It has been noted that during the 11th day of the criminal trial in the case N.Y. v. Trump, former Trump campaign and White House communications director has testified that Michael Cohen, who is Trump’s ex-lawyer, would often frustrate campaign staff and do things that were not helpful via Fox News.
On the witness stand, Hicks testified that Cohen “used to like to call himself Mr. Fix It, but it was only because he first broke it.”
It has been noted that Cohen is a central player and is expected to be the star witness for Manhattan District Attorney Bragg’s case against the former president that he falsified business records that were connected to a payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to quiet her claims alleging an illicit affair with Trump in the early 2000s.
Cohen had arranged and made the $130,000 payment to Daniels, whom Trump then paid for what were listed as legal expenses, but which the prosecution alleges were reimbursements for the payments for Daniels.
Trump has denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to the 34 criminal counts.
A lawyer for the prosecution and former high-ranking official in the Justice Department, Michael Colangelo had questioned Hicks — who served as the press secretary for Trump’s 2016 campaign regarding Trump’s reaction to the “Access Hollywood” tape just before the 2016 presidential election, which captured Trump in 2005 making crude comments about women with a television host.
The prosecution has continuously pushed for the tape to be played for the jury. However, Judge Juan Merchan had repeatedly said the video is not admissible evidence and is too prejudicial to be played in the courtroom, though they could refer to the transcript.
The tape, they argued in court filings, “bears directly on defendant’s intent and motive, both at the time that he and his confederates made the Stormy Daniels payoff and later when they sought to conceal that payment.”
“The release of the Access Hollywood Tape caused a panic within the campaign about defendant’s electoral prospects and ultimately served as the catalyst for consummating the Stormy Daniels payoff,” a filing stated.
