NY grand jury investigating Trump will hear from attorney Bob Costello, at Trump's behest: Sources

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: ABC News

The Manhattan grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump over a payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels will hear from an additional witness on Monday, attorney and longtime Trump ally Bob Costello, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. Costello at one point represented Michael Cohen, Trump's former fixer and attorney, who is a key witness for the district attorney’s office since Cohen wrote the $130,000 check to Daniels in the lead-up to the 2016 election.

Prosecutors in New York are looking into whether Trump falsified business records in connection with that money, which was allegedly to keep Daniels from talking about a long-denied affair, sources familiar with the matter previously told ABC News. The district attorney's office informed Trump earlier this month of his right to testify before a grand jury in the probe, a possible signal that prosecutors are moving toward a charging decision.

In New York, potential targets of investigations are, by law, given the chance to appear before the grand jury hearing evidence. Trump has "no plans" to participate in the grand jury investigation, his attorney Joe Tacopina told George Stephanopoulos on ABC's "Good Morning America" last week. However, the Trump legal team did petition to have Costello testify before the grand jury, sources said Sunday.

Cohen, whom Trump has turned on and dismissed as a "fraudster," said Sunday he was asked to make himself available Monday as a rebuttal witness. Reached by ABC News, Costello declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg also declined to comment. News of Costello's pending appearance was first reported by The New York Times.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ny-grand-jury-investigating-trump-hear-attorney-bob/story?id=97974830

[Chainfire]

1. Holding Cohen in reserve because they think that a Trump attorney could possibly lie?

[Novara]

2. So the orange dumpster fire won't appear himself but the DA will allow him to demand ...

... someone else to testify?

[CanonRay]

3. He always hires lawyers to do his dirty work

[ificandream]

15. Hiring, but not paying?

[johnnyfins]

4. They need to drop the hammer on this motherfucker NOW

ENOUGH of his bullshit. Play time is over.

[2live is 2fly]

5. Because tfg just has to deny that he did anything wrong, but he doesn't have

the stones to do it himself. He's too afraid to lie on the record. I think this is going to be lots & lots of excuses, explanations and maybe even some examples of what others have done that were worse (even tho tfg says he didn't do anything wrong)!

[Justice matters.]

16. Yep. Prosecutors never ask questions they don't already know the truthful answers of

and can back them up with factual evidence.

[bluestarone]

6. TFG ALWAYS has somebody else do his talking. (DIRTY WORK)

I so look forward to the day This no good dirty motherfucker is FORCED to testify UNDER OATH! It WILL happen!

[wiggs]

7. It's not likely there's any exculpatory evidence, so will Costello:

...ask for a delay because they've recently uncovered secret evidence that they will bring forward sometime in the future?

...present 'evidence' that the NY prosecutors are paid by Soros?

...threaten grand jury jurors with lawsuits if they indict?

...say that Bragg is a radical reverse racist socialist?

...talk about Hunter Biden?

Whatever it is, it will reflect the same immoral, narcissistic, sociopathic, toddler-esque strategy that has characterized his whole adult life.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. Might say "Let a dozen fiery deaths be upon you from riots if you trigger this."

D'ya think it'll work?

[Walleye]

13. The second one, they will try to smear Alvin Bragg

[Bernardo de La Paz]

8. Nevah hoid of de guy. He got so many lawyers. . . nt

[LetMyPeopleVote]

10. This is one of the attorneys suing Steve Bannon

This will be amusing

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[BumRushDaShow]

11. Costello is apparently also Ghouliani's attorney

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142913072
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217641009

And has been for some time now - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/14/rudy-giuliani-donald-trump-insurance-loyal

[Novara]

12. I doubt anything Costello will say will change Bragg's mind

i mean, Cohen already did time for this crime. It's not a nothingburger, and it's not a he said/he said. Bragg's not just going to decide not to prosecute based on one guy's word - not if he's leaning towards prosecution, and it sure sounds like he is.

[Justice matters.]

17. Lordy, they have tapes...

Cohen secretly recorded, and they probably have other pieces of factual evidence too.

[niyad]

14. Off point, but the first time I glanced at his attorney's name, I read it as "tapioca".