Trump's ex-attorney Cohen testifies against him, says 'it's about accountability'

TN Ashok

New York, Oct 25 (IANS) Former US President Donald Trump's ex-attorney Michael Cohen has testified against him saying it was not "Trump vs Cohen but more about his accountability", as more details emerged on his testimony on the New York Fraud trial case that revealed some Trump projects in Russia. 

Cohen told reporters Tuesday he committed crimes such as lying to Congress about a project in Russia at Trump's direction. 

"I did it at the direction of, in concert with and for the benefit of Donald J. Trump," Cohen said. 

He had also pleaded guilty in November 2018 to lying to Congress about a Trump project in Moscow, a leading US media outlet reported on Wednesday. 

He has already testified to Congress about Trump allegedly misstating the value of his real estate even as Trump accused him of being a "proven liar", who was convicted of lying to congress and fraud as an unreliable witness. USA Today reported. 

Trump stared down Cohen as he characterised the former president as a racist, cheat who must be held accountable. He reiterated that he, along with his CFO Weiselberg, now in jail, over-estimated the value of Trump's businesses as he pleased.

The number on the value of family assets were fixed by Trump as he would gesture into the and say $6 billion, totally disproportionate to the then current market value of real estate to obtain lower insurance premia and loans from financial institutions, Michael Cohen, the former personal lawyer whom the US media describes as Donald Trump's fixer, who once said he would take a bullet for the president, testified .

"I was tasked by Trump to increase the total assets, based upon a number that he arbitrarily elected," Cohen said. 

Asked what that number was, Cohen replied: "Whatever number Trump told us to."

Cohen did not see eye to eye with Trump at the court but focused on lawyer Colleen Faherty who was asking him to testify as a valued witness. Trump shook his head emphatically as Cohen testified that Weisselberg indicated he spoke to the former president's children – Donald Jr., Eric and Ivanka – before preparing their father’s financial statements, media reports said .

Trump would summon Cohen and Weisselberg and say: "I'm actually not worth four and a half billion dollars. I'm really worth more of six."

Cohen said he and Weisselberg would then "inflate the value" of Trump properties by pegging them to "comparable" real estate that was actually different -- brand-new developments with higher ceilings, more sweeping views and no rent regulation, for instance, media reports said

Cohen, who once said he would "take a bullet" for Trump, went to prison after arranging his hush money payments for Trump to an adult film actress Stormy Daniels. 

Cohen already testified before Congress in February 2019 that Trump inflated property values to secure loans and insurance premiums. Trump noted as he headed into court that Cohen served prison time after pleading guilty to tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations.

"He's a proven liar," Trump told reporters. "I think you'll see that for yourself."

Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron had earlier ruled Trump committed fraud for years. He valued rent-controlled apartments at Trump Park Avenue, where Cohen lives, at millions of dollars disproportionate to their appraised value as they had the potential to be sold later at market-rent units.

--IANS

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