Donald Trump's lawyers challenged his former fixer Michael Cohen over his past lies during sworn testimony, framing the prosecution's witness as a serial liar.
Trump lawyer Todd Blanche spent the better part of the 18th day of the trial working to paint a picture for the 12-member jury of Cohen as a proven liar who pleaded guilty to crimes associated with those lies and used his cooperation as part of those pleas to obtain a shorter prison sentence. Cohen was measured at first, but courtroom reporters noted that he began to get animated under cross-examination on Thursday.
“When you plead guilty to a crime, one of the things you get — one of the benefits you get — is a little time off your sentence … correct?” Blanche asked. Cohen agreed he would get a reduction, to which Blanche replied, “You got that credit even though you lied.” Blanche also challenged Cohen’s past statements that he never asked for nor would have accepted a pardon from Trump, calling that a lie as well.
“At the time it was accurate,” Cohen said, before admitting from the stand that he did explore a pardon from Trump with his lawyers, contrary to what he told Congress in 2017 while under oath.
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