During his closing argument in Donald Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan on Tuesday, lead defense attorney Todd Blanche hammered at the credibility of the prosecution's star witness, Michael Cohen, the former president's estranged fixer, calling him "the greatest liar of all time." That strategy makes sense given Cohen's role in establishing that Trump "caused" the falsification of the business records at the center of the case. But even if the jury believes Cohen's testimony, it does not prove that Trump falsified those records with the intent of facilitating or concealing "another crime," the justification for charging Trump with 34 felonies rather than 34 misdemeanors.
Cohen, a convicted felon, disbarred lawyer, and admitted liar with a powerful grudge against his former boss, was the only witness who testified that Trump approved a plan to reimburse Cohen for the $130,000 he paid porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election to keep her from talking about her alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump. Trump had designated Cohen as his personal lawyer, and the checks were described as "retainer" payments. But Cohen said Trump knew that characterization was false and went along with the charade after Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg (who did not testify) described it during a meeting at Trump Tower in January 2017.
