CNN legal analyst says Michael Cohen's admission to stealing from Trump 'more serious' than former president's alleged crime
CNN legal analyst Elie Honig said Monday that Michael Cohen's admission to stealing from Donald Trump was "more serious" than what Trump is alleged to have done.
Michael Cohen's admission that he stole from the Trump Organization was worse than former President Trump allegedly falsifying business records, CNN legal analyst Elie Honig said Wednesday.
"The fact that he was never charged with larceny is important because stealing $60,000 through fraud, which would be larceny in New York State, is more serious of a crime than falsifying business records," he said.
Cohen said during cross-examination Monday that he stole thousands of dollars from the Trump Organization by overstating how much he paid a tech company that provided services for the business.
Honig criticized the prosecution for glazing over it during their questioning of Cohen.
CNN's Elie Honig said Monday that Michael Cohen's admission that he stole from the Trump Organization was "worse' than the former president allegedly falsifying business records. (Screenshot/CNN)
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"Here’s the direct testimony the way Michael Cohen explained what happened: Michael Cohen explained this whole thing, quote ‘That’s what was owed, and I didn’t feel Mr. Trump deserved the difference.’ That’s a lot different than ‘I stole $60,000 from my boss on the transaction at the heart of this case,'" Honig said.
CNN political commentator Tim Parlatore said the prosecution minimized what Cohen said he did during their initial questioning.
"The fact that it was minimized in that way by the prosecution, I think it presents a very good opportunity and closing for — they knew about this. They minimized it, the prosecutor misled this jury," he said.
Cohen told the court last week in New York's case against the former president that he and former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg calculated a $420,000 repayment to Cohen for his $130,000 payment to former pornography star Stormy Daniels. Cohen's payment to Daniels came ahead of the 2016 election to quiet her claims of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.
Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen departs his home for Manhattan Criminal Court for the trial of former President Donald Trump for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs in New York City, on May 14, 2024. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
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Cohen previously testified that the repayment was "grossed up" to prevent him from taking a tax hit and also included reimbursement for paying tech company Red Finch an alleged $50,000.
Trump's former attorney testified that he withdrew cash over several days to pay Red Finch for its services and that he gave the company CEO $20,000. Cohen admitted he never gave the company the full amount.
Cohen said Monday that he took the $30,000, which was "grossed up" to $60,000, as a form of "self-help" because he was "angry" that his end-of-year bonus was slashed.
Former President Donald Trump headlines a Republican National Committee spring donor retreat, in Palm Beach, Florida on May 4, 2024 (Donald Trump 2024 campaign)
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"To have my bonus cut by 2/3 was very upsetting to say the least," he said.
Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report.