- Robert Costello testifies in Donald Trump's hush money case
- Michael Cohen previously testified before the Manhattan grand jury regarding the issue
- Former President Donald Trump faces a potential indictment
Robert Costello, the former legal adviser to Michael D. Cohen, testified to the Manhattan grand jury over former United States President Donald Trump's case regarding hush money payment allegedly made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
The testimony is the last ditch effort to prevent an indictment of the Republican businessman by attacking the credibility of the prosecution's star witness. Cohen is seen as the crucial witness for the Manhattan district attorney's office in its investigation of Trump. He was the Republican businessman's former fixer who had already spent hours before the grand jury testifying.
Bob Costello Testified Before Manhattan Grand Jury
A few years ago, Costello and Cohen had a falling out. Trump's lawyers are banking on the possibility that the former's appearance before the grand jury on Monday would undercut Cohen's prior testimony.
Under New York law, an individual whom prosecutors are expecting to receive an indictment can request a witness to instead appear on their behalf. However, as per the New York Times, the final decision to hear the witness lies with the grand jury responsible for the case.
During an interview after Costello's appearance before the grand jury, he attacked the prosecution, saying that they deliberately withheld evidence from the grand jury regarding the case. He said they were biased and were not after the truth of the matter. He claims that prosecutors "cherry-picked" information from more than 300 emails he sent.
At one point, he waved the packet of emails in front of the jurors, saying that it was what they were missing in the case. Costello's testimony before the grand jury lasted more than two hours, and he said that it turned, at times, hostile. When addressing Cohen's credibility, he said that the prosecution's star witness would not tell the truth even if you "put a gun to his head."
In response, prosecutors summed Cohen in the thought that he could be useful in rebutting Costello's testimony. In a text message, Lanny J. Davis, Cohen's lawyer, said his client was available for more than two hours on that day, but he was no longer needed by that time.
Donald Trump's Alleged Affair with Stormy Daniels
The potential criminal charges against the former president result from an alleged $130,000 hush money payment that Cohen made in 2016 to Daniels. According to Fox News, the money was believed to have kept the adult film star quiet about her alleged affair with the former president that occurred in 2006.
In 2019, federal prosecutors in the US attorney's office for the Southern District of New York stepped back from charing Trump regarding the case. It came despite Cohen implicating the former president as part of a plea deal. Furthermore, the Federal Election Commission, in 2021, tossed its investigation into the matter.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is contemplating whether or not to file criminal charges against the former president. These include falsifying business records after the Republican businessman's company, the Trump Organization, allegedly reimbursed Cohen for the hush money payment to Daniels, said ABC News.
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