Prosecutors have argued that a lawyer named #RobertCostello was dispatched to keep #MichaelCohen loyal. Costello was the only substantive witness called by the defense, & his appearance was nutso

#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney #MobTactics
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/20/nyregion/trump-hush-money-trial-robert-costello.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb

#Steinglass says that the defense seemed to question the prosecution’s integrity when referring to certain documentary #evidence.

“There’s nothing sinister here, no manipulation,” Steinglass says, explaining that all relevant calls are in evidence. Then he argues that in a defense exhibit showing calls between #MichaelCohen & another lawyer, #RobertCostello, the defense “double counted half the calls.” (prosecution got the witness to admit it on the stand)

#Blanche moves on to #MichaelCohen’s relationship w/ #RobertCostello, a lawyer who Cohen testified had been part of a pressure campaign to keep him from flipping on #Trump in 2018 (& whose testimony was insane)

Blanche argues there is “no doubt” that Costello, who is 1 of only 2 witnesses the defense called, served as Cohen’s atty —the trial presented plenty of doubt about the nature of Cohen & Costello’s relationship.

#Hoffinger, in a brief, final series of questions & answers, again confirms that #RobertCostello was never officially hired as #MichaelCohen’s lawyer. Costello steps down from the witness stand.

Justice #Merchan turns to the #jury & explains the upcoming schedule. Closing arguments will take a day & his instructions to them afterward will take at least an hour.

Court will be adjourned, for jurors, until a week from today.

#Bove continues to ask about #RobertCostello’s meetings w/ #MichaelCohen. Prosecutors have objected a few times, & Justice #Merchan has sustained the objections.

Costello hits on a point that defense lawyers has sought to emphasize: that he was motivated by money.

After one of Costello’s answers is stricken, Costello shakes his head. Merchan wasn’t looking.

Bove’s re-direct ends w/an objection sustained.

“Nothing further,” says Bove.

There are objections, & lawyers confer w/Justice #Merchan who made clear he does not want this testimony by #RobertCostello to turn into a “trial within a trial,” aimed at attacking a witness — #MichaelCohen.

After the sidebar, Costello says he was giving Cohen “options” & waiting for his “instructions”

#Bove: “Did you ever pressure Michael Cohen to do anything?”

Costello: “I did not”

Bove: “Did you ever have control over Michael Cohen?”

Costello: “Clearly not”

#Bove, in his questioning, tries to reargue that #RobertCostello was not concerned about having failed #Trump but rather not being hired, & paid, by #MichaelCohen.

Bove makes it clear that Cohen, in 2018, used the back channel to Trump that he had been provided by Costello, communicating through the lawyer to #RudyGiuliani & presumably, Trump. [yeah, and?]

#Hoffinger’s final question is an accusation: whether #RobertCostello’s testimony to Congress was meant to #intimidate #MichaelCohen as he testified in this trial. Costello asked her to repeat the question & then denied the accusation. “No,” he said. “Ridiculous.”

#Trump atty #Bove, is on redirect. Costello testifies that Cohen said in April 2018 that he would be “eternally grateful” for the help & guidance that Costello had given him in those difficult days.

#RobertCostello answers “no” when asked if he has animosity toward #MichaelCohen . #Hoffinger points out that Costello went to Washington last week to testify before Congress about Cohen, & made aggressive comments about him. Costello says he didn’t know his comments would be reported in the press [seriously?].

#RobertCostello has just denied that, once he began to believe that #MichaelCohen was in turn misleading him, he was angry or upset. He was, he says, “informed.”

Another email from Costello to his law partner shows that in fact, Costello was very angry at Cohen, contradicting his previous answer.

“What should I say to this asshole?” Costello asked his partner. “He is playing with the most powerful man on the planet.”

#RobertCostello seems to be more of a witness for the prosecution — albeit a hostile one —than the defense. The emails couldn’t possibly be viewed in any way other than how prosecutors want jurors to view them: They show Costello misleading #MichaelCohen, saying something to him directly & another thing behind his back.

#RobertCostello has asked several times to offer additional context, & Susan #Hoffinger has made clear she does not want that context, cutting him off & moving to her next question. In doing so, Hoffinger shows that she believes she has the jury on her side after the way Costello treated her & the court yesterday.

#Trump atty, Emil #Bove just insisted there was a “pending question” from Hoffinger when there wasn’t, forcing Justice #Merchan to once again correct him.

#RobertCostello testifies that “sometimes” his emails speak for themselves. Sometimes, the implication is & as he said earlier, they do not.
[ more #mansplaining]

Costello wrote in an email that his mission was to “get Cohen on the right page without giving him the appearance that we are following instructions from Giuliani or the president.”

The jurors are paying close attention, much more so than they did to the end of #MichaelCohen's cross-examination.

#RobertCostello wrote to #MichaelCohen that there had been positive comments about him from the White House & that he had “friends in high places.” Hoffinger gets Costello to say it “definitely referred to President Trump.”

The emails corroborate prosecutors’ story, suggesting that Costello was manipulating Cohen at the direction of #RudyGiuliani & #Trump, while misleading Cohen so that he would not understand what was happening.

#Hoffinger asks #RobertCostello if an email in which he offers to provide a “back channel” between #Trump & #MichaelCohen “speaks for itself” [Costello used the phrase while #mansplaining to her yesterday].

Costello says it does not because there was more context, & offers to provide that context.

“That’s all right,” Hoffinger says, moving on to her next question.

Prosecutors have argued #RobertCostello was part of a pressure campaign on #MichaelCohen in 2018 as Cohen was considering flipping on #Trump after a federal investigation into his #HushMoney payment to #StormyDaniels opened.

Defense tried to muddy that story on cross -examination of Cohen. But by calling Costello, they have given prosecutors opportunity to reinforce the story, & emails shown yesterday & this morning suggest that they have ample evidence to support.

#RobertCostello’s attitude is already *brusque* under cross-examination from #Hoffinger.

Hoffinger asks Costello about his relationship w/ #RudyGiuliani.

Costello confirms that he is close to #Giuliani & has known him for 50 yrs. Costello & his law firm recently sued Giuliani for unpaid legal bills.

Hoffinger reads an email Costello sent to #MichaelCohen in which he described his relationship w/Giuliani as potentially being “very useful to you.”

#SebastianGorka, Trump’s fmr White House *adviser*, walks in w/ a silver case bearing what appears to be a presidential seal.

With his legal team & Secret Service agents in the mix, #Trump’s group numbers more than two dozen. #WitnessIntimidation #JuryTampering

#RobertCostello is on the stand.
Justice Merchan reminds him that he’s under oath.

#Hoffinger, one of the prosecution’s leaders, is expected to continue her cross-examination of Costello.