Michael Cohen’s Fmr. Attorney: He Didn’t Actually Believe the Stormy Daniels Allegation

STEUBE Through further cross ░░░░░░░░ Cohen told me that ░░░░░░░░ knew there was money ░░░░░░░░ from the Trump inauguration ░░░░░░░░ Yes I see where ░░░░░░░░ re now Thank you ░░░░░░░░ OK And then on ░░░░░░░░ next page into that ░░░░░░░░ paragraph Cohen decided that ░░░░░░░░ he didn t believe ░░░░░░░░ allegation of the Stormy ░░░░░░░░ story that he thought ░░░░░░░░ story would be embarrassing ░░░░░░░░ Trump and especially for ░░░░░░░░ so he decided he ░░░░░░░░ take care of it ░░░░░░░░ COSTELLO Absolutely And that ░░░░░░░░ contrary to what this ░░░░░░░░ testified to in court ░░░░░░░░ New York yesterday STEUBE ░░░░░░░░ what s not being ░░░░░░░░ about is your next ░░░░░░░░ like the reason and ░░░░░░░░ motivation for that So ░░░░░░░░ you could just kind ░░░░░░░░ walk through that for ░░░░░░░░ committee COSTELLO Yeah Obviously ░░░░░░░░ we started to talk ░░░░░░░░ the NDAs and this ░░░░░░░░ the very first meeting ░░░░░░░░ the Regency Hotel when ░░░░░░░░ the way Rudy Giuliani ░░░░░░░░ not involved in representing ░░░░░░░░ Trump at that time ░░░░░░░░ testified that it was ░░░░░░░░ conspiracy between Giuliani and ░░░░░░░░ as of this date ░░░░░░░░ false In any event ░░░░░░░░ also said that he ░░░░░░░░ t discuss the Stormy ░░░░░░░░ matter with us And ░░░░░░░░ certainly did I specifically ░░░░░░░░ him because he kept ░░░░░░░░ going back saying I ░░░░░░░░ t believe they re ░░░░░░░░ to put me in ░░░░░░░░ for these NDAs So ░░░░░░░░ said Michael tell me ░░░░░░░░ the NDA Tell me ░░░░░░░░ Stormy Daniels What did ░░░░░░░░ do He said I ░░░░░░░░ a call from from ░░░░░░░░ lawyer representing Stormy Daniels ░░░░░░░░ represented that she was ░░░░░░░░ to testify that Donald ░░░░░░░░ had sex with Stormy ░░░░░░░░ Michael Cohen said I ░░░░░░░░ t believe the allegation ░░░░░░░░ I knew that such ░░░░░░░░ allegation would be terribly ░░░░░░░░ He said it would ░░░░░░░░ embarrassing He focused on ░░░░░░░░ Trump He said I ░░░░░░░░ t want to embarrass ░░░░░░░░ Trump He said That ░░░░░░░░ why I decided to ░░░░░░░░ care of this on ░░░░░░░░ own STEUBE Right COSTELLO ░░░░░░░░ went back to that ░░░░░░░░ times You did this ░░░░░░░░ your own On my ░░░░░░░░ Did Donald Trump have ░░░░░░░░ to do with it ░░░░░░░░ Did you get the ░░░░░░░░ from Donald Trump No ░░░░░░░░ any of his organizations ░░░░░░░░ From anybody connected to ░░░░░░░░ Trump No Where did ░░░░░░░░ get the money I ░░░░░░░░ out a HELOC loan ░░░░░░░░ my property I said ░░░░░░░░ would you do that ░░░░░░░░ said I didn t ░░░░░░░░ anybody to know where ░░░░░░░░ got this money I ░░░░░░░░ t want Melania to ░░░░░░░░ I didn t want ░░░░░░░░ own wife to know ░░░░░░░░ she s in charge ░░░░░░░░ said of the Cohen ░░░░░░░░ finances He said if ░░░░░░░░ saw a money coming ░░░░░░░░ of my account she ░░░░░░░░ aske me 100 questions ░░░░░░░░ I didn t want ░░░░░░░░ answer any of them ░░░░░░░░ was clear after talking ░░░░░░░░ him for several days ░░░░░░░░ that whenever we talked ░░░░░░░░ the phone or in ░░░░░░░░ office that he kept ░░░░░░░░ bringing up the subject ░░░░░░░░ he felt he was ░░░░░░░░ by not being brought ░░░░░░░░ to Washington D C ░░░░░░░░ guy thought he said ░░░░░░░░ me that he should ░░░░░░░░ been attorney general of ░░░░░░░░ United States or at ░░░░░░░░ the chief assistant to ░░░░░░░░ president Ludicrous But that ░░░░░░░░ what he thought And ░░░░░░░░ was very angry about ░░░░░░░░ He wanted to do ░░░░░░░░ to put himself back ░░░░░░░░ the inner circle of ░░░░░░░░ Trump That s why ░░░░░░░░ took care of this ░░░░░░░░ his own There had ░░░░░░░░ be a motivation Michael ░░░░░░░░ is always working for ░░░░░░░░ that benefit himself And ░░░░░░░░ s what he was ░░░░░░░░ here That s completely ░░░░░░░░ to what he said ░░░░░░░░ he told the grand ░░░░░░░░ That s completely different ░░░░░░░░ what he s testifying ░░░░░░░░ in New York Nobody ░░░░░░░░ heard this side of ░░░░░░░░ equation.”
STEUBE: “Right.”