Donald Trump “must be held accountable for his dirty conduct,” says his former lawyer

Former US President Donald Trump at a conservative conference.

Photo: EFE – JIM LO SCALZO

Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen testified this Monday before a grand jury in New York in the framework of the investigation into money given to a porn actress in exchange for her silence, which involves the former US president.

If the case is successful, Trump, 76, could become the first former president of the United States to be charged in criminal proceedings.

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The Republican tycoon, candidate for a new term in the White House, “must be held accountable for his dirty conduct,” Cohen told various media upon arrival at court. He also claimed to want to “tell the truth” and not seek “revenge.”

Requested by AFP, his lawyer, Lanny Davis, confirmed that his client “was being interviewed by the grand jury,” a panel of citizens with broad investigative powers.

Cohen testifies in the framework of the investigation into the $130,000 that he gave in 2016 to the porn actress Stormy Daniels – whose real name is Stephanie Clifford – to keep quiet about the alleged relationship she had with Trump.

The payment was made two weeks before the election in which the Republican defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty, in particular to having orchestrated that payment in violation of campaign finance laws. He claimed to have acted at the request of Trump, who would have reimbursed him the money once he was elected president.

According to The New York Times, the ex-president could be accused of trying to make up accounting reports to hide the payment to Stormy Daniels. A crime that could be aggravated if prosecutors consider that she sought to evade the rules on financing electoral campaigns, according to the outlet.

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After the media revelations, Trump denounced on his Truth Social network that he was the victim of a “political witch hunt that seeks to overthrow the candidate” with better options to represent the Republican Party.

The former president is being investigated for different cases, but has never been charged.

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