Robert Costello, a former federal prosecutor and advisor to Michael Cohen, testified before the House Weaponization Committee and the Manhattan District Attorney's grand jury.
Fox News reported that Costello revealed that Cohen initially claimed former President Donald Trump had no involvement in the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. Costello's testimony starkly contrasts Cohen's recent statements during Trump's criminal trial.
Costello testified that Cohen waived attorney-client privilege and his duty of loyalty.
This waiver allowed Costello to share details of their conversations with the grand jury in March 2023. Costello's testimony came just weeks before Trump was indicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records, to which Trump pleaded not guilty.
In 2018, after Cohen faced federal charges, Costello advised him on how to navigate his legal troubles.
According to Costello, Cohen was desperate and even considered suicide. Costello suggested that cooperating with prosecutors could resolve Cohen's issues quickly if he had truthful information about Trump.
Costello emphasized that Cohen repeatedly denied having any incriminating evidence against Trump. "I swear to God, Bob, I don’t have anything on Donald Trump," Cohen reportedly told Costello multiple times. Despite the pressure, Cohen maintained that he had nothing to offer that could implicate Trump.
Costello's testimony detailed Cohen's actions related to the hush money payment. Cohen admitted he took care of the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels himself.
He arranged the payment using a home equity line of credit (HELOC) loan to keep the source of the money private and avoid embarrassing Trump and his wife, Melania.
Cohen hoped that handling the payment discreetly would help him secure a high-ranking position in the Trump administration. He later testified that he was reimbursed $420,000 by the Trump Organization, which included grossing up the payments as suggested by Allen Weisselberg.
However, Cohen did not inform Costello that Trump knew of the reimbursements, citing loyalty and fear of information leaking to Rudy Giuliani and Trump.
Costello portrayed Cohen as someone who was initially adamant about not having any damaging information on Trump but later changed his narrative. "Now, after going to jail, Michael Cohen is on a revenge tour because he blames Donald Trump for the loss of his law license and the fact that he did go to jail," Costello stated.
Costello described Cohen as a "serial liar" who tells the truth only when it benefits him. He criticized the Manhattan District Attorney's decision to pursue Trump, contrasting it with the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York's approach, which he deemed proper.
Cohen responded to Costello's testimony by calling him a "serial liar" and a "bestselling fiction author" if his comments were any more fantastical.
Cohen maintained that the payment to Stormy Daniels was made at Trump's direction and for his benefit. "Truth is truth, and the documents in the possession of the DANY demonstrate this," Cohen stated.
Cohen continues to testify in Trump's criminal trial, presided over by Judge Juan Merchan. His recent statements directly contradict his earlier claims, as reported by Costello. The evolving narrative has added complexity to the ongoing legal proceedings against Trump.
Robert Costello's testimony highlighted a significant shift in Michael Cohen's statements regarding Trump's involvement in the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. Initially, Cohen claimed he handled the payment independently to avoid embarrassing Trump. However, during Trump's criminal trial, Cohen asserted that the payment was made at Trump's direction. This evolving narrative underscores the ongoing legal challenges faced by Trump and the varying accounts of key individuals involved in the case.
