Michael Cohen coolly admitted Monday stealing $30,000 from the Trump Organization after overstating how much he needed to be repaid for fronting funds to a poll-rigging tech company called Red Finch.
Cohen testified that he handed the CEO of the company $20,000 in cash in a brown paper bag in exchange for services that included rigging 2016 election polls in Donald Trump’s favor.
But when Trump’s chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg asked him during a mid-2017 meeting whether he needed to be reimbursed $50,000 for this, Cohen went along with it — pocketing the difference, he said.
“You did steal from the Trump Organization based on the expected reimbursement from Red Finch, correct?” Trump lawyer Todd Blanche, his voice rising to a high pitch, asked Cohen.
“Yes, sir,” Cohen calmly replied.
Trump broke away from his eyes-closed position during this exchange and popped a mint before appearing to pay close attention to Cohen’s testimony.
“Have you paid back the Trump Organization for the money you stole from them?” Blanche asked later.
“No, sir,” Cohen responded.
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