Former President Donald Trump appears in criminal court on April 4, 2023 in Manhattan, New York.Foto: Steven Hirsch/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
As the struggle for the White House begins in 2024, former US President Donald Trump is defending himself in the background against the New York grand jury trial.
The bickering over alleged hush money payments from Donald Trump to porn actress Stormy Daniels continues. On Monday, the former president filed documents with the Florida District Court to stop an attempt by Michael Cohen to dismiss Trump’s lawsuit against him. In the lawsuit, Trump accused his former attorney of deliberately spreading falsehoods.
According to the lawsuit, Cohen allegedly used his privileges “to obtain self-interested financial gain at the expense of the plaintiff,” while serving as the ex-president’s legal representative (PDF). Trump accused Cohen of “breaches of fiduciary duty and breaches of contract” in connection with the publication of books and the production of a podcast that were said to be “damaging” to Trump’s reputation. Trump’s lawyers are seeking $500 million in damages.
Trump is suing Cohen
The lawsuit against Cohen, filed in Miami in April this year, could offer a taste of arguments Trump’s defense against allegations that he falsified internal business records to disguise campaign hush-money payments to Daniels, which are sure to play a role. That same month, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg filed charges against Trump. Trump pleaded not guilty and said they were trying to harm him in the 2024 election.
At the time, Cohen’s spokesman, attorney Lanny Davis, told The Associated Press (AP) that Cohen’s lawsuit would not affect prosecutorial cooperation. “Once again, Mr. Trump appears to be using the justice system as a tool to harass and intimidate Michael Cohen,” Davis said. “It appears he is fearful of the potential legal ramifications and is trying to send a message to other potential witnesses who are cooperating with prosecutors against him.”
Cohen’s attorneys argued that Trump’s lawsuit had no legal basis and was merely an attempt to silence a witness. Trump’s attorneys, however, allege that Cohen presented a lack of legal arguments. Trump attorney Alejandro Britto said Monday that his arguments were merely based on news articles with the intention of distorting the court’s view of the plaintiff and this case.
background
Cohen is one of the key witnesses in the case against the former president. He has claimed Trump has him causes Paying porn actress Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about an alleged affair with the ex-president. However, Cohen’s credibility has been questioned by many as he spent three years behind bars on tax evasion charges.
Attorney Robert Costello, who has been at odds with Cohen for years and testified before the New York court, had doubts about the credibility of Cohen’s testimony voiced. “If they want to take action against Donald Trump and have solid evidence, then so be it.”
“But Michael Cohen is a long way from solid evidence,” Costello said. “By the standards of any prosecutor – and I was a former deputy chief of the Criminal Division in the Southern District of New York – I would not have touched a man like Michael Cohen, especially when he’s a convicted perjurer.”
This article originally appeared on theepochtimes.com under the title „Trump Fires Back at Michael Cohen in New Legal Drama“ (German editing nh)
