Michael Cohen testimony: Trump promised payments in Oval Office meeting

"He asked me if I was okay, he asked me if I needed money," Cohen said

By Marina Villeneuve

Staff Reporter

Published May 14, 2024 11:44AM (EDT)

Former President Donald Trump in the Oval Office (Oliver Contreras-Pool/Getty Images)
Former President Donald Trump in the Oval Office (Oliver Contreras-Pool/Getty Images)

Former Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen said Tuesday the former president promised he would get a check during a February 2017 meeting in the Oval Office.

"I was sitting with President Trump and he asked me if I was okay, he asked me if I needed money," Cohen said during his testimony. "And I said: 'No, I'm okay.' He said 'okay.'"

Cohen then said that Trump told him he would receive a check for January and February.

Cohen also told him to "deal with Allen" — referring to former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg.

The prosecution's case hinges on whether Trump schemed to silence salacious stories with hush-money payments made by Cohen, and then reimburse Cohen

Jurors saw an October 2016 bank statement from Michael Cohen’s LLC that showed a $130,000 payment to adult film star and director Stormy Daniels’ lawyer Keith Davidson’s PLC.

Prosecutors also displayed handwritten notes that they allege show Weisselberg's calculations to reimburse Cohen with monthly $35,000 payments over the course of 2017.

Former Trump Organization controller Jeff McConney testified that Weisselberg told him the payments should be “grossed up” to help cover Cohen’s state, federal and city taxes.


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