The high-stakes legal battle between President Donald Trump and his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen was recently reignited in court this week. Cohen reached a plea deal with the Justice Department on charges of federal financial and campaign finance violations, and he is set to testify in a federal civil fraud trial. This is the most recent in a long line of legal battles between the two men, with Cohen claiming that Trump was involved in multiple fraudulent activities during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The trial marks the latest in a long tug-of-war between Trump and Cohen that has played out in the media for over a year. Cohen is widely believed to have been cooperating with federal prosecutors on numerous investigations related to the President’s connections to Russia and other foreign entities, leading to speculation that he would try and use his leverage to make a plea deal with the government.
However, the recent civil fraud trial has nothing to do with the Russia investigation and instead hinges on the legitimacy of a controversial real estate deal Trump signed in 2015. Cohen alleges that the deal in question was part of a long-standing effort to obstruct justice and defraud the Internal Revenue Service of millions of dollars.
This week, Trump and Cohen squared off in court – the first time the two men had spoken in person since the start of the special counsel’s investigation. Trump argues that Cohen has been lying to prosecutors in order to get a lighter sentence, while Cohen maintains that Trump had knowledge and directed him to commit these illegal activities. What has emerged from the trial is that Cohen and Trump have a long history of working together, and despite the political divide between them, the two men have been seen communicating in private during breaks from the trial.
While the outcome of the trial remains uncertain, it is clear that the legal rifts between Trump and Cohen are on track to deepen. Cohen’s recent plea deal only seems to underscore the potential consequences of his claims and has raised the possibility that Trump could face further legal action once the trial is over. Whatever the ultimate outcome, it is safe to say that this battle is far from over.