From "Fixer" to "Sniper"... Koan Reveals 'Secrets' in Trump Trial

Former Trump Personal Lawyer's 'Close Aide'
Relationship Strained Amid Imprisonment and Payments to Silence
"Trump Side Likely to Focus on Undermining Cohen's Credibility"

Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer to ex-President Donald Trump, will appear and testify on the 13th (local time) in the trial regarding the 'hush money' related to a sexual scandal. As a key witness in the trial and the person who paid the hush money, his statements are expected to have a significant impact.

The New York Times reported on the 12th, "The fixer who kept Trump's secrets and managed the crises he caused has turned against him," adding, "This week in Manhattan, the former president's criminal trial will feature him as an important witness revealing some of the secrets he had buried."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Cohen is the person who handed a settlement payment to Stormy Daniels, a former adult film actress who claimed to have had sexual relations with Trump just before the 2016 presidential election. Trump is currently on trial for allegedly paying Daniels $130,000 (about 170 million KRW) through Cohen to prevent her from revealing the affair and then falsifying company records to make it appear as if the payment was for legal consulting fees.

Daniels, who has also been considered a key witness in this case alongside Cohen, appeared in court twice last week and testified that she was invited to dinner at Trump's hotel suite and subsequently had sexual relations with him.

However, Trump's legal team accused Daniels of fabricating falsehoods, pointing out inconsistencies in her detailed accounts. Local media, including the NYT, expect Trump's lawyers to focus on undermining the credibility of Cohen's testimony as well. Cohen has a history of being sentenced to prison for perjury in Congress in 2018 related to Trump's Russia and Trump Tower construction plans, which could be a vulnerability in his testimony.

Cohen was once a loyal aide to Trump, famously stating he would "take a bullet" for him. He was known as a 'fixer' who secretly handled various behind-the-scenes matters related to Trump.

However, their relationship soured after Cohen was indicted by federal prosecutors and served time in prison, and he later turned into a critic of Trump. He published memoirs titled Disroyal in 2020 and Revenge in 2022, focusing on exposing previously unknown misdeeds of the former president. Recently, he even posted a video on TikTok wearing a T-shirt depicting Trump behind bars.

The prosecution maintains that they have no influence over Cohen to restrain him. The NYT also noted, "Since Cohen has already served his sentence related to the hush money case, the prosecution has little leverage over him," and predicted, "Cohen is expected to reveal to the public the 'dirty secrets his boss (Trump) desperately tried to hide.'"