Trump Claims Michael Cohen Has ‘Fully Recanted’ His Testimony in Hush Money Case

President Trump says that his former attorney, Michael Cohen, has recanted his testimony in the New York hush money trial.Mr. Cohen had been one of Mr. Trump’s closest advisers, but later became a star witness in New York’s hush money case against him, in which the president was convicted on 34 felony counts. In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Mr. Trump wrote, “I am pleased to report that Michael Cohen, the Prosecution’s Star Witness … in the New York State Attorney General and Manhattan DA Witch Hunt Cases brought against me, has just fully RECANTED his testimony. He was ‘pressured’ and ‘coerced’ to say things that were not true.”“I would like to thank Michael for having the Wisdom and Courage to step forward and do the right thing! His Act of Bravery is a Great Credit to the Justice System in New York City and State. I am sure it was not easy for him,” he added. Mr. Trump said he is asking that “any remnant of those politically weaponized cases against me be immediately terminated and dismissed.”During the hush money trial at Manhattan, Mr. Cohen was a key witness as he told prosecutors that he was ordered to pay adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about their encounters ahead of the 2016 election, saying the payments were “all about the campaign.”However, earlier this year, Mr. Cohen wrote in a Substack post that he “felt pressured and coerced to only provide information and testimony that would satisfy the government’s desire to build the cases against and secure a judgment and conviction” against Mr. Trump. The former fixer said he met with prosecutors because he believed his home confinement and supervised release would be shortened. Mr. Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress and tax fraud. Mr. Trump’s post comes days after a federal judge, for a third time, rejected his request to have the hush money case moved to federal courts as he tries to overturn his conviction. The president has argued the prosecution was improper, contending that his actions were official acts taken during his first term. However, the federal judge rejected that argument, finding that “paying hush money to an adult film star or engaging in a cover-up of an embarrassment are not subsumed in presidential immunity.” The president’s attorneys appealed Judge Hellerstein’s ruling. During a recent interview with Mr. Cohen, Mr. Trump said that prosecutors “forced” him to testify against him, saying, “They threatened you with jail, they threatened you with everything if you didn’t go against Trump — and you took it back. I wouldn’t even be talking to you right now if you didn’t, to be honest. You did something very few people have done.”It was unclear whether Mr. Cohen had taken formal steps to recant his testimony. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

Trump Claims Michael Cohen Has ‘Fully Recanted’ His Testimony in Hush Money Case

Trump Claims Michael Cohen Has ‘Fully Recanted’ His Testimony in Hush Money Case

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