Cohen’s testimony is another sign the state may be suing the former president for his role in the payout, according to The New York Times, which first reported the news. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, headed by Alvin Bragg, questioned at least seven other people before a grand jury.
Trump’s team has previously said he was a “victim of extortion” in the Daniels case, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s threat to indict the former president is “just plain insane.” Cohen faces a grand jury again on Wednesday to continue his testimony.
Meanwhile, Trump himself has been asked to testify before a New York grand jury next week as part of the investigation. His lawyer, Joe Tacopina, said in a letter released on Monday that the former president “will not be involved in this lawsuit”, which he said “has absolutely no legal value”.
Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal charges and was sentenced to three years in prison, in part related to a $130,000 payment to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. Daniels claimed she had an affair with Trump. The former US president denies it. Cohen claimed Trump was responsible for payments during the 2016 presidential campaign, but the federal case was later dropped. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has launched a separate investigation, which is still ongoing.
