Donald Trump’s former personal fixer Michael Cohen has implicated the former United States President in a hush money scheme.
Testifying as a prosecution witness, Cohen told jurors that Trump approved payouts to stifle stories he feared could be harmful to his 2016 presidential campaign.
“What I was doing was at the direction of and benefit of Mr Trump,” Cohen said.
Cohen was questioned in the New York Supreme Court regarding the US$30,000 (AU$45,00) payout of a Trump Tower doorman to keep the story of an illegitimate child “off the market”.
Cohen quoted Trump as saying “you handle it” after hearing about the allegation. The claim was ultimately deemed unfounded.
A similar incident occurred when Playboy model Karen McDougal was paid US$150,000 (AU$227,000) in a hush money arrangement after she claimed to have had an extramarital affair.
Cohen said Trump told him “make sure it doesn’t get released” after the the former president was given a “complete and total update on everything that transpired”.
Another payment was made to porn star Stormy Daniels told jurors she was paid US$130,000 (AU$196,000) to prevent her from going public with claims she had a sexual encounter with Trump.
Cohen is the prosecutions most important witness in the case and his testimony indicates the trial is coming to an end soon.
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