating an alleged “hush money” payment Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election, according to two people familiar with the matter.

    Cohen has been asked to be in close proximity to the grand jury, which meets in Lower Manhattan, in case he’s needed to “rebut” another witness expected to testify Monday.

    Two sources told CBS News that attorney Robert Costello, who worked as a legal adviser to Cohen before they had a falling out, may appear before the grand jury to discredit Cohen, a key witness in the investigation into Trump. Costello has been asked to appear by Trump’s attorneys, sources said, but it’s unclear if he will actually be called. 

    Michael Cohen leaves after testifying before grand jury in New York
    Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen leaves after testifying before grand jury in Manhattan, New York City on March 15, 2023.

    Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images


    Costello’s possible appearance was first reported by The New York Times

    Trump posted on social media on Saturday that he expects to be arrested on Tuesday by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. He did not post any details about what he could be charged with, but Bragg’s office has been conducting an investigation into the $130,000 Cohen paid Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. The president also called on his followers to “PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!” in the event of his arrest.

    Earlier this month Trump was invited to testify before the grand jury, a step that often signals an upcoming indictment. Joe Tacopina, an attorney for Trump, said the former president will not accept the invitation to appear.

    Trump’s attorney on Saturday said his social media comments were related to news reports. “Since this is a political prosecution, the District Attorney’s office has engaged in a practice of leaking everything to the press, rather than communicating with President Trump’s attorneys as would be done in a normal case,” Trump attorney Susan Necheles said in a text to CBS News.

    Bragg has not commented on Trump’s social media posts. But in a memo to staff on Saturday, Bragg warned of potential threats and said “your safety is our top priority.”

    “We have full confidence in our outstanding security staff and investigators, along with our great OCA and NYPD colleagues, and will continue to coordinate with all of them,” Bragg said in a memo. “We do not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York. Our law enforcement partners will ensure that any specific or credible threats against the office will be fully investigated and that the proper safeguards are in place so all 1,600 of us have a secure work environment.”

    Cohen, a central figure in Bragg’s investigation, testified before the grand jury last week. He reported to prison in May 2019 on federal charges related to the payout as well as charges of tax evasion and lying to Congress. 

    Trump has denied any wrongdoing, including ever having a sexual relationship with Daniels. He has called the case “a political Witch-Hunt” and an “old, and rebuked case, which has been rejected by every prosecutor’s office.”

    Caroline Linton contributed to this report.

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  • NYPD among local, state and federal agencies gearing up for Trump indictment

    NYPD among local, state and federal agencies gearing up for Trump indictment

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    A law enforcement source said the New York Police Department along with federal, state and local agencies are gearing up for a possible indictment against former President Donald Trump in New York as early as next week.

    The NYPD and other law enforcement agencies — including the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force — are preparing security plans in and around the Manhattan criminal courthouse where Trump will potentially appear if he is charged in connection with a $130,000 alleged hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star, according to the source. Daniels alleges the money was paid to keep her quiet about a sexual encounter with Trump years earlier.

    Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer, pleaded guilty in 2018 to campaign finance charges stemming from his involvement with the payments and was sentenced to three years in prison.

    The alleged scheme first came to light years ago, when Trump was still in office. The investigation gained new momentum in recent months, with the Manhattan district attorney’s office convening a grand jury to examine the matter.

    A grand jury in New York has been hearing the case and could possibly vote to hand up an indictment against Trump. 

    On Saturday, Trump, who denies the allegations, said in a social media post that he expects to be arrested Tuesday.

    He added that “illegal leaks” from the Manhattan district attorney’s office indicate that “THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK.”

    Trump also implored his supporters to protest, saying, “THEY’RE KILLING OUR NATION AS WE SIT BACK & WATCH. WE MUST SAVE AMERICA! PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST!!!”

    An indictment of a former president would be a first in American history as Trump seeks the GOP nomination for president in 2024.

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  • Trump expects to be arrested Tuesday as DA eyes charges

    Trump expects to be arrested Tuesday as DA eyes charges

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    Donald Trump said in a social media post that he expects to be arrested Tuesday as a New York prosecutor is eyeing charges in a case examining hush money paid to women who alleged sexual encounters with the former president.

    Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network early Saturday that “illegal leaks” from the Manhattan district attorney’s office indicate that “THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK.”

    Trump attorney Susan Necheles explained in a text to CBS News on Saturday that this is speculation from the former president.

    “As President Trump states, his post is based on the media reports. Since this is a political prosecution, the District Attorney’s office has engaged in a practice of leaking everything to the press, rather than communicating with President Trump’s attorneys as would be done in a normal case.”

    Trump did not provide any details on social media about how he knew about the expected arrest. In his postings, he repeated allegations that the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden was stolen and he urged his followers to “PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!” 

    Law enforcement officials in New York have been making security preparations for the possibility that Trump could be indicted.

    There has been no public announcement of any time frame for the grand jury’s secret work in the case, including any potential vote on whether to indict the ex-president.

    Manhattan prosecutors investigating Trump’s alleged “hush money” payment of $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016 recently invited the former president to testify in the probe, a step that commonly comes before an indictment in New York.

    Trump says he did nothing wrong and has cast the investigation as a “witch hunt” by a Democratic prosecutor bent on sabotaging the Republican’s 2024 presidential campaign.

    Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office has apparently been examining whether any state laws were broken in connection with the payments or the way Trump’s company compensated former attorney Michael Cohen for his work to keep the women’s allegations quiet.


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