A New York grand jury investigating Donald Trump for hush cash paid to a porn actress earlier than the 2016 election is predicted to listen to Monday from a witness who may undercut the primary witness towards Trump.
Robert Costello, a lawyer who was as soon as a authorized adviser to Michael Cohen, may undermine Cohen’s credibility. Costello, who additionally has represented Trump legal professional Rudy Giuliani, was tapped by the Trump authorized crew to testify, an individual conversant in the matter instructed USA TODAY. Costello was a authorized adviser to Cohen earlier than that they had a falling out.
Trump has anticipated he could possibly be indicted as early as Tuesday by the Manhattan grand jury. Trump has “no plans” to take part within the grand jury investigation, his legal professional Joe Tacopina instructed George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
However underneath New York regulation, an individual who is predicted to be indicted can request {that a} witness seem on his or her behalf. Mr. Trump’s attorneys have requested that Mr. Costello testify.
Right here’s what we all know concerning the case:
Who’s Michael Cohen?
Cohen is the star witness within the Trump investigation, after being convicted and serving time in jail for crimes together with arranging the $130,000 cost to porn actress Stormy Daniels. The cost was organized to forestall publication of a information story amplifying her declare weeks earlier than the 2016 election that she had intercourse with Trump.
Trump later reimbursed Cohen. The cost may probably be the grounds for a marketing campaign finance violation.
Who’s Robert Costello?
Costello is a Republican lawyer with ties to Trump’s authorized crew. He supplied to function bridge between Cohen and Trump’s crew, in response to The New York Instances. At one level, Costello contacted one in all Trump’s attorneys to ask if the president would possibly pardon Cohen, the paper mentioned.
However the pardon by no means got here, and Cohen by no means formally retained Costello – or paid him, in response to The New York Instances. Cohen later waived their attorney-client privilege, Costello has mentioned.
How does this have an effect on the 2024 presidential marketing campaign?
The legal indictment of a former president can be unprecedented. Authorized consultants akin to Laurence Tribe, a professor emeritus at Harvard Regulation College, mentioned Trump’s looming indictment in New York is uncharted waters.
Trump additionally faces a federal investigation by particular counsel Jack Smith about his position within the Capitol assault on Jan. 6, 2021, and the labeled paperwork discovered at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida. And a Georgia grand jury in Fulton County is investigating his effort to overturn the 2020 election in that state.
However Trump mentioned he’ll proceed to run for president if he’s indicted. His first rally of the 2024 presidential race is scheduled for March 25 in Waco, Texas.
This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: Lawyer may undercut Michael Cohen in NY grand jury probe of Trump