Cohen says he's been called to stand-by as rebuttal witness in Manhattan DA investigation.....

[riversedge]

Cohen says he does not know what the rebuttal is about.




Cohen says he’s been called to stand-by as rebuttal witness in Manhattan DA investigation https://msnbc.com/weekends-with-alex-witt/watch/manhattan-da-will-have-cohen-stand-by-as-rebuttal-witness-165673029550 via @msnbc

Link to tweet

?s=20



Cohen says he’s been called to stand-by as rebuttal witness in Manhattan DA investigation



Michael Cohen, the former lawyer of former president Donald Trump, confirmed he has been called to stand by as a rebuttal witness in the Manhattan District Attorney's investigation of a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Cohen said he will return to the DA’s office on Monday.


March 19, 2023

[C_U_L8R]

1. Sounds like someone didn't tell the truth

Cohen or somebody else. Stories not matching up?

[lapucelle]

2. To rebut Robert J. Costello...

Trump Grand Jury Could Hear From Critic of Prosecution’s Star Witness
The grand jury considering the hush-money case against Mr. Trump might hear the testimony of lawyer Robert J. Costello, a critic of the ex-president’s fixer.

A Manhattan grand jury that is expected to vote soon on whether to indict Donald J. Trump may hear testimony Monday attacking the prosecution’s star witness, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The testimony would come from a lawyer, Robert J. Costello, who would appear at the request of Mr. Trump’s lawyers, the people said. Mr. Costello was once a legal adviser to Michael D. Cohen, Mr. Trump’s former fixer, who has been a key witness for the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

Mr. Costello and Mr. Cohen had a falling out, and Mr. Costello would appear solely to undermine Mr. Cohen’s credibility, the people said.

Under New York law, a person who is expected to be indicted can request that a witness appear on his or her behalf. Mr. Trump’s lawyers have asked that Mr. Costello testify, but the final decision rests with the grand jury; it is unclear whether they have made a decision. The grand jury has been hearing evidence about the former president’s involvement in a hush money payment to a porn star.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/19/nyregion/trump-indictment-costello-cohen.html

[asiliveandbreathe]

3. Is this atty R Costello who represents Bannon in the We Build The Wall suit??

Costello has a long history representing Trump associates in investigations circling around the former president.

Though his name was redacted, Costello figured in former special counsel Robert Mueller’s report as the attorney who told Michael Cohen that he had “friends in high places” after the FBI raided his home in 2018. Costello, whom Mueller described as a “backchannel” to Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani, told a reporter that by “friends in high places,” he meant Trump.

Costello’s latest motion that his attorney-client relationship with Bannon has been similarly longstanding, writing that he’s represented Bannon “on a number of different matters for the past three years.”

https://lawandcrime.com/jan-6-committee/steve-bannons-lawyer-robert-costello-seeks-to-withdraw-from-contempt-of-court-case-claiming-he-may-be-a-witness/

(That would be witness for Bannon..)

[Jarqui]

4. Might be (key expression as I am not sure of this source) ... witness tampering?

Link to tweet

Victor Shi @Victorshi2020
BREAKING: Trump’s lawyers now want Robert Costello — who previously dangled a pardon to Michael Cohen — to undermine Michael Cohen’s testimony tomorrow. If true, this could open the door to a witness tampering charge *on top of the current charges*. This is huge.

There's more in the twitter thread.

Link to tweet

emptywheel @emptywheel
This seems to suggest that Costello is tomorrow's witness, and Cohen is the rebuttal. And it would support a witness tampering charge, which Costello would be part of.

This would explain both how this became a felony and the timing (the alleged tampering was in April 2018).

You wouldn't be likely have rebuttal because only the prosecutor is presenting to the Grand Jury. He's not likely to rebut his own witness.

But if there was witness tampering, they might have someone back to illuminate that ..
EDIT: Trump's lawyers may have asked for Costello - so that is where the rebuttal comes in.
The timing of April 2018 motivation is sketchy in terms of statute of limitations because, as I understand previous articles on it, some of it stopped tolling when Trump did not reside in the state and some was due to Covid.