The prosecution's key witness in the hush money trial against Donald Trump, Michael Cohen, has welcomed the guilty verdict against his former boss. Trump's ex-lawyer spoke on Thursday in the online service X of an “important day” for the rule of law. It had been a difficult journey for him and his family, but “the truth is always important.”
Cohen testified in the trial that he had paid hush money with Trump's consent. According to the indictment, he received this money back from the Trump corporation disguised as legal fees.
Trump was accused of covering up the hush money payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election by falsifying business documents. On Thursday, the 77-year-old became the first former US president in history to be convicted of a crime and was found guilty by a jury in New York on all 34 counts. The sentence is to be announced on July 11, and a prison sentence is possible.
Cohen had worked for Trump for ten years and was considered his cleaner, i.e. a specialist in solving particularly tricky problems. During Trump's presidency, however, Cohen came under pressure from investigations and became a bitter enemy of his former boss.
