Will Todd Blanche’s Perry Mason moment Thurs. during his cross-examination of Michael Cohen torpedo the People’s case against Trump? Here’s some perspective. ...
1/16
1/16
... On Thurs Cohen misremembered a call to Trump bodyguard Schiller on the evening of 10/24/16. He thought he spoke to Trump about Stormy Daniels but, in fact, it appears he probably spoke to Schiller about a 14-year-old prank caller. But ...
/2
/2
... here are other facts the jury knows & will be reminded of either on redirect or closing. That same day, 10/24/16, Cohen exchanged the first in a series of frantic Signal calls with AMI chief David Pecker that continued for 2 days. (Not about a 14-yo prank caller.) ...
/3
/3
... Pecker’s right-hand guy, Dylan Howard, also had a flurry of exchanges with Cohen starting 10/25/16. “We have to coordinate something ... or it could look awfully bad for everyone.” (Doesn’t sound like it’s about a 14-yo prank caller.) ...
/3
/3
... At that time, Cohen testified, he was trying—but failing—to convince Pecker to have AMI pay Stormy Daniels the $130K. Pecker already testified that that was, indeed, the case. ...
/4
/4
... Also during that time—10/23/16 to 10/25/16—Cohen had a series of calls with Trump Org CFO Weisselberg, the last of which took place after biz hours, 7:23pm, on 10/25/16 and lasted 3 min 24 sec. (Not about a 14-yo prank caller.) ...
/5
/5
... The next morning, 10/26/16, Cohen had 2 calls with TRUMP. 1st is at 8:26am (3 min 1 sec) and 2d is at 8:34am (1 min 28 sec). Cohen testified they talked about how Cohen was setting up a vehicle to pay Daniels off. ...
/6
/6
... A half hr later, 9:04am on 10/26/16, Cohen reached out to this woman to get corporate records he needed to open a bank acct for Essential Consultants, a Delaware LLC he’d set up earlier that month to pay Daniels. (Not about a 14-yo prank caller.) ...
/7
/7
... By 10:52am same morning (10/26/16), Cohen has set up the bank acct for Essential Consultants, providing a false description of what it was for. (Doesn’t seem to be about a 14-yo prank caller.) ...
/8
/8
.... At 11:56am same day, 10/26/16, Cohen’s banker seeks confirmation that he wants to withdraw $131K from his home equity line of credit to deposit in his checking acct. (Doesn’t seem to be about a 14-yo prank caller.) ...
/9
/9
... At 1:51pm same day, 10/26/16, Cohen lets Stormy Daniels’ atty Davidson know that the funds are in his checking account, about to be wired. (Doesn’t seem to be about a 14-yo prank caller.) ...
/10
/10
... Early next morning, 10/27/16, Cohen demands & receives assurance from Davidson that Davidson won’t disburse funds to Stormy Daniels till Daniels has signed the Non-Disclosure Agreement. (Not about a 14-yo prank caller.)...
/11
/11
... The wire transfer of $130K from Essential Consultants to Davidson goes out around 10am on 10/27/16. (Not about a 14-yo prank caller.) ...
/12
/12
... The confidential NDA, together with an ultra-confidential side letter identifying the encoded parties, is signed by Daniels 10/28/16. Cohen signs for Trump. (Not about a 14-yo prank caller.) ...
/13
/13
... At 11:48am on 10/28/16, the day the NDA is finally signed, Cohen and TRUMP have a 5 min 16 sec phone call. (No evidence that was about a 14-yo prank caller.) ...
/14
/14
... Finally, here’s the later bank statement showing, again, the wire transfer of 10/27/16, but with Weisselberg’s handwriting in left corner (from ~1/17/17) describing the convoluted way Trump will reimburse Cohen, grossing up the payoff to conceal it as income. ...
/15
/15
... Maybe it’s just me, but I think Blanche’s Perry Mason moment may prove less devastating than many commenters seem to think. For full @lawfare coverage of the trial to date, see below.
/16-end
/16-end
https://x.com/AnnaBower/status/1791962557512646804
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