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Michael Cohen, Trump’s only witness Bob Costello had ‘substantial credibility issues’: CNN analyst

Both Michael Cohen, one of prosecutors’ star witnesses in the New York criminal case against former President Trump, and Bob Costello, the presumptive Republican nominee’s only witness, have “substantial credibility issues,” a legal analyst said Tuesday. from CNN.

“I only think I found two witnesses with major credibility problems. Costello, like I just said, and of course, Michael Cohen; whether we believe him or not, the guy has serious credibility problems. Maybe Stormy Daniels, but I didn’t find anything too outrageous in what he said,” said CNN’s Elie Honig. “I think the jury will really focus on Michael Cohen above and beyond everything else.”

Costello, Cohen’s former legal counsel, took the stand Tuesday and testified that Cohen told him “numerous times” that he had nothing against Trump. Trump is on trial in Manhattan after pleading not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records related to alleged hush payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.

Costello was scolded by the judge for mocking one of his rulings during his testimony, which led to the courtroom being temporarily cleared. Honig said Costello might have left a “bad taste in the jury’s mouth” and argued it was a “terrible way to end this” for the defense.

CNN legal analyst Elie Honig said Michael Cohen and Bob Costello had credibility issues on Tuesday. (Screenshot/CNN)

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“Michael Cohen’s testimony is 100 times more important to this case than Bob Costello’s testimony,” Honig added. “We know he lied to everyone. He made a ton of money off of this, and it turns out he stole from the Trump organization. So the question is, can they live with that? Can they live with that based on the other evidence?” “.

After the prosecution dropped its case on Monday, the defense called two witnesses, Costello and paralegal Daniel Sitko, before ending its case the next day. Judge Juan Merchán dismissed the jury until after Memorial Day.

Honig said Costello was not credible because he said the prosecution “contradicted Bob Costello with his own emails.”

Honig had argued on Monday that Cohen, Trump’s former fixer, admitting to stealing from the Trump Organization was actually a “more serious” crime than what Trump is on trial for.

Michael Cohen looking serious

Michael Cohen takes a break during former President Donald Trump’s civil business fraud trial at the New York Supreme Court, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah, File)

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“The fact that he was ever charged with theft is significant because stealing $60,000 through fraud, which would be theft in New York state, is a more serious crime than falsifying business records,” he said.

Cohen said during cross-examination Monday that he stole thousands of dollars from the Trump Organization by exaggerating how much he paid a technology company that provided services for the business.

The admission surprised several media experts at CNN and MSNBC, who were surprised that the revelation did not come to light during prosecutors’ questioning of Cohen.

Donald Trump sits in the courtroom during his hush money trial

Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump sits in the courtroom during his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on May 21, 2024. (Michael M. Santiago/PoolAFP via Getty Images)

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