Trump’s accused by former personal lawyer of manipulating assets
New York, Oct. 24 (EFE) – Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer of ex-President Donald Trump (2017-2021), testified on Tuesday against his former boss in the civil trial for fraud in the Trump Organization in New York, saying that Trump “arbitrarily” decided the value of the organization’s assets.
Cohen, who was the businessman’s right-hand man and, after turning against him, served time for economic crimes, was called as a witness by New York prosecutors on Tuesday for one of the most anticipated sessions since the beginning of the trial.
Trump, along with two of his sons and two Trump Organization executives, is accused of inflating the value of the company’s assets for years in order to obtain favorable terms with banks and insurers.
The judge summarily found them responsible for the charge of ongoing fraud.
According to accredited media in the room, Trump and Cohen did not exchange glances after attacking each other separately at the courthouse doors.
Trump called Cohen a “proven liar” and Cohen bragged about the circumstances of their “meeting.”
“I was asked to increase the total assets based upon a number that he arbitrarily elected,” said the former lawyer, who also incriminated another defendant in the case: the company’s financial chief, Allen Weisselberg, who testified last week.
“My responsibility, along with Allen Weisselberg, was mainly to reverse-engineer the various different asset classes, to increase those assets in order to achieve a number that Mr. Trump had tasked us,” he added.
Cohen also gave an example of Trump’s alleged behavior: “he would look at the total assets and say, ‘I’m actually not worth $4.5 billion. I am really worth more like $6 billion.’” after which He would ask Allen and I to go back to the office and return with the desired goal,” reported NBC channel.
Trump remained silent, but used the loudspeaker of his social networks and his campaign to send messages against his former lawyer, trying to undermine his credibility.
Trump’s inflammatory messages on the Internet have already cost him a $5,000 fine and the threat of jail time in this trial, after the judge admonished him with a “gag order” for publishing a personal attack against his secretary.
In the trial, which is expected to last until December, several charges will be settled, such as falsification of documents; a compensation that the prosecution estimates at 250 million dollars and the veto of his business in New York, the judge has already ordered the suspension of their business licenses. EFE
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