Closing...

Steinglass downplays Cohen's importance after the defense ripped his credibility

The prosecutor conceded that Cohen has credibility issues. “That’s a factor that you should consider,” he told the jury.

KYLE CHENEY

Prosecutors quickly moved to minimize the significance of Michael Cohen to their case against Trump, acknowledging the defense’s attempt to savage his credibility but suggesting that other witnesses — those with no motives to damage Trump — had already helped them prove their case.

For example, media executive David Pecker, who Trump’s own defense team treated as credible, helped the prosecutors establish that Trump conspired to influence the 2016 election.

“You don’t need Michael Cohen to prove that one bit,” said lead prosecutor Joshua Steinglass.

Other witnesses still loyal to Trump, who presumably had incentive to “skew their testimony” in Trump’s favor, nevertheless provided “critical pieces of the puzzle, building blocks that help establish the defendants’ guilt,” Steinglass said.

Steinglass conceded that Cohen has credibility issues, from his felony conviction to his admitted hope to put Trump in prison. “That’s a factor that you should consider,” Steinglass said.

But Steinglass said Cohen’s disdain for Trump is understandable given how quickly Trump dropped him “like a hot potato” as soon as he faced legal scrutiny.

Steinglass pointed jurors to David Pecker’s testimony, which he called “utterly damning” and “devastating” to Trump’s defense case. Steinglass said Pecker’s testimony alone establishes one of the three elements prosecutors have to prove in the case: the conspiracy to undermine the 2016 election.

Steinglass urged jurors to look at his testimony as a whole and not focus on aspects highlighted by the defense he said were taken out of context. He could be highlighting this for a couple reasons:

— Pecker is a key witness to prove the 2016 election conspiracy.

— Michael Cohen is not the sole witness at trial. Others also testified, and they were more credible — and still consider Trump a friend.

Steinglass offered a retort to Blanche’s suggestion that Stormy Daniels extorted Donald Trump, arguing that not only did she not do such a thing, but even if she did, it doesn’t excuse Trump’s actions.

“You don’t get to commit election fraud or falsify your business records because you think you’ve been victimized,” Steinglass said. “In other words, extortion is not a defense.”