In a significant development in the ongoing criminal trial of Donald Trump, former President Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, is scheduled to testify next week. Cohen is expected to provide testimony related to hush money payments made during the 2016 election campaign. The payments were made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and a model named Karen McDougal in order to silence allegations of extramarital affairs with Trump.
Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 as part of a nondisclosure agreement that required her to stay quiet about her sexual encounter with Trump. Similarly, American Media Inc., the publisher of National Enquirer, paid McDougal $150,000 for her story and agreed not to publish it. These payments were later reimbursed by Trump's company and are at the heart of the criminal charges against him.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records related to these payments. The trial, which began in January 2024, is being held at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse and is being presided over by Judge Juan Merchan.
Cohen's testimony could be crucial for the prosecution as he has already implicated Trump in these payments during his previous testimony before Congress. However, Cohen himself has been sentenced to three years in prison for various crimes including campaign finance violations and lying to Congress.
The trial is entering its final stages with both sides presenting their closing arguments next week. Prosecutors are expected to call several witnesses, including Madeleine Westerhout, a former executive assistant at the White House, and Daniel Dixon, an AT&T compliance analyst who allegedly helped facilitate one of the payments.
Judge Merchan has instructed Cohen to refrain from making any further comments about the case or Trump. The judge did not impose a formal gag order but warned Cohen that any future violations could result in sanctions.
