Posted on 05/20/2024 3:53:11 PM PDT by bitt
An attorney who once represented Michael Cohen testified Monday that Donald Trump’s fixer-turned-foe had told him the ex-president “knew nothing” about the hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels — moments before irking the judge by rolling his eyes and muttering on the stand.
Robert “Bob” Costello, the second witness called by Trump’s lawyers at his Manhattan criminal trial, contradicted previous testimony by Cohen that the real estate mogul was aware of the deal to pay Daniels $130,000 to silence her story about having a tryst with him.
“Michael Cohen said numerous times that President Trump knew nothing about those payments, that he did this on his own, and he repeated that numerous times,” claimed Costello, a Trump ally who last week bashed the prosecution’s case in front of Congress.
Cohen also whined to him that “I don’t understand why they’re trying to put me in jail” over nondisclosure agreements, such as the one struck with Daniels, Costello, a former federal prosecutor in New York, added from the stand.
Tensions flared minutes later after Costello grew visibly peeved — muttering under his breath — after Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan sustained several objections from prosecutors to his testimony.
“Jeez,” he exclaimed at one point.
“I’m sorry?” the annoyed judge asked Costello twice.
It came after Trump attorney Emil Bove tried asking Costello about a conversation he had with Cohen around April 19 or 20 of 2018, and Costello said he couldn’t remember off the top of his head.
Prosecutors objected to the question, and Justice Merchan sustained the objection — which irked Costello and prompted the outburst.
The judge then excused the jury to lecture Costello about “proper decorum” inside his courtroom, telling him that if he doesn’t like a ruling, “you don’t say jeez.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Much like E Jean’s judge, Pablo is preventing Trump from putting on a defense. Obama doesn’t like it when his judges can’t get it done.
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