OMGosh......
Andrew H. Giuliani
@AndrewHGiuliani
Costello through questioning from Bove clarifies that Cohen was actually seeking a “backchannel” to Rudy Giuliani.
Costello breathes heavily now, in what is an obviously frustrated way.
Merchan immediately dismisses the jury.
FIREWORKS!!
Merchan says to Costello if he doesn’t like a ruling, don’t roll his eyes or say Jeez or strike it!
And if you don’t like my ruling, you don’t give me side eyes!
Costello says he understands.
Merchan now asks if he’s staring him down, asking loudly.
Judge and the witness leave the bench to go have what I’m sure is a spirited conversation behind closed doors.
Costello is showing the same level of respect to Merchan that the “Judge” has shown for the criminal code and the concept of blind justice throughout this case: NONE!
We are back in the courtroom, Costello is back on the stand.
Jury coming in now, let’s see how this FIREWORKS display continues…
Bove is now asking Costello about an email where Costello told Cohen that he would not bother Cohen, that he would only talk to him if he heard from him.
Bove questioning Costello about phone records on 5/27/2018, a 90 minute call. Costello says that Cohen and he talked about legal issues on this call.
Costello is asked about Rudy Giuliani again by Bove.
They are back looking at the phone records form 6/7/2018. There are 7 calls, one of which was 46 minutes.
Did Cohen instruct you to contact Rudy Giuliani?
After Costello saw a text message saying that he contacted Rudy, Costello confirms that it refreshes his recollection that Cohen instructed Costello to contact @RudyGiuliani.
Costello says that Cohen was later complaining about what Rudy Giuliani was saying in the press. Didn’t specify what bothered Cohen.
Costello said to Cohen that if he had any complaint, he would pass it on to Rudy Giuliani
Bove: Did you ever pressure Mr. Cohen at all?
Costello: No
Bove: Did Mr Giuliani ever put pressure on you to talk to Mr. Cohen?
Objection, Merchan sustains
Bove: Did Mr. Cohen pay?
Costello: No
Bove asking Costello if he testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee last week. Costello confirms. Bove has no further question.
Now the Soros funded DA’s office will Cross-examine Bob Costello.
More later.....
Andrew H. Giuliani
@AndrewHGiuliani
Soros funded DA now questioning Costello about an email from Jeffrey Citron, one of Costello’s law partners, to Michael Cohen.
ADA is trying to push Costello to say that he wanted to represent Cohen and he pursued him out of desire for high profile cases.
Rudy Giuliani wasn’t involved in representing President Trump at that time.
Soros funded DA’s office says but a few days later Rudy Giuliani was announced to represent President Trump. Costello reiterates but not at the time.
Costello says he did not want Cohen as a client when asked by the ADA if he was motivated to represent a high profile client.
Soros funded DA’s office now asking about the meeting on April 17, 2018 at the Regency Hotel.
There is a back and forth with Costello between who initiated the meeting, Costello’s law partner, Citron, or convicted felon, Michael Cohen.
Costello continues answering from Soros funded DA’s office about April 17th meeting at the Regency. Costello says Cohen was, “suicidal that day, pacing back and forth. He was manic.”
Cohen said to Costello two nights before that he couldn’t handle the pressure and was thinking about jumping off the roof and killing himself.
Soros funded ADA asking Costello about the lawyer Cohen ended up going with. Costello answers Guy Patrillo.
(This is when Cohen “flipped” for the Mueller investigation)
ADA stops questioning. Merchan asks lawyers to approach.
We are breaking for the rest of the day. Merchan is giving the jury their instructions.
The jury has left, Merchan has dismissed Bob Costello from the witness stand. He is exiting stage right.
Costello obviously has mastery of the courtroom and this could affect the jury.
Blanche gets up and makes the case that the case should be DISMISSED.
Mr. Cohen on the stand admitted that the business records were not falsified.
There’s no other evidence that the invoices were mishandled.
Also there is no evidence of any intent of fraud by President Trump with these filings.
Blanche: the idea that there would be any intent of fraud by President Trump, which the President signed in the White House, there is no record that President Trump had any intent of fraud.
Blanche DISMISSAL attempt continues:
Blanche: third, there are no other crimes in relation to this. There’s also no evidence that anyone was thinking about a campaign finance charge when Cohen and Weiselberg met. They met months after the election.
DISMISSAL ATTEMPT CONTINUES:
Blanche: At the end of the day, there is absolutely no evidence that David Pecker, Michael Cohen, President Trump, Dylan Howard or any of the other players that there was any attempt to violate a misdemeanor of state law that they never had any intent to break.
DISMISSAL ATTEMPT CONTINUES:
Blanche: As it relates to Ms. Daniels, AMI wanted nothing to do with it. As it comes to a catch and kill, AMI jumped out of that alleged conspiracy.
There is simply no evidence of any criminal intent and for that reason, this case should be dismissed.
DISMISSAL ATTEMPT CONTINUES:
There is no way that this court can let this verdict go to the jury on Mr. Cohen’s testimony. He lied under oath and he lied to this court.
Blanche now highlighting the October 24, 2016, 8:02pm call and how Cohen changed his testimony.
Merchan clarifies that Trump team wants him to consider that Cohen, as a witness, is so not credible that he takes decision, out of the hands of the jury.
DISMISSAL ATTEMPT CONTINUES:
Blanche said that Cohen irrefutably lied under oath.
Merchan interupts: so you think he irrefutably lied under oath and you think that it’ll fool 12 New Yorkers?
Merchan asks now to hear from the Soros funded DA’s office.
DISMISSAL ATTEMPT CONTINUES:
Matthew Colangelo, the former Biden Justice Department Senior Official pushing back on all points that Blanche, Trump’s attorney made, trying to make the case to (what has been the obviously biased) Judge Merchan, to not dismiss the case.
Blanche back up: False filings on AMI records does not constitute a criminal conspiracy
At the end of the day you have a books and records violation, where you have a legal expense that’s false, allegedly. It’s hard to imagine, how was it supposed to be booked? It was a legal expense.
Now on Cohen: The exacting testimony about particular conversations he had with President Trump, we never saw those. Apparently the people knew he was gonna do that, we were never provided notes on that.
Colangelo gets back up and says they gave hundreds of pages of notes to the defense.
DISMISSAL DECISION COMING…
Merchan said he is going to reserve the decision until tomorrow morning.
We are dismissed, not from the trial, but from the courtroom today until 9:30am tomorrow.