A judge allowed for Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen to introduce one of the former president’s sons as a witness in his case against the Trump Organization, according to his attorneys.
Mr Cohen’s team had asked to use testimony from Donald Trump Jr in his case, as he served as a Trump Organization executive vice president.
“We would like to introduce testimony about what Mr Trump Jr. paid his lawyers in the exact same matters,” said Mr Cohen’s attorney, Hunter Winstead.
Jury selection will begin on 17 July, Mr Winstead told reporters.
“It has taken four years to get to where we are at,” Mr Cohen said. “All I can say is I’m looking forward to the trial because I’m looking forward to accountability.”
Cohen sued the Trump Organization in 2019, as he wants the company to pay his legal fees — a whopping $2.3m — for Mr Cohen’s role as a personal lawyer to the former president during numerous investigations.
These investigations include the criminal case against him over hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels, his role in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, the New York Attorney General investigation into the Trump Organization’s finances, and multiple Congressional investigations into Trump.
The Trump Organization was found guilty of tax fraud in December 2022.
Michael Cohen, former attorney for former US president Donald Trump, arrives at the New York Courthouse in March 2023— (REUTERS)
On Thursday, Trump was handed other bad news: a federal judge ruled he can be deposed in the lawsuit against the Department of Justice by ex-FBI agent Peter Strzok.
“While to the extent the individuals deposed to date recalled the events in question, their testimony did not advance plaintiffs’ theory that the former President was involved in the decision making at issue in this case, the fact remains that the former President himself has publicly boasted of his involvement,” Judge Amy Berman Jackson wrote.
The former president faces a number of ongoing lawsuits — including a $500m suit against Mr Cohen, accusing him of breaching his contract as his personal attorney.
Mr Trump was also indicted on federal charges in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case last month, indicted by New York state for falsifying business records to Stormy Daniels, and indictment decisions in Fulton County, Georgia loom in the election interference case.
He was found liable of sexual abuse in the case brought by former Elle columnist E Jean Carroll. A federal investigation is also looking into the events leading up to the 2020 election, which appear to include Mr Trump’s attempts to cling onto power.
