What there is to know
- A lawyer allied with Donald Trump is set to testify before a New York grand jury on Monday, giving the former president an indirect opportunity to argue that he should not face criminal charges over money paid to silence protesters. individuals during his 2016 campaign.
- Robert Costello was asked to appear by the Manhattan district attorney’s office after he said he had information raising questions about the credibility of Michael Cohen, a key witness in the investigation, according to a person familiar with the matter.
- His testimony will come two days after Trump said he expected to face criminal charges and urged his supporters to protest his possible arrest.
NEW YORK — A lawyer allied to Donald Trump is set to testify before a New York grand jury on Monday, giving the former president the opportunity to argue by proxy that he shouldn’t face criminal charges for the money. paid to silence individuals during his 2016 campaign.
Robert Costello was asked to appear by the Manhattan district attorney’s office after he said he had information raising questions about the credibility of Michael Cohen, a key witness in the investigation, according to a person familiar with the matter.
A source familiar with what Costello is prepared to tell the grand jury said the testimony includes calling Cohen a liar and convicted perjurer, as well as notorious embellishment of stories. According to the source, Costello plans to say Cohen wanted to show he could handle the Stormy Daniels situation and believed he would be rewarded in the future for doing so. Costello also planned to tell the grand jury that Cohen told him he was furious with Trump at a meeting in February 2019, and that he blamed Trump for his personal and legal difficulties and wanted him to pay.
Cohen also allegedly told Costello he was suicidal in 2018 amid his own legal troubles, the source said. Each of these expected statements seeks to support the defense’s position that Cohen had a vendetta against Trump and therefore agreed to testify in the Daniels case. For his part, Cohen said he doesn’t have as much ill will toward the former president.
The source said Costello would try to paint a picture of an angry and depressed Cohen seeking revenge.
His testimony will come two days after Trump said he expected to face criminal charges and urged his supporters to protest his possible arrest. In a series of social media posts over the weekend, the Republican former president criticized the New York investigation and directed particularly hostile rhetoric at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat.
It was unclear whether Costello’s testimony had the potential to change the course of a grand jury investigation that appears to be nearing its conclusion.
Costello briefly acted as legal counsel to Cohen after the FBI raided Cohen’s home and apartment in 2018. At the time, Cohen was being investigated for tax evasion and overpayments. he helped orchestrate in 2016 to buy Cohen’s silence. meetings with Trump.
For several months, it was unclear whether Cohen, a lawyer and mediator for the Trump Organization who once said he would “take a bullet” for his boss, would remain loyal to the president.
Cohen ultimately decided to plead guilty to the payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels and model Karen McDougal, which he said were directed by Trump. Since then, he has been a vocal critic of Trump, testifying before Congress and then before the Manhattan grand jury.
Trump, who denied having sex with the two women, criticized Cohen as a liar. Costello broke up with Cohen before pleading guilty, after it became clear he was no longer on Trump’s side.
In the years since, Costello, a veteran New York attorney, has represented Trump allies, including his former political strategist Steve Bannon and his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on Sunday.