Legal professional Robert Costello testified earlier than the Home Weaponization of the Federal Authorities Subcommittee on Wednesday morning.
Costello, the previous lawyer for Michael Cohen, instructed Congressional members that that Michael Cohen instructed him that he didn’t even consider Stormy Daniels story, and solely paid her off to save lots of Trump and his household embarrassment. This can be a large improvement as a result of it instantly conflicts with what Michael Cohen testified earlier this week earlier than the Alvin Bragg lawfare trial of President Donald Trump in New York Metropolis.
Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL): He didn’t consider the allegation of the Stormy Daniels story, that he thought the story could be embarrassing for Trump and particularly for Melania, so he determined he would deal with it himself.
Legal professional Robert Costello: Completely. That’s opposite to what this man testified to in courtroom in New York yesterday.
Rep. Greg Steube: Properly, what’s not being talked about is your subsequent paragraph, the explanation and his motivation for that. So if you happen to may simply stroll by that for the committee.
Robert Costello: Yeah, clearly, once we began to speak in regards to the NDAs, and that is the very first assembly on the Regency Resort, when, by the best way, Rudy Giuliani was not concerned in representing Donald Trump at the moment. Cohn testified that it was a conspiracy between Giuliani and Costello as of this date. Completely false. In any occasion, he additionally mentioned that he didn’t focus on the Stormy Daniels matter with us, and he definitely did. I particularly requested him as a result of he stored on going again saying, I can’t consider they’re attempting to place me in jail for these NDAs.
So I mentioned, Michael, inform me in regards to the NDA. Inform me about Stormy Daniels. What did you do? He mentioned, I acquired a name from a lawyer representing Stormy Daniels who represented that she was going to testify that Donald Trump had intercourse with Stormy Daniels. Michael Cohen mentioned, I didn’t consider the allegation, however I knew that such an allegation could be terribly embarrassing. He mentioned, It might be embarrassing. He centered on Melania Trump. He mentioned, I didn’t wish to embarrass Melania Trump. He mentioned, That’s I made a decision to deal with this by myself. I went again to that a number of instances.
You probably did this by yourself? “By myself.”
Did Donald Trump have something to do with it? “No.”
Did you get the cash from Donald Trump? “No.”
From any of his organizations? “No.”
From anyone related to Donald Trump? “No”.
The place did you get the cash? “I took out a HELOC mortgage in opposition to my property.”
I mentioned, Why would you do this? He mentioned, “I didn’t need anyone to know the place I acquired this cash.”
I didn’t need Melania to know. I didn’t need my very own spouse to know as a result of she’s in cost, he mentioned, of the Cohen household funds. He mentioned, “If she noticed cash popping out of my account, she’d ask me 100 questions, and I didn’t wish to reply any of them.”
It was clear after speaking to him for a number of days after that, each time we talked on the telephone or in my workplace, that he stored on mentioning the topic that he felt he was betrayed.
Robert Costello additionally told the committee, “I learn Michael Cohen’s testimony from yesterday’s trial in New York on the best way down on the prepare, and nearly each assertion he made about me is one other lie.”
It seems the Michael Cohen might have simply perjured himself once more.
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