Well, we certainly didn’t have Michael Cohen admitting to embezzlement during the Trump hush money trial on any of our bingo cards. But that most certainly happened this morning in court.

As it is, even prior to his admission, the trial hasn’t been going well for Alvin Bragg. Heck, even CNN has admitted as such!

Needless to say, having Cohen admit that he shorted a vendor because Trump didn’t pay him ALL of his bonus was quite the jaw dropper. 

Michael Cohen, the former fixer and personal lawyer for Donald Trump, admitted during cross-examination Monday that he stole from Trump’s company by holding on to money given to him that should have gone to a tech contractor.

“You did steal from the Trump Organization, correct?” Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche asked Cohen at the former president’s criminal hush money trial in New York.

Cohen replied, “Yes, sir.”

Cohen pocketed $30,000 of the $50,000 he received from the Trump Organization and then gave about $20,000 to the tech firm Red Finch, which previously worked for the Trump Organization, he testified in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Cohen said although Red Finch’s owner would have preferred getting the full $50,000 he was owed, he was “placated for the time being,” the former fixer testified.

There should’ve been a multitude of follow-up questions on this. Such as, when was Red Finch compensated for the rest of the bill? Where did THAT money come from? And if those funds were siphoned from somewhere else, did Cohen end up shorting other vendors?

I’d also would’ve asked Cohen bluntly if that was the only time he “helped” himself to funds because he felt he deserved it. 

Of course, the man is still to arrogant to realize that perhaps that year he didn’t get his full bonus because…he DIDN’T EARN it. 

Meanwhile, Cohen also admits he’s planning on making bank off not only the trial but Trump’s conviction. 

“Do you have a financial interest in the outcome of this case?” Trump attorney Todd Blanche asked

“Yes sir,” Michael Cohen said.

As this exchange was happening, Donald Trump turned toward the witness stand, with his arm perched on the back of his chair, looking intently at Cohen.

“Because if President Trump is convicted, that would benefit you personally and financially, right?” Blanche asked.

“No sir,” Cohen said.

Cohen said: “I talk about it on my podcasts, I talk about it on TikTok and they make money and that’s how I was viewing your question. Whether Mr. Trump is ultimately determined innocent or guilty is not going to affect whether I speak about it or not.”

Oh, he just lied like a rug at that point! He is seriously claiming that he doesn’t benefit financially from having a podcast and talking about Trump. That’s a metric ton of horseshit right there. He absolutely benefits from discussing Trump and if the jury can’t see that forest for the trees, I don’t know what to tell you. 

Especially since he’s made serious money already in talking Trump on his podcast. 

Cohen testified that he’s reaped about $4.4 million from his books and podcasts in the last four years.

The convicted felon was sprung from prison in 2020 and freed from home confinement the following year.

Since his release from lockup, he’s made a new career as a vocal Trump critic.

That’s not chump change by any means. 

Michael Cohen just admitted on the witness stand he stole $30,000 from the Trump organization. This is the only actual crime that’s been proven in this show trial so far: pic.twitter.com/jR77lGWhCw

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 20, 2024

And that’s the key right there. Cohen, ALREADY, a convicted felon admits in court that he’s also an embezzler. Did the prosecution know that or were they caught flat-footed as well? If they didn’t know, will he be charged? I highly doubt it as it would further tank their case against Trump.

Yet, for the trial itself, Alvin Bragg and the rest of the prosecution team refuse to tell the court or defense what the actual crime and criminal statute it is that Trump is being charged with. 

…Committing major larceny is not a particularly appealing pitch for taking an office with the power over the purse. Then again, Cohen can claim that Congress cannot possibly corrupt him . . . he was corrupt before he went to Congress.

— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) May 20, 2024

Well, there is that. Especially when you consider Michael Cohen’s credibility has been in the toilet for years. Yet Alvin Bragg somehow believes Cohen will put the nail in Trump’s coffin at the end of this trial. 

This trial is a sham and Cohen admitting to embezzlement over a bonus beef is just icing on the cake at this point. 

UPDATE: Some in the media are making excuses for Cohen’s admission. 

Just incredible… MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell justifies Michael Cohen embezzling money from the Trump Org:

“It didn’t really sound like stealing… It sounded like Cohen doing what he could to rebalance the bonus he thought he deserved.” pic.twitter.com/tyeO4GotbU

— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) May 20, 2024

Uhhh, no Larry. No matter how you define it, Cohen stole the money. Period. Full. Stop.

Feature Photo Credit: Michael Cohen by Donkeyhotey via Flickr, cropped and modified