'This is a bomb': Ex-assistant US attorney details 'prosecutorial malpractice' at Trump trial

20 May 2024

Michael Cohen, the one-time personal attorney to Donald Trump, dropped a “bomb” on Monday in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s criminal case against the former president, according to CNN legal analyst Elie Honig.

Trump is on trial in Manhattan on a 34-count indictment related to allegations of falsifying business records to cover up a “hush money” payment to adult film star Stephanie Clifford, aka Stormy Daniels.

During cross examination on Monday, Cohen, a witness for the prosecution, revealed he stole money from the Trump Organization during his time as Trump’s personal attorney.

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“This is a bomb, this is really important,” Honig told CNN’s Jake Tapper and a panel of legal analysts. “This is a bomb dropped in the middle of the prosecution's case. Two reasons: One, Michael Cohen was stealing from Donald Trump. He was lying to people about what he was doing with money. He pocketed at least the $30,000 by lying … this is crushing to the prosecution's credibility because the prosecution did not ask Michael Cohen about this."

“The other reason it's so important is the money that Michael Cohen stole from … by his own admission, was part of the $420,000 that Michael Cohen was reimbursed for Stormy Daniels,” the former assistant U.S. attorney explained.

“So the heart of the prosecution's case is that whole setup where they were going to repay Michael Cohen … to reimburse him for Stormy Daniels,” Honig said. "That was all done … to pay Stormy Daniels. Trump knew it. Trump knew every penny. That's why he's guilty.”

“Now it turns out Trump is getting robbed by his own guy,” he added.

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Later in the segment, Honig unleashed on Bragg, accusing his office of “prosecutorial malpractice” in failing to get ahead of testimony regarding Cohen stealing from Trump.

“I just have to say this is prosecutorial malpractice,” Honig said. “This is a failure by prosecutors to either know this and not raise it with Michael Cohen on his direct or to not know it, which would mean Michael Cohen is lying right now.”

CNN’s Laura Coates interjected, arguing “we don’t know that yet.”

“To call it misconduct is quite a sweeping statement,” Coates said.

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“I didn’t call it misconduct, I called it malpractice,” Honig replied.

“To be clear, I said malpractice, meaning terrible practice,” Honig later added. “Not unethical. that would be misconduct.”

Honig explained:

The crux of the prosecution's case is Donald Trump knew what that $420,000 was for. It was for Stormy Daniels. Michael Cohen read him in on all of it. He was fine with it. It turns out, Michael Cohen was stealing from Donald Trump within that $420,000 and Donald Trump not only didn't know, he certainly never would have agreed to be robbed by Michael Cohen.

Watch the videos below, via CNN, or at this link.

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