Former President Trump’s ex-attorney and “fixer” Michael Cohen said Wednesday he was set to again meet with prosecutors in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
Cohen disclosed during his podcast that the meeting in the office of DA Alvin Bragg would be his 15th appearance before prosecutors amid several investigations.
Cohen last appeared before Bragg’s office on January 17. On January 30, it was reported that Bragg’s office would begin presenting evidence to a grand jury in former President Trump’s role in paying hush money to the adult film actress known as “Stormy Daniels.”
Cohen pleaded guilty in federal court in 2018 for arranging a nondisclosure agreement for which he paid Daniels $130,000, a campaign contribution violation during the 2016 election cycle, since the payment was made in service of the Trump campaign and exceeded the federal limit.
“I do believe Alvin Bragg is serious,” Cohen said on his podcast. “I believe that whatever occurred in the past is the past, and I think he legitimately believes that there is a case to be made against Donald Trump.”
Cohen’s announcement came hours after the release of a book by an ex-prosecutor in the case, Mark Pomerantz. The book criticizes Bragg for not previously pursuing charges. Pomerantz further suggests in the book that Bragg should seek Cohen’s cooperation.
Pomerantz and another prosecutor, Carey Dunne, had resigned at the end of February 2022 as the investigation stalled. The prosecution’s focus had shifted to whether Trump’s businesses manipulated property values for tax and loan benefits.
Trump has long denied the affair with Daniels and has condemned the investigation, accusing prosecutors of committing misconduct. In 2018, when reporters on an Air Force One flight questioned him about the hush money, he replied, “You’ll have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney. You’ll have to ask Michael.”
Trump contradicted himself less than a month later on Twitter, going into detail regarding the payment and referring to it as part of a “non-disclosure agreement…very common among celebrities and people of wealth. In this case it is in full force and effect and will be used in Arbitration for damages” against Daniels.
Trump went on to admit, “The agreement was used to stop the false and extortionist accusations made by her about an affair.”
Cohen has long claimed he made the payment at Trump’s direction. Further, he has made public checks with Trump’s signature on them that he testified before Congress in 2019 were reimbursements for his payments to Daniels.
While campaign finance crimes generally fall under the purview of federal prosecution, legal experts say Bragg could potentially seek charges against Trump for falsifying business records, and possibly connect those records to another crime.
