Cohen to testify before grand jury next week ahead of potential Trump indictment: report
Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen will testify before a grand jury in Manhattan next week as New York investigators appear to potentially be close to filing an indictment against the former president.
The New York Times reported Friday that people with knowledge of the matter said Cohen will testify as part of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into payments that were made to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election in exchange for her silence about their affair.
Cohen told reporters last week that he expected to be called to testify in the probe “very soon.” He has met with investigators more than a dozen times during the investigation.
Cohen pleaded guilty to multiple charges including campaign finance violations in 2018 for paying $130,000 in campaign funding for Daniels. He was sentenced to a few years in prison but was released early as the COVID-19 pandemic took effect.
Cohen has said former President Trump directed him to make the payment, while Trump has admitted he reimbursed Cohen for the payment but said it was unrelated to the campaign.
Cohen will likely be a major witness in Bragg’s case if prosecutors move forward with an indictment. Trump’s defense would likely attack Cohen’s credibility, as another one of the charges Cohen pleaded guilty to was lying to Congress.
The Times reported that Cohen being scheduled to testify before the grand jury could be a sign that an indictment is coming soon.
Another potential sign came after Trump was invited to testify before the grand jury next week, as an invitation often signals a decision on whether to file an indictment is imminent.
A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office declined to comment to the Times, while Cohen’s attorney, Lanny Davis, said that he is only able to say that they are cooperating with the investigation and that they “appreciate” Bragg and his team’s professionalism.
The Times reported that almost every major figure involved in the situation will have testified before the grand jury once Cohen does next week, except for Daniels herself.