Jurors hear recording of Michael Cohen briefing Trump on plan to buy Karen McDougal’s story
The panel members just got their first chance to hear the recording that Cohen secretly made in September 2016.
Jurors appeared riveted as they listened to the recording, which was made public in July 2018. Some stared down at monitors in front of them in the jury box, following along with a transcript shown on them.
A visibly irritated Trump leaned forward at the defense table, gazing at a transcript on a monitor in front of him as he listened to the recording. Occasionally he turned to his left and said something to his lawyer Todd Blanche.
On the recording, made by Cohen using his iPhone’s Voice Memo app, the ex-lawyer is heard telling Trump: “I need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend, David,” a reference to then -National Enquirer publisher David Pecker. “I’m going to do that right away.”
Cohen then says he’s spoken to then-Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg about “how to set the whole thing up with funding.” Trump then says: “What do we got to pay for this? One-fifty?”
A few moments later, Trump asks “what financing?” Cohen responds, “We’ll have to pay him something.” Trump says: “We’ll pay with cash.” Cohen objects, saying: “No, no, no, no, no.” Trump then says, “Check,” before the recording cuts off.
Prosecutors played the recording while questioning a DA’s office forensic analyst, Douglas Daus, who extracted and studied data from two iPhones Cohen provided to investigators.
