Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen gives a brief statement to members of the press as he arrives to meet with the Manhattan District Attorney on February 08, 2023 in New York City.
Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images
Michael Cohen, former personal attorney to former President Donald Trump, is set to testify Monday to a grand jury in New York City, setting the stage for a possible indictment of Trump, Cohen’s attorney Lanny Davis said Friday.
Trump by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in connection with a $130,000 hush money payment Cohen made on his behalf to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about her alleged sexual relationship with Trump years earlier prior to the 2016 presidential election is being investigated.
Cohen met for more than seven hours on Friday with his attorney, Davis, along with officials from DA Alvin Bragg’s office.
“Mr. Cohen has met with the Manhattan DA over 20 times, and is impressed by Mr. Bragg’s careful and meticulous approach,” Davis told CNBC.
After that session, Cohen said he would no longer make public statements about the matter. Cohen is scheduled to testify before a grand jury on Monday afternoon.
The day after the meeting, The New York Times reported that Trump had been offered a chance to testify to a grand jury, an offer usually extended to expected targets of criminal trials.
If Trump is charged in the case, he would become the first US president, former or otherwise, to face criminal charges.
Joseph Tacopina, a lawyer for Trump, scoffed at the idea of the former president being charged in an interview with CNBC on Friday.
Tacopina said Trump denied having sex with Daniels. And the attorney said Trump was the target of extortion by Daniels, and decided to pay her to resolve the “nuisance” of his demand for her silence shortly before the election.
Trump is currently seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
