Cohen was a key prosecution witness in Trump's trial. Photo: Yuki Iwamura/AP
For a decade, Michael Cohen served as Trump's lawyer and behind-the-scenes fixer, working, in his own words, to cover up his former boss's “dirty dealings.”
But the former Trump henchman went from being an arch-defender to an arch-defender's nemesis when he took the stand as a key witness in the former president's hush-money trial in Manhattan.
It was testimony that was too compelling for the jury to ignore, as Mr. Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts. Cohen facilitated a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, for which he later was jailed, making Trump the first former president to be convicted of a crime.
Guilty on all counts! #TeamCohen pic.twitter.com/7i72keStCP
— Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) May 30, 2024
Cohen welcomed the former president's conviction on Thursday.
“Today is an important day for accountability and the rule of law,” he said in X. “While this has been a difficult journey for me and my family, the truth always matters.”
Donald Trump in Manhattan Criminal Court during jury deliberation Author: Mark Peterson
The bribery trial is not the first time Mr. Cohen has testified against Mr. Trump, as he also testified in his $250 million civil fraud trial last year.
A key figure in the prosecution, he told the court that he worked to increase the estimated value of assets owned by the Trump Organization. Trump was ultimately ordered to pay more than $355 million in fines after a judge ruled that he had lied about his wealth for years.
Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to campaign finance violations over hush money and other charges. including tax evasion and lying to Congress about a Trump business deal.
He served more than a year in prison and testified in court that Mr. Trump “directed him” to commit a crime by paying him to remain silent with clear intent influence the election.
After Mr. Trump's indictment last year, Cohen said his goal in cooperating with prosecutors was to “speak truth to power.”
Copy of a paid check to Michael Cohen Donald Trump is central to the case against the ex-president. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty
During opening statements, Trump's lawyers told jurors that Cohen “cannot be trusted” and that he is “obsessed” with seeing “President Trump go to jail.”
Described as a former “mega fan”. From Trump, Cohen landed a job with the real estate mogul and reality TV star in 2006 after impressing him with his ability to anticipate his needs.
Cohen's career path to becoming the US President's personal lawyer. was far from orthodox.
A native of Long Island, New York, Cohen attended Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, which has since earned a reputation as one of the worst in America.
He worked for a time as a personal injury lawyer, but made his fortune buying and selling taxi medallions in New York's shady taxi badge industry.
He later became the personal lawyer of one of New York's biggest real estate magnates. , he concluded deals for a much larger amount.
Cohen believed that his powers went beyond official affairs. “I'm the guy who stops the leaks. I'm the guy who protects the president and the family. “I’m the guy who would take a bullet for the president,” he told Vanity Fair during Trump’s first year in office.
However, Cohen was said to be resentful that Trump did not offer him a role in the White House.
The pressure on Cohen increased when the FBI raided his home and office and seized hundreds of items related to the investigation into against Trump.
A dispute over who would foot the bill for legal fees and the looming threat of a long prison sentence then paved the way for Cohen to later confront his former boss.
He has since taken a scorched-earth approach, publishing a book called Revenge: How Donald Trump Weaponized the US Department of Justice Against His Critics.
In an interview with The Telegraph in 2022, Cohen hinted that what drives his ongoing hostility toward his former boss.
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“Donald has never taken responsibility for any of his wrongdoing and never will,” he said.< /p>
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