CNN Analyst: Cohen’s Admitted Crime Undermines Credibility, Raises Questions About His Relationship With Prosecutors

CNN legal analyst Elie Honig slammed the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the grand jury that oversaw the criminal prosecution of former Trump lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen a few years ago, saying that because they gave him a “free pass” on a crime that is more serious than the charges against former President Donald Trump, it undermined his credibility as a witness.

Cohen admitted on Monday during Trump’s trial that he stole $60,000 from the Trump Organization in 2016 and that he allegedly informed “multiple prosecutors” but was never charged for it.

Honig said that it was going to be difficult for the prosecution to fix Cohen’s credibility with the jury after he admitted to the crime.

“It is the fact, Michael Cohen did steal this money and what makes that really so important … is it’s not as if Michael Cohen was just stealing on the side, that’d be bad enough,” Honig said. “The problem is he was stealing from the exact reimbursement at issue in this case. So, the prosecution’s core argument is Donald Trump knew what that $420,000 was all about. He was totally read in on it. Turns out Michael Cohen was stealing from him within that $420,000.”

Honig noted that Cohen cannot be charged after admitting to the crime “because the statute of limitations has run out.”

“But it’s a very fair question to ask, gee folks of the jury, they gave him a free pass,” He said. “He committed larceny. It’s a higher degree of a felony than what Donald Trump is charged with. Yet they gave Michael Cohen a free pass even though he’s now admitted that he stole what amounts to $60,000. It goes to his credibility, it goes to his relationship with the D.A.”

WATCH:

CNN legal expert Elie Honig on Michael Cohen’s admission that he stole $60,000 from the Trump Organization:

“They gave him a free pass. He committed larceny, it’s a higher degree of a felony than what Donald Trump is charged with. Yet they gave Michael Cohen a free pass even… pic.twitter.com/BhzKcr1VAx

— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) May 20, 2024