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(CNN) An investigation into former President Donald Trump’s alleged role in a plot to pay hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels is set to come into further view Monday, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen said in a statement to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Cohen’s former legal adviser, Robert Costello, was set to appear before a grand jury.
The move came after Trump said on Saturday that he expects to be arrested this week in connection with years-old affairs and called on his supporters to protest such a move. , contributing to New York City’s security concerns as law enforcement prepares for a variety of potential scenarios.
Cohen, a key figure in the grand jury investigation, said he was asked to come to the district attorney’s office as a rebuttal witness on Monday.
“Yes, I’ve been told to appear before the attorney’s office tomorrow as a counter-witness,” Cohen told MSNBC on Sunday. “Whether it’s before a grand jury or just being with them for another interview, again, I don’t know,” Cohen said. said.
Cohen admitted to paying Daniels $130,000 just before the 2016 election to keep her from going public about her alleged relationship with Trump. ), when Cohen pleaded guilty to federal indictments, he said he worked with Trump to expedite payments at Trump’s direction.
CNN reported Sunday that Trump’s team has asked the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to seek information from witnesses about Cohen’s credibility. In an unusual move for a grand jury procedure, a source familiar with the matter said Trump’s legal team believes the district attorney is testifying about “optics.”
Costello tries to undermine Cohen’s claims
Costello, who has represented Trump supporters like Steve Bannon and Rudy Giuliani, told CNN he is appearing before a grand jury at the request of Trump’s legal team. contacted both the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and Mr. Trump’s lawyers and provided evidence that contradicted Mr. Cohen’s public statements about the alleged hush payment. Trump’s attorneys asked the attorney’s office to call Costello before the grand jury, the person said.
CNN has reached out to the DA’s office.
Costello told CNN that he handed over hundreds of documents, including more than 300 emails related to Cohen, to the Manhattan District Attorney, contradicting public statements about the hush-money payment that Cohen facilitated. He said he plans to submit evidence to
Costello also says he submitted notes from a meeting with Cohen at the Regency Hotel several years earlier and contemporaneous notes from an interview with a US attorney after Cohen waived his attorney-client privilege.
In a letter to prosecutors obtained by CNN, Trump’s legal team asked Costello to testify before a grand jury about what Cohen had told him. He claims he repeatedly said he was unaware of any criminal activity.
“Given the central role that Cohen’s testimony plays in this grand jury investigation, this testimony, in which Cohen said he was previously unaware of any criminal conduct by President Trump, will be made available to the grand jury to exercise. I believe it is important for its ‘role … as a buffer between the defendant and the government,'” Susan Necheres, who is representing Trump in the Manhattan case, wrote in the letter.
Trump raises stakes in protest calls
The indictment against Trump is historic and the first time a former US president or major presidential candidate has been criminally prosecuted. Trump has an extensive history of civil litigation before and after he took office, but his criminal charges have dramatically escalated his legal troubles as he works to retake the White House. means to
The former president believes his team is agitating his base to anger and that the indictment will help him politically, multiple people briefed on the matter told CNN. .
Publicly, he has taken to social media to try and capitalize on the situation. He didn’t elaborate on why he thought it was, but said his team had not received a notice from prosecutors after the post. He called for action, writing, “Protest and take back our country.”
In a recent post, Trump refrained from calling out protests. Allies told him such comments were useless. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who said it would be “an outrageous abuse of power,” also believes people shouldn’t protest.
“And I don’t think President Trump would believe it if you spoke to him,” the California Republican told reporters on Sunday night.
But Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, predicted “mayhem” in New York if indictments were handed down.
Hubba told CNN’s Paula Reed on Sunday night that “there are (security) concerns, of course.” “If this is what we’re doing in this country, we’d better secure a site….People would be upset.”
She also said, “I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” and said Trump supporters should be “peaceful” while exercising their First Amendment right to protest.
Bragg wrote in an email to staff on Saturday that his office “does not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York City.” We are coordinating with police and the courts to ensure that “specific or credible threats to the office have been fully investigated and that appropriate safeguards have been put in place to ensure that all 1,600 people have a safe working environment.” ,” according to an email first obtained by Politico.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
CNN’s Paula Reid, Kaitlan Collins, Kristen Holmes, Kara Scannell, Devan Cole, Sydney Kashiwagi, Melanie Zanona, and Annie Grayer contributed to this report.
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