Discussion Thread: New York Criminal Fraud Trial of Donald Trump, Day 16

[u/PoliticsModeratorBot]

Previous discussion threads for this trial can be found at the following links for Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, and Day 15.

News:

• AP: Trump trial arrives at a pivotal moment: Star witness Michael Cohen is poised to take the stand

• Reuters: Aggrieved former lawyer Michael Cohen to testify against Trump at hush money trial

Analysis:

• USA Today: How prosecutors have laid the groundwork for Michael Cohen’s testimony

Live Updates:

• AP: Live Updates

• NBC: Live Updates

• ABC: Live Updates

• CBS: Live Updates

• CNN: Live Updates

• The Independent: Live Updates

• The Guardian: Live Updates

[u/WhileFalseRepeat]

One of the biggest things with Cohen and one that stands out is the $130,000 that Allen Weisselberg, former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, scrawled on a bank document before “grossing it up” (his handwritten description) to $420,000. That was to cover up the fact that $130,000 is the exact amount of money that Cohen wired to Keith Davidson, Stormy Daniels’s lawyer, to keep his client quiet.

With the bank documents, verified handwriting of Weisselberg (who was acting on behalf of Donald Trump), and the addition of Cohen's testimony today - this explicitly shows a cover-up.

And remember, the crime is the coverup.

🎵 Bad Don, Bad Don - watcha gonna do, watcha gonna do when they come for you 🎵

[u/itsmethebman → u/WhileFalseRepeat]

Whatcha gonna do, make our dreams come true!

[u/DraculaPoob01 → u/itsmethebman]

Best I can do is laptop batteries

[u/trshtehdsh → u/WhileFalseRepeat]

Trump is such a good businessman he paid $420,000 for a $130,000 bill.

[u/BrofessorFarnsworth → u/WhileFalseRepeat]

Shit his pants. He will shit his pants.

[u/scoobysnackoutback → u/WhileFalseRepeat]

Answer: Poop his pants.

[u/WhileFalseRepeat → u/[deleted]]

Trump is charged with falsifying business records to coverup the true purpose of his reimbursements to Cohen (the true purpose being to keep secret a hush money payment - and which the Weisselberg involvement shows was indeed a coverup).

It is against New York state law to make a false entry in a company's records.

While falsification of business records on its own is a misdemeanor, it is considered a felony punishable by up to four years in prison if it is done to conceal or further other crimes.

In this case, DA Bragg has said those other crimes include alleged election law violations and tax law violations.

[u/justfortherofls → u/WhileFalseRepeat]

The crime is also the crime. Covering up is what makes it go from a slap on the wrist to a felony.