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Michael Cohen finished his testimony to a grand jury that may decide to charge Donald Trump.
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Cohen said Trump ordered him to make illegal ‘hush-money’ payments days before the 2016 election.
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The president’s former “fixer” warned Republicans to “think twice” about supporting Trump.
Michael Cohen finished testifying before the Manhattan grand jury that may indict Donald Trump — and he warned Republicans to “think twice” about supporting the former president.
Cohen is expected to be the last witness to appear before the panel as the Manhattan district attorney’s office appears to move closer to indicting Trump.
Outside the courthouse, Cohen told reporters he hopes the American people “see fit” to call Trump out “for the things that he’s doing, the things that he says.”
“At the end of the day, Donald Trump needs to be held accountable for his dirty deeds, if in fact that’s the way that the facts play out,” Cohen said, adding that the case is about “holding accountability, truth to power, and everything in between.”
He also said he’d “prefer somebody else” over Trump for the GOP 2024 presidential nominee.
When asked what his message to the Republican party is, Cohen said: “Think twice.”
Cohen alleges that Trump approved illegal “hush-money” payments to adult actress Stormy Daniels made just days before the 2016 election. In response, Trump has repeatedly denied the payments, insisting as recently as this week that he “did absolutely nothing wrong.”
Cohen also testified on Monday, telling reporters he felt “a little twisted, to be honest, inside.”
“My goal is to tell the truth. My goal is to allow Alvin Bragg and his team to do what they need to do. I’m just here to answer the questions,” Cohen told reporters on his way inside on Monday.
In 2018, federal prosecutors called the $130,000 payment to Daniels an illegal Trump campaign expense. Now, a New York grand jury is probing if the payment violates New York election and document laws.
If Trump is indicted over the payment, it would make him the first ex-president to face criminal charges.
When reporters asked Cohen if he wanted to see Trump arrested, Cohen disagreed, saying: “You’ve heard me say this many times my goal — this is not revenge, right? What this is is about accountability. I don’t want to see anyone, including Donald Trump indicted, prosecuted, convicted, incarcerated, simply because I fundamentally disagree with them.”
“This is all about accountability,” he said. “He needs to be held accountable for his dirty deeds.”
Read the original article on Business Insider
