In my opinion, Michael Cohen simply keeps getting better. Then Fox News reports that not only has the case against Donald Trump imploded, but things may now Boomerang and turn on Cohen. From Fox News: “CRINGEWORTHY”: Michael Cohen’s testimony can be used against him
Michael Cohen is up live let’s
bring in trial lawyer Mercedes Cen, uh,
Todd blanch is exploring someinteresting ground right then and that is
secret recordings Michael Cohen had
on his phone according to our Carrie
Kupek Cohen has claimed to have hundreds of underground recordings on file.
phone about 40 of them were with
one of them was with the journalists that one of them was with
former president of the United States wedo n’t know what the other ones were but
I’m not entirely sure what he’s trying to say.
these I mean officially speaking if you’re
You’re recording in New York, which is a one party consent state.
somebody who’s in California which is a
The stricter law in a two-party state is the one.
superseding law but likely there’s aan infringement on the law it but
What do you believe the bigger picture is?
these wonderful to be on with you John and
As always, Sandra’s goal is often to give the jury the perspective they deserve.
Michael Cohen is unreliable it’s
jurors find it repulsive despite the fact that they find it unsettling
you’re totally proper if it’s a one- party state there’s no laws that have
despite being broken, it is cringeworthy nonetheless.
jurors to sit it who are trying to
establish his credibility by revealing that he has numerous recordings in which instances it is a one.
party State you know you do n’t have to
disclose it to the participant in the exercise
call that you’re genuinely recording themso it is physically when this comes up
in the cases I’ve handled, it is handled.
something that particularly if it’s at the
You can practically jump off and hold your arms around the opposing side.
over and Glee because this is something
that can be used against the opposing
side Mercedes let me get your reactionto this Cohen um would communicate he
said just then in this courtroom with the other words.
reporters via text signal and another
encrypted apps Cohen chose what kind of communication to use based on the situation.
topic that he was discussing with the
a specific reporter asking if it was a fake.
secret or strange conversation I’d goto one of the encrypted apps to John’s
point and, uh, Carrie was
highlighting a moment ago there were a
He’d record Trump and reporters on his phone in full of 95 full recordings.
Cohen says he understands that it’s never
It is moral for a lawyer to keep their information on file.
client but he noted that there is aquote crime fraud exemption rule blanch
then stated,” Did n’t you just record?”
Trump to show to pecker never the crime
Cohen responds with “yes,” but you asked if there are any exceptions.
any exceptions your response to that
Mercedes properly those that’s a fantastic Q&, A.
think about the two lawyers that are onthat jury they know how incorrect
Typically speaking, the best way to record is to take pictures.
clients without them knowing that
because we are fiduciaries, we are being recorded that is something.
this this hir duty to our clients you
usually not record your actions in general
client if you believe that your client’sabout to commit a crime therefore of course
You may set the attorney client off
privilege therefore you have to notify the
authorities There is a ton of law that discusses that, but the good news is that there is.
about that Q&, A between Todd blanch and
Michael Cohen is the person that it seems to be.
an inconsistency and wherever you havean inconsistency with a witness that you
are slandering their reputation because it exists.
to be highlighted before the jury and
Todd Blanch did exactly that, thus uh, Blanch is trying to paint that picture.
a picture of a guy these who literally
cannot be trusted, and then there is this.
idea very of has he lied on the stand andthere’s a lot of people who believe that
Cohen was lying when he claimed that.
he made the recording of trump to show
Why would David Pecker need to show that to him, I wonder?
people think it was for his personal purposes
and there’s the phone idea, of course.
call with the chief of security KeithSchiller which Cohen said was about
story Daniels but Blanch is then stating
or eliciting from Cohen that it was
about a 14-year-old Prank Caller goes to the potential instruction.
from the judge
uh, if the jury decides Cohen is a bad man.
has lied about anything on the stand
There is a great jury, so they can reject the entire histestimony.
instruction that I use in every one
trial falses, Plum falses, and Anum falses.
fundamentally false in one false ineverything if the jury and this will be
a recommendation that we must consider if we decide.
the judge allows this instruction but
usually speaking, it is permitted if the jury determines that Michael Cohen has an attorney.
lied under oath in this during this
trial they can discount his complete amount
testimony then that’s obviously that isvery Broad and sweeping we’ll have to
see what the juror and the judge do.
decides about that jury instruction in
Particularly if you observe that jury instruction is used in almost all trials
more to come this afternoon Mercedes
Thank you so much, we’ll be back straight away.
everyone I’m Emily compono catch me andmy co- hosts Harris vulner and Kaye mcki
at 12:00 every weekday outnumbered every weekday
p. m. Eastern or set your DVR also do n’t
In case you did n’t notice yesterday’s Alvin Bragg’s case continues to unravel as Michael Cohen implodes on Cross-ExaminationA reverberation says you should quit while you’re ahead. I was going to say Alvin Bragg would have been wise to follow that, but then I realized he was not really” away” in the first place. The “got Trump” case was poorly thought out at the beginning, and it has only underperformed since. But the juiciest parts have been disgraced former Trump attorney Michael Cohen’s implosion on the witness stand. When your cross examination testimony is a big crash and burn ( by the attorney who called you and should be friendly to you ), you can expect a lot of it. Former Federal Prosecutor Katie Cherkasky used the word “annihilation” on Fox News: Original federal prosecutor Katie Cherkasky told Fox News this morning that there will probably be an “annihilation” of Michael Cohen on cross examination when he takes the stand in the Alvin Bragg vs Trump case.
.. pic. A panel of attorneys told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Tuesday that the case against Donald Trump’s ( D) attorney is “territory of doom.” Paul Villarreal ( AKA Vince Manfeld ) ( @AureliusStoic1 ) May 6, 2024. Earlier in the day, Trump’s defense team cross- examined Michael Cohen, one of… https ://t.co/KPb0psk4Vc pic. May 15, 2024Twitter.com/U4xcwNpvU—JPNWMN ( @JPNWMN) We’ve only just begun, and my friends over at TrendingPolitics provided this partial transcript which is delightful to read:” You continued to call President Trump several names on your podcasts and when you’re actually doing CNN interviews, right”? Blanche inquires. ” Correct”, Cohen says. In a Truth Social post in March 2023, President Trump criticized Cohen, and Cohen responded with yet another insult. ” You called him dumba** Donald”? questioned by Bouche. ” Sounds correct”, Cohen confirms. Cohen has been criticized for supposedly monetizing his comments on TikTok, where he has been criticized for allegedly monetizing his comments. Blanche highlighted one statement where Cohen admitted he had “mental excitement about the fact that this trial was starting” and noted a paralegal was monitoring his social media. That did n’t stop you, did it? he asked. Cohen responded,” No, sir,” and later the defense turned to Cohen’s well-known lies under oath, asking if they were in any way different from the ones he took on the witness stand today. ” Was that oath that you took every single time, thus going back to all the depositions, the same oath that you took Monday morning in this courtroom”? Blanche inquires. Cohen responds,” Yes sir.” The phrase” The oath does n’t change, depending on the location, does it”? Blanche inquires. Cohen responds,” No.” ” And each time you met with a federal agent you were told that if you made a false statement that that was a felony, a federal crime, right” Blanche asks. Cohen responds,” Yes sir.” Lies to the U. S. House Intelligence Committee were referenced which eventually led to Cohen’s perjury charges in 2018. There were” a few unique lies,” you say. Blanche inquires. Cohen responds,” That’s correct.” When asked about which lies he told during that previous testimony, Cohen admitted he could n’t remember them all. What was the other lie, exactly? Blanche inquires. ” I do n’t recall. I think those were the two”, Cohen says, referencing a claim that he stopped the Trump Tower Moscow project talks in January 2016. You lied, is that right? Blanche inquires. Cohen responds,” Yes sir.” ” And you lied again when you met with the special counsel on August 7, ( 2018 ), correct”? Blanche inquires. ” Correct”, Cohen says. You claimed that you were willing to bear the guilt for those lies and for lying to Congress. But in fact, you frequently said — and also said this morning, and yet this week — that the reason why you lied was because of your loyalty to President Trump”, Blanche says. Cohen responds,” I worked with a combined defense agreement and we crafted the two-page document in order to stay on message, including Mr. Trump’s attorney at the time,” Cohen says. ” But are you saying you’re accepting responsibility, or blaming the mutual defense agreement”? Blenche followed up. ” Taking responsibility, I read it and I submitted it to the committee”, Cohen said on the stand. Watch for yourself around: Here’s how the AP covered it: On Thursday, the defense attorneys sought to retake control of Michael Cohen’s important testimony that implicated the former president as the prosecutors ‘ hush money case against Donald Trump came to an end. Trump’s attorneys resumed the possible violent cross- examination of Cohen, trying to paint him as bent on destroying his former boss’s reputation and to undermine his credibility, which could determine the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s fate in the case. Cohen is the prosecution’s last witness as they try to prove that Trump lied about his plans to suppress a devastating story that he feared would torpedo his 2016 presidential campaign and then fabricated business records to cover it up. Trump did not look at Cohen as he entered the room, gazing straight forward. Attorneys halted the trial’s proceedings after a slow start, and they had many sidebar exchanges with the judge that were not visible to reporters. The stop- and- start continued as Trump lawyer Todd Blanche resumed his cross- examination by asking Cohen about text messages he exchanged with an investigator for the Manhattan district attorney’s office who collected his cellphones as part of the hush money probe. I’m not sure if there is anyone more believable than Michael Cohen. Do you ever meet Alvin Bragg on tape? Yes, I’ve met with him several times. twitter.com/n2fxm2Zkac— 0HOUR ( @0HOUR) May 16, 2024In fact, I keep saying this, but things are going SO BADLY that if I did n’t know any better, I would think Bragg and Cohen were intentionally sabotaging this case. That’s a big tinfoil hat conspiracy, but I’m not the only one to consider it as the most complicated sting operation previously. Bragg may very well be a gray hat when this tale is over freed from elite capture. ( I believe this to be true about Adams as well. ) How so you wake up reasonable TDS sufferers? The prosecution provides a witness who is a… May 6, 2024The Duchess of Mega MAGA ( @MrsBodington ) In case you missed it, here is more from Yestra: Michael Cohen’s Secret Recording of Trump Backfires Proves His Innocence! If I did n’t know any better, I would almost think Michael Cohen is purposely sabotaging this case against Donald Trump. Either way, the man is actually utterly ignorant and incompetent. Because it’s about getting funny at this point. It also proves that Alvin Bragg, who some of you have dubbed” Fat Alvin,” is also wildly ignorant and ignorant because it seems absurd to think he really wanted to play this tape. This should be evidence submitted by the Defense, but it was submitted by Bragg himself. Check it out: This terrible Cohen tapes his client, Trump, and nothing appears on it. All this tape shows is that Cohen is a sleezball and nothing more. pic. twitter.com/mz1O8qaXwx — Red Trumper ( @Redhead4645 ) May 14, 2024@MichaelCohen212 Michael Cohen’s” Gotcha” tape on# Trump is a DUD proving Trump innocent. It’s all about burying President Trump in that murky courtroom and stumbling over his words. It’s all a mental operation to weaken and demoralize the greatest president … pic. The tape shows that President Trump had no idea what Cohen was even talking about, according to Twitter.com/kuWVf6mk0w ( @texan_maga ) on May 13, 2024. Cohen is the one devising this plan and telling Trump how he’s going to handle things. Trump does n’t seem to understand what Cohen is actually talking about. Talk about a self- imposed injury! I find it hard to believe Bragg did this! Then compare this to what we learned yesterday…. It is claimed that Cohen, in order to pay Stormy Daniels, took out a$ 130, 000 home equity line of credit ( HELOC ) on his house. If I did n’t know any better, all of this evidence continues to support a story where COHEN is the one having the affair with Stormy Daniels and then trying to cover it up, not Trump. That almost perfectly assembles the puzzle pieces, does n’t it? I explain it all right here: BREAKING: Michael Cohen Took Out a Home Equity Line of Credit ( HELOC ) on HIS HOUSE To Pay Stormy Daniels– Makes No Sense! This story ( and” Get Trump Lawfare” ) is getting more and more bizarre every day. It’s about beginning to look as if it were Michael Cohen and no Donald Trump having the affair with Stormy Daniels. In order to pay Stormy Daniels the so-called “hush money,” Michael Cohen recently made the decision to take out a Home Equity Line of Credit ( HELOC ) on his own personal residence. I’ll break down all my thoughts on that down below, but first simply watch this: Wow. We’re supposed to believe a guy who backed his house and kept it hidden from his own wife picture, but it really came out that convicted felon and serial perjurer Michael Cohen took out a home equity line of credit on his house to pay Stormy Daniels. twitter.com/KpOvAaGHUz— johnny maga ( @_johnnymaga ) May 13, 2024More here: WOW!! Michael Cohen, a serial liar, admitted on the witness stand during Donald Trump’s” Hush Money” trial that he financed Stormy Daniels with a home equity loan so that his wife would n’t know. Is Michael Cohen a trustworthy witness for the prosecution? # MichaelCohen… image twitter.com/tOCU36eIvA— Conservative Brief (@ConservBrief ) May 13, 2024Quick summary: Michael Cohen testified that he used a home equity line of credit ( HELOC ) to fund the$ 130, 000 payment to Stormy Daniels. He explained why he chose this method because it allowed him to access the funds without taking a sizable sum from his wife’s combined bank account, which he believed would have prompted questions or concerns from her. The HELOC provided a more polite way to obtain the money, as it was paperless and did not require direct communication with his spouse about the transaction. Cohen’s choice to use a HELOC was influenced by his desire to keep the payment and its purpose a secret from both his wife and the general public. Ok, so now my thoughts…. This makes absolutely no sense. So first of all, it’s not at all clear why Cohen had to make the payment himself and no Trump. Step One is that, and I do n’t believe that has been even remotely explained well enough. That’s pretty weird. Let’s only assume, however, that Cohen must be the one to actually make the payment, not Trump or any of Trump’s employees. Ok, but then why does Cohen have to go take out a HELOC on his house? Since they share a shared checking out space, he claims it’s so his wife would n’t know. Anyone otherwise calling BS on this? But if I want to believe his statement, therefore I have to assume that he and his wife had shared checking accounts, but that the house was only in their name. Actually? Does anyone think that? Of course not! That would be immoral. The wife wanted combined checking accounts but was okay not being on the deed to the house? That is incomprehensible. But if the wife was on the deed to the house, next Cohen’s story falls apart because she would have to sign the paperwork for the HELOC, so it would really become WAY more obvious doing what he did. Additionally, he is keeping the transaction’s details on public record by obtaining a HELOC. That mortgage will be filed with the local county recorder and be open record for all the world to see, even after paid off. You only receive two records when you pay it off: you also see the original mortgage and you only see a release of the mortgage when you pay it down. So Cohen was trying to hide this activity from his wife ( and apparently others ) and chose to create a huge public record of it instead? I’m sorry, but I do n’t agree with it. But that’s not all…. Set off all of those questions, next I want to know why Cohen was doing this in his personal accounts in the first place. I’m offering you as a freebie because we’ll simply assume for a reason that Cohen must pay Cohen rather than Trump or a Trump organization. But why is it Cohen physically? Should n’t it be Cohen’s law practice? Should n’t all of this run through his Trust Account if it were being done ( allegedly ) for a client ( Trump)? Is n’t that kind of excuse for a disbarment to take client funds and mix and match them with your own funds? Folks, NONE of this makes any sense. Michael Cohen claimed to have paid Daniels$ 130,000 using his home equity line of credit ( HELOC), but he claimed he could n’t have taken the money because he and his wife jointly owned it. Follow live: https ://t.co/8AwsVc4CVs pic. The Hill ( @thehill ) May 13, 2024Cohen describes the process for obtaining the funds for the hush money from a home equity line of credit ( HELOC). Once he repaid the loan, Cohen said:” Nobody would be the wiser” .— Adam Klasfeld ( @Klasfeld Reports ) May 13, 2024In actuality, what it’s starting to look like to me and to many other people online is that perhaps COHEN was the one having an affair with Stormy Daniels. Does n’t that fit much better with our facts pattern? Is that what really happened around? Michael Cohen appears to be having an altercation with Stormy Daniels on May 13, 2024. His other statement was made today. Watch here: TRUMP FULL REMARKS– DAY 16″ We’re leading in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Georgia and Nevada”” We had a rally– over 100, 000 people this weekend”” This all comes from Biden because he ca n’t win… he ca n’t put two sentences together” pic. ToNY SERUGA BOMBSHELL: Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen Have Been Confronted To Extort TrumpWow… buckle up for this one!- Twitter.com/WIFCeBMSWY- johnny maga ( @_johnnymaga ) May 13, 2024 Tony Seruga ( not to be confused with Tony Segura, gay rights activist, or Tom Segura, comedian ) just posted some WILD accusations to Twitter. We have never been able to freely verify these accusations, and we are simply reporting what Tony Seruga has claimed on Twitter. For those who do n’t know Seruga, he posts the following in his bio on Twitter, where he has nearly 80, 000 followers: Investor | Board Member | Big Data Pioneer | Intel Ops | CIA/NSA Contractor/ Whistleblower | CRE | Philanthropist | Healthcare M&, A@http ://GreenlawCapital.com Here is a longer bio assembled by Grok: Tony Seruga is a prominent figure in the intelligence community with over 39 years of experience as an intelligence analyst. He has collaborated with a number of well-known clients, including the US government, the English government, the Israeli government, the Royal government, Microsoft, and a number of other well-known individuals. Throughout his career, Seruga has made significant contributions to the field of intelligence analysis. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that his writing has n’t always been controversial. In 2023, he made headlines when he claimed that there would be a terrorist attack on US soil in the following 14 months. This prediction received a lot of criticism and skepticism from different sources. Despite the controversy, Seruga’s expertise and experience in the intelligence community remain very regarded. He is renowned for his commitment to providing his clients with important insights and his dedication to his work. I post that bio to establish this is not just some obscure, no- name Snapchat account making these accusations. Let me try to explain everything because there is a lot at play below. Tony Seruga claims to have previously shared a workplace with Michael Avenatti in Newport Beach. Yes, that would be the shamed porno lawyer that previously represented Stormy Daniels and claimed he would “take down Trump”. We all know how that ended up happening, but Avenatti himself received a 14-year prison sentence on December 5, 2023 ( thank you, Boomerang Effect! ). Seruga posted to Twitter that Avenatti told him in 2018 that it was actually Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels who were having the affair ( not Trump ) and that they conspired together to extort Donald Trump // Trump Organization. Wow! Now read the bombshell report, which I first saw posted by my friend Chuck Callesto: BOMSHELL REPORT: Accusations emerge that Michael Cohen was HAVING AN AFFAIR with Stormy Daniels since 2006 and that the “hush money scheme was cooked up by Michael Cohen to EXTORT THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION before the 2016 election” ..” Avenatti shared details of his client Stormy … pic. According to Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto ), on March 27, 2024, allegations that Michael Cohen had a relationship with Stormy Daniels have surfaced and that the “hush money scheme was orchestrated by Michael Cohen to extort the Trump organization before the 2016 election were made. ” .Avenatti shared details of his client Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, case and the fact that her and Michael Cohen were actually having an affair since 2006. “-Tony SerugaOf course we generally like to go straight to the source,” Seruga asserted in the original post:” I spoke with Michael Avenatti who at one point had an office in the same building as one of my businesses in Newport Beach, California. A few days after his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence, Avenatti’s law firm was evicted from those same offices in Newport Beach… pic. twitter.com/MFnmH4NsER— Tony Seruga (@TonySeruga ) March 27, 2024And follow up here: Understand, Michael Avenatti is a serial liar, but he did speak about his client ( that he would later steal from ) and Michael Cohen’s affair touching on their scheme to bilk the Trump Organization out of money. He addressed it on numerous occasions. He was very passionate… — Tony Seruga (@TonySeruga ) March 27, 2024Here are screenshots of those posts in case they get taken down: Wow, right? Talk about a change in circumstances if it’s accurate! EDITOR’S NOTE: we have not been able to independently verify the claims made by Tony Seruga in the preceding Tweets. The allegations are discussed more in depth by the Vigilant News Network:” New Report Drops a Bombshell on the Full Stormy Daniels Affair With Trump LieThis is a “holy smokes” moment. Whistleblower Tony Seruga claims that Michael Avenatti revealed that Michael Cohen was having an affair with Stormy Daniels since 2006 and cooked up a hush- money … pic. The Vigilant Fox ( @VigilantFox ) on March 28, 2024, tweets .com/V8XqzUGpx1. [[{“value”:”
Michael Cohen is getting better and better (from my perspective). Fox News reports that the case against Donald Trump has collapsed and now things could boomerang to turn on Cohen. Fox News: Michael Cohen’s testimony could be used against him. Watch this: Full transcript: The defense cross-examination. Michael Cohen is back underway let’s
Mercedes Cen, trial attorney
Todd Blanch is exploring some interesting terrain right now.
Michael Cohen’s secret recordings
Carrie explains what he said about his phone
kupek coutn has testified that he kept about a 100 secret recordings on his
About 40 of them were in the phone
One of the journalists was with the
We don’t know who the other two were but
I’m not sure what he is trying to say
If you’re a lawyer, I’m referring to the legal aspect of your situation.
In New York, which is a state with a consent of one party but you are recording
Someone who is in California is called a
In a two-party state, the stricter law is applicable.
There is a possibility that the law could be superseded, so there may be an infringement.
What do you think is the bigger picture?
John, it’s great to have you on the show!
Sandra, as always, it is all about giving the jury a perspective.
Michael Cohen is not trustworthy
Even though cringeworthy to jurors,
You’re right, if the state is a one-party state, there are no laws.
It’s not only cringeworthy, but also broken.
There are jurors who are trying to get them to a verdict.
Determine his credibility that he’s got so many recordings when it is a one
You don’t need to party state
Disclosure to the participant
Call that you are actually recording them to ensure that this is personal when it comes up
In cases that I’ve handled, it is
It’s a good idea to have a look at it, especially if you’re in the
You can put your arms around the opposing side and almost jump.
Glee it down because this is something
This can be used to the opposition’s advantage
I would like to know your opinion about this Cohen um.
Just now, in this courtroom,
Reporters via text message and other
Cohen chose the best communication method based on the situation.
Topic that he discussed with the
Reporter saying if a
If I wanted to have a private or unusual conversation, I would use one of the encrypted apps on John’s device.
What was Carrie?
Highlighting a moment ago, there were a
He recorded Trump and reporters on 95 of his 95 recordings.
Cohen says that he understands it’s not
It is not ethical for an attorney to record their conversations.
He noted that there was a rule for quoting crime fraud exemption blanch
Then said, but didn’t just you record?
Trump shows that pecker is not the crime
Cohen replies that there is a fraud exemption rule. But you asked if I was aware of any.
What are your thoughts on that?
Mercedes well, those is a great question and answer
Think about the two lawyers on that jury. They know how inappropriate they are.
Generally speaking, it is to record the your
Clients are unaware that they are being billed.
We’re fiduciaries, so we have to record it.
This is our duty to you, our clients
You don’t usually record your
If you think that your client is about to commit a criminal act, then you should inform them.
You can put aside the attorney-client relationship
If you want to be notified of the privilege, then you must notify the
There’s a whole law that deals with this but the good thing
Q&A with Todd Blanch
Michael Cohen seems to be the one.
Inconsistency is a problem and you will find it wherever there is an inconsistency between a witness you are dealing with.
It is a serious matter that they are attempting to undermine their credibility
The jury will be able to see the highlights of the work.
Todd Blanch painted exactly what he did.
A picture of a man who literally walked into the camera.
You can’t trust them and then there is this
There are a lot people who believe he lied.
Cohen was not truthful when he claimed that
He made the recording to show trump
David pecker, uh, because why would he have to show that to David Pecker some
People think it’s for his own purposes
Then there’s the idea of the phone
Cohen claimed to have had a conversation with Keith Schiller, the chief of security, about the call.
Blanch is now saying that Daniels has a story but it is not the same.
Cohen’s response that it was a lie
Does this information about a 14 year old Prank Caller go to the possible instruction?
From the Judge
If the jury believes that Cohen
Has lied about anything in court
There is a perfect juror that can discount his entire testimony
Every single time I use this instruction
Anum falses, Plum falses and trial falses
If the jury and it will be, then this is all false.
If we have an instruction, we will need to check if it is correct.
The judge does not allow this instruction.
In general, it is permissible if the jury finds that Michael Cohen has committed a crime.
This is a lie that was told under oath
Trial can be discounted his entire
We’ll need to give a testimony that’s broad and comprehensive.
See what the what the judge
The jury decides on that jury instruction
You will find that jury instructions are used in almost all trials.
More to come this afternoon, Mercedes
We’ll be back soon, thanks!
Emily compono here, my co-hosts are Harris vulner & Kaye mcki
Every weekday at 12 noon, you can watch outnumbered.
Set your DVR to p.m. Eastern time or don’t forget to set it.
Subscribe to Fox News YouTube for daily highlights. And in case you missed it yesterday: Alvin Bragg’s Case Continues to Fall Apart as Michael Cohen Implodes on Cross-Examination There’s an ancient saying that you should quit when you’re ahead. I was going say that Alvin Bragg should have followed that advice, but then I realized that he wasn’t really “ahead”. This “got Trump case” started out ill-conceived, and it’s only gotten worse since it began. The most interesting part of the case was the disgraced Michael Cohen, former Trump attorney’s collapse on the witness stand. If your testimony does not go well on direct examination (by the lawyer who called you and should be friendly towards you), you can expect a crash and burn during cross examination. Former Federal Prosecutor Katie Cherkasky said “annihilation”. She spoke on Fox News. Former federal prosecutor Katie Cherkasky said that Michael Cohen will be “annihilated” when he is cross examined in the Alvin Bragg against Trump case.
. pic.twitter.com/RQSIJYhwXA — Paul Villarreal (AKA Vince Manfeld) (@AureliusStoic1) May 6, 2024 Even CNN’s panel is now saying Alvin Bragg’s case has entered the “territory of doom”: A panel of attorneys told CNN anchor Jake Tapper on Tuesday that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s (D) case against Donald Trump is entering the territory of doom. Earlier in the day, Trump’s defense team cross-examined Michael Cohen, one of… https://t.co/KPb0psk4Vc pic.twitter.com/7U4xcwNpvU — JPNWMN (@JPNWMN) May 15, 2024 Sure enough, the cross exam did not dissappoint! My friends at TrendingPolitics have provided this partial transcript that is delicious to read. “You continue to call President Trump different names on your podcasts, and even when you are doing CNN interviews, right?” Blanche asks. “Correct,” Cohen says. Cohen responded with another insult after President Trump had criticized Cohen’s Truth Social post from March 2023. Blanche asked, “You called him dumba** Donald?” “Sounds correct,” Cohen confirms. Cohen could not resist commenting on the trial in TikTok, where he had been criticized for allegedly monetising his comments. Blanche highlighted a statement in which Cohen admitted to having “mental excitement” about the trial starting and noted that a paralegal monitored his social media. “That didn’t prevent you, did it?” asked Blanche. Cohen replied, “No sir.” Later the defense asked Cohen if his well-known lies were different from the oath he took today. Blanche asks: “Was this oath you took every time, going back to all of the depositions? Was it the same oath you took on Monday morning in the courtroom?” “Yes sir,” Cohen says. Blanche asks, “Does the oath change depending on where you are?” “No,” Cohen says. Blanche asks: “And every time you met a federal agent, you were told if you made false statements that it was a felony or a federal crime. Correct?” “Yes sir,” Cohen says. Cohen referred to his lies to the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, which led to his perjury charges. Blanche asks, “Were there a few different lies?” Cohen confirms, “That’s right.” Cohen admitted that he could not remember all the lies he had told during his previous testimony. Blanche asks, “What was the second lie?” “I don’t recall. Cohen replies, “I think those were two,” referring to a claim he made that he had stopped the Trump Tower Moscow Project talks in January 2016. Blanche asks, “You lied on oath? “Yes sir,” Cohen says. Blanche asks, “And you again lied when you met with special counsel on August 7th, 2018? Correct?” “Correct,” Cohen says. “You said that you accepted responsibility for those lies and for lying to Congress. Blanche says that you have repeatedly stated — and you even said this morning and this week — the reason you lied is because of your loyalty towards President Trump. Cohen replies: “I worked on a joint defence agreement and we crafted a two-page document to stay on message – the message that we all knew Mr. Trump desired, including Mr. Trump’s attorney at the moment.” Blanche asked, “So do you accept responsibility or blame the joint defense agreement?” Cohen testified that he had read the document and submitted it to the committee. Watch it yourself: Here’s what the AP reported: As prosecutors’ hush-money case against Donald Trump nears its conclusion, their star witness Michael Cohen was back on the hot seat as defense lawyers tried to chip away at his crucial testimony implicating former president. Trump’s lawyers resumed the potentially explosive interrogation of Cohen. They tried to portray him as someone who was out to destroy his former boss’s credibility and ruin his reputation. This could determine the fate of the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee in the case. Cohen is the prosecutors’ last witness, at least for the moment. They are trying to prove that Trump planned to suppress a damaging news story he thought would torpedo 2016 presidential campaign. He then falsified records to cover up this story. Trump did not glance at Cohen when he entered the chamber, instead looking straight ahead. The trial started slowly, with attorneys stopping proceedings to have sidebar conversations with Judge out of earshot from reporters. Todd Blanche continued the stop-and-start as he asked Cohen about text messages that he had exchanged with the investigator from the Manhattan district prosecutor’s office, who collected Cohen’s cellphones as part the hush-money probe. It’s hard to imagine someone LESS credible than Cohen: Michael Cohen did you ever meet Alvin Bragg Replies NO Lawyer plays tape Its Cohen on tape Yes I’ve met with Alvin Bragg multiple times Perjury King wont let us down pic.twitter.com/n2fxm2Zkac — 0HOUR (@0HOUR) May 16, 2024 In fact, I keep saying this, but things are going SO BADLY that if I didn’t know any better, I would think Bragg and Cohen were intentionally sabotaging this case. It’s a tinfoil-hat conspiracy, and I’m not alone in thinking that. This could be the most complex sting operation to date. Bragg could very well be a gray hat after this story is over, freed from elite capture. (I think this also about Adams). How do you wake up moderate TDS patients? Each witness the prosecution presents is a… — Mega MAGA Duchess (@MrsBodington), May 6, 2024 If you missed it, this was more from yesteray. Michael Cohen’s secret recording of Trump backfires, proves Trump’s innocence! If I didn’t understand better, I might think that Michael Cohen is deliberately sabotaging the case against Donald Trump. Either the man is truly inept and incompetent, or he’s just a bumbling idiot. It’s almost comical now. It also proves Alvin Bragg, who some of you have called “Fat Alvin”, is also wildly uninept and incompetent. It’s mind-boggling that he actually CHOOSE to PLAY this tape. Bragg submitted this tape, which should have been submitted by the Defense. Look at this stupid Cohen recording his client,Trump. There is nothing on it. This tape proves that Cohen is a sleezball. pic.twitter.com/mz1O8qaXwx — Red Trumper (@Redhead4645) May 14, 2024 @MichaelCohen212 Michael Cohen’s “Gotcha” tape on #Trump is a DUD proving Trump innocent. It’s about trapping Trump in the dingy courtroom and refusing to address him by his title. It’s all a psychological operation to weaken and demoralize the greatest president… pic.twitter.com/kuWVf6mk0w — Salty Texan (@texan_maga) May 13, 2024 Listen to the for yourself right here: So the tape proves that President Trump had no idea what Cohen was even talking about….Cohen is the one devising this plan and telling Trump how he’s going to handle things. Trump seems to be a little confused about what Cohen’s talking about. What a self-inflicted wound! I can’t imagine Bragg playing this! Compare this to yesterday ….it is Cohen who claimed he took out a $130,000 Home Equity Line Of Credit on HIS HOUSE to pay Stormy Daniels. BREAKING Michael Cohen Took Out a HELOC on HIS HOUSE to Pay Stormy Daniels – Makes No Sense All of this evidence would lead me to believe that COHEN was the one who had an affair with Stormy and then tried to cover it up. Not Trump. Doesn’t this fit the puzzle pieces nearly perfectly? Here’s how I explain it: BREAKING! Michael Cohen took out a Home Equity Line of Credit on HIS HOME to pay Stormy Daniels – Doesn’t make sense! This story (and the “Get Trump Lawfare” campaign) continues to get wackier by the day. It’s starting to look like Stormy Daniels was having an affair with Michael Cohen, and not Donald Trump. Michael Cohen took out a Home Equity Line of Credit on HIS OWN PERSONAL HOUSE to pay Stormy Daniels ‘hush money’. Watch this video first. I’ll explain my thoughts about that below. It just came out that convicted felon and serial perjurer Michael Cohen took out a home equity line of credit on his house to pay Stormy Daniels so his wife wouldn’t find out We’re supposed to believe a guy who collateralized his house and hid it from his own wife pic.twitter.com/KpOvAaGHUz — johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) May 13, 2024 More here: WOW!! Michael Cohen, a serial liar, admitted on the witness stand at Donald Trump’s “Hush Money” trial that he had taken out a home-equity loan to pay Stormy so that his wife would not find out. Is Michael Cohen a credible witness for the prosecution?#MichaelCohen… pic.twitter.com/tOCU36eIvA — Conservative Brief (@ConservBrief) May 13, 2024 Quick summary: Michael Cohen testified that he used a home equity line of credit (HELOC) to fund the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels. He explained that this method allowed him to access funds without having to withdraw a large amount from his joint account with his spouse, which he thought would have raised concerns or questions from her. The HELOC was a more discrete way to get the money because it was paperless, and he didn’t have to communicate directly with his wife about the transaction. Cohen’s choice to use a HELOC came from his desire to keep his payment and its purpose secret, not only from wife but also public scrutiny. Now, let’s hear my thoughts …. This makes absolutely NO sense. It’s not clear at all why Cohen was required to pay himself and not Trump. This is Step One. I don’t think it has been explained at all. This is very strange. Let’s assume that Cohen is the one who needs to make the payment physically, not Trump, or any of Trump’s companies. Then why would Cohen need to take out a HELOC against his home? He says it’s to keep his wife from finding out, since they share a checking account. Anyone else calling BS? If I believe his statement, I would have to believe that he had a joint checking account with his wife, but the house is only in his name. Really? Does anyone really believe that? Anyone believe that? This would be absurd. The wife wanted joint accounts but was fine with not being on deed of the house? This is absurd. Cohen’s story would fall apart if the wife had been on the deed of the house. She would have to sign all the paperwork for the HELOC. It would be a lot more obvious if he did what he did. ….also, by taking out a HELOC he makes a public record about the transaction. This mortgage will be filed at the local county recorder, and it will be public record for everyone to see even after being paid off. Even after you pay off the mortgage, the record will not be released. You’ll still see the original mortgage and then, whenever you pay off the mortgage, you’ll see a RELEASE Mortgage. Cohen chose to make a public record instead of hiding this activity from his wife and others. Sorry, I don’t buy it. But that’s …. I don’t want to stop there. I also want to know the reason why Cohen did this in his own personal account. I’m going to give you a freebie and assume that for some reason, Cohen must make the payment rather than Trump or a Trump organisation. Why is it Cohen? Why not Cohen’s firm? If it was (allegedly) being done for a client, Trump, shouldn’t this all be run through his Trust Account? Isn’t it grounds for disbarment if you take client funds and mix them with your own? This is a complete mess. Michael Cohen claimed that he used a home equity line-of-credit (HELOC), explaining that he could not withdraw the money from his bank because it was owned jointly with his spouse. Follow live: https://t.co/8AwsVc4CVs pic.twitter.com/Rsu3V71LYn — The Hill (@thehill) May 13, 2024 Cohen describes the system of obtaining the funds for the hush money from a home equity line of credit (HELOC). Cohen said that once he had repaid the loan: “Nobody will know.” Adam Klasfeld, @KlasfeldReports, May 13, 2024 It’s becoming apparent to me and many others online that COHEN may have been the one who had an affair with Stormy. Doesn’t this fit our facts pattern better? Is this what happened? It’s looking more and more likely that Michael Cohen was the one messing around with Stormy Daniels https://t.co/1Lj2UwP6pQ — johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) May 13, 2024 Our President also spoke out today. Watch here: TRUMP FULL REMARKS–DAY 16 “We’re leading in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Georgia and Nevada” “We had a rally–over 100,000 people this weekend” “This all comes from Biden because he can’t win…he can’t put two sentences together” pic.twitter.com/WIFCeBMSWY — johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) May 13, 2024 RELATED REPORT: TONY SERUGA BOMBSHELL: Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen Had An Affair Since 2006, Conspired To Extort Trump Wow….buckle up for this one! Tony Seruga, not to be confused with Tony Segura (gay rights activist) or Tom Segura (comedian), just posted some WILD allegations to Twitter. I want to make it clear that we have not independently verified these allegations, we are just reporting what Tony Seruga claimed on Twitter. For those who don’t know Seruga, he posts the following in his bio on Twitter, where he has nearly 80,000 followers: Investor | Board Member | Big Data Pioneer | Intel Ops | CIA/NSA Contractor/Whistleblower | CRE | Philanthropist | Healthcare M&A @ http://GreenlawCapital.com Here is a longer bio assembled by Grok: Tony Seruga is a prominent figure in the intelligence community with over 39 years of experience as an intelligence analyst. He has worked for a number of high-profile clients including the United States Government and British Government. He also worked with the Israeli Government, Saudi Arabia Government and Microsoft. Seruga has contributed significantly to the field intelligence analysis throughout his career. It is important to acknowledge, however, that his work was not without controversy. In 2023 he made headlines by claiming that a terrorist attack would occur on US soil within the next 14 months. This prediction was met by criticism and skepticism. Seruga’s intelligence community expertise and experience remain highly respected despite the controversy. He is well-known for his dedication to work and commitment to provide valuable insights to clients. I posted that bio to prove this is not some random Twitter account. There’s a lot going on here, so let me try to explain it all …. Tony Seruga says he shared an office building with Michael Avenatti in Newport Beach. Yes, it’s the disgraced lawyer who once represented Stormy and claimed to “take down Trump”. …. We all know what happened. Avenatti was sentenced to fourteen years in prison by December 5, 2023. (Thanks to the Trump Boomerang Effect!) Seruga tweeted that Avenatti had told him that in 2018, it was Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen who were having an affair (not Trump), and that they conspired to extort Donald Trump and the Trump Organization. Wow! Now read the bombshell report, which I first saw posted by my friend Chuck Callesto: BOMSHELL REPORT: Accusations emerge that Michael Cohen was HAVING AN AFFAIR with Stormy Daniels since 2006 and that the “hush money scheme was cooked up by Michael Cohen to EXTORT THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION before the 2016 election”.. “Avenatti shared details of his client Stormy… pic.twitter.com/9dDCqLg0qc — Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) March 27, 2024 BOMBSHELL REPORT: Accusations emerge that Michael Cohen was HAVING AN AFFAIR with Stormy Daniels since 2006 and that the “hush money scheme was cooked up by Michael Cohen to EXTORT THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION before the 2016 election”.. “Avenatti shared details of his client Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, case and the fact that her and Michael Cohen were actually having an affair since 2006.” -Tony Seruga Of course we always like to go direct to the source so I’ve found the original post by Seruga making this claim: I spoke with Michael Avenatti who at one time had an office in the same building as one of my businesses in Newport Beach, CA (in November 2018, a few days after his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence, Avenatti’s law firm was evicted from those same offices in Newport Beach… pic.twitter.com/MFnmH4NsER — Tony Seruga (@TonySeruga) March 27, 2024 And follow up here: Understand, Michael Avenatti is a serial liar, but he did speak about his client (that he would later steal from) and Michael Cohen’s affair touching on their scheme to bilk the Trump Organization out of money. He talked about it more than once. He was very passionate… — Tony Seruga, (@TonySeruga), March 27, 2024 Here’s a screenshot of those posts just in case they are taken down. Wow! If true, what a dramatic turn of events! Editor’s Note: We have not been able independently to verify the claims made in the Tweets above by Tony Seruga. The Vigilant Network discusses the accusations in greater detail: New Report Drops Bombshell on the Stormy Daniels Affair with Trump Lie This moment is “holy smokes”. Whistleblower Tony Seruga claims that Michael Avenatti revealed that Michael Cohen was having an affair with Stormy Daniels since 2006 and cooked up a hush-money… pic.twitter.com/V8XqzUGpx1 — The Vigilant Fox (@VigilantFox) March 28, 2024
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