Michael Cohen’s former attorney Robert Costello testified under oath on Wednesday that former President Donald Trump had nothing to do with hush money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels and it was all Cohen’s idea.
Costello, who advised Cohen after he was slapped with federal charges in 2018, detailed to the House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government conversations that took place that year when he claimed Cohen was “suicidal and desperately looking for an escape route” out of his legal problems. Costello made clear he can relay their conversations because Cohen waived the attorney-client privilege.
“I swear to God, I don’t have anything on Donald Trump," Cohen told him at the time.
I advised him that the SDNY thought he had committed crimes and that he might have evidence they could use for a prosecution of President Trump. I explained to Cohen how he was not the target of the investigation but was a bump in the road and that the US Attorney’s office would run over him if it led them to Donald Trump. I explained that if Cohen had truthful information that would implicate Donald Trump, I could get him out of his legal troubles by the end of the week, if he cooperated against Donald Trump. I emphasized that any information Cohen could give would have to be truthful, otherwise it was useless.
I did this numerous times during our first two-hour meeting. Each time Cohen said to me: “I swear to God, Bob, I don’t have anything on Donald Trump.” Cohen must have said this at least ten times because I kept coming back to it from different approaches. [...]
Cohen said that a lawyer for Stormy Daniels approached him and said Daniels was going to allege that she had sex with Donald Trump unless Trump was willing to buy her silence with a non-disclosure agreement. Cohen decided that while he didn’t believe the allegation, he thought the story would be embarrassing for Trump, and especially for Melania, so he decided he would take care of this himself. [...]
Throughout this two-hour interview, Michael Cohen made clear that this payment to Daniels was his own idea, designed to try and get him back into the inner circle of Trump people in Washington. Cohen also said at least twenty times “Guys, I want you to know I will do whatever the f… I have to do; I will never spend one day in jail.” (Costello Testimony)
Costello emphasized that when Cohen had the opportunity to resolve his own legal issues by implicating Trump he didn’t do so because he repeatedly told him he did not have anything “truthful” on him.
But now that Cohen has gone to jail and lost his law license, he is “on a revenge tour,” Costello claimed.
“The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York saw this and acted properly. The Manhattan District Attorney took a different route to become famous and to ‘get’ Trump. Michael Cohen is simply not a credible man,” he said.
📺 MUST WATCH: Michael Cohen’s former attorney, Robert Costello, details the TRUTH about Michael Cohen and the LIES Cohen has promoted against President Trump. pic.twitter.com/nmxMNU7an6
— Weaponization Committee (@Weaponization) May 15, 2024
Michael Cohen’s former lawyer, Robert Costello, just revealed that Cohen has NOTHING on President Trump.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) May 15, 2024
“I swear to God, Bob, I don’t have anything on Donald Trump.” pic.twitter.com/po8A7WWzGj
Former Michael Cohen lawyer Robert Costello reveals that Michael Cohen felt snubbed by not getting a job in the Trump Administration—he wanted to be AG—so he took it upon himself to pay Stormy Daniels to win favor.
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) May 15, 2024
He lied about all of this on the stand. pic.twitter.com/mLMFFUe5ti
Cohen confidant dropped a bombshell on the hill that could blow up the Trump trial. He says Cohen told him he had "nothing" on Donald Trump back in 2018. @JonathanTurley reacts. pic.twitter.com/sCq8rO5O73
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) May 16, 2024
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