Who is Michael Cohen? Donald Trump’s former lawyer jailed over Stormy Daniels probe - involvement explained

A New York grand jury has voted to indict Donald Trump, marking the first time a former or serving US President has been criminally charged.

The case surrounds a hush money payment which was reportedly made to porn star Stormy Daniels, just prior to the 2016 presidential election. Prosecutors allege that Trump falsified business records around the settlement - and broke election law by hiding the scandal from voters.

A key witness in the case is none other than Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer. Cohen is the person who made the payments in the first place - and has actually already served jail time in relation to his involvement. Here’s everything you need to know.

Who is Michael Cohen?

Michael Cohen was Trump’s lawyer between 2006 and 2018. He was closely involved with the Trumps during this time, becoming vice president of the Trump Organisation as well as a board member of the Eric Trump Foundation.

The 56-year-old was also a prominent spokesperson for Trump while he campaigned to become President back in 2016, often appearing on news and talk shows to defend and advocate for his employer.

Why did he go to prison?

Cohen, who has been a key witness in the investigation into Trump, previously served jail time in relation to acts he took on behalf of the former President.

The former attorney admitted to arranging payments to silence women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump, at his ex-boss’s direction. This amounted to violating campaign finance laws, with court records stating that he did so with the “intention of influencing” the 2016 presidential election.

Cohen also pled guilty to lying to Congress about efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, concealing more than $4 million in personal income from the IRS, and making false statements about a home equity loan.

On December 12 2018, Cohen was sentenced to three years in federal prison for his charges, and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine for tax evasion. He began serving his sentence in May 2019, but was put on house arrest due to coronavirus concerns. He was later freed from prison in November 2021.

Speaking outside of a New York federal courthouse upon his release, Cohen said he wanted to work with law enforcement to "ensure that others are held responsible for their dirty deeds and that no one is ever believed to be above the law."

"My release today in no way negates the actions I took at the direction of and for the benefit of Donald Trump," he added. “I will continue to provide information testimony documents and my full cooperation on all ongoing investigations.”

He also claimed that he knew what he was doing was wrong and was “angry at himself” for his role, but said he did so out of “blind loyalty” to Trump. “I gave loyalty to someone who, truthfully, does not deserve loyalty,” he explained to ABC News’ Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos.

How is he involved in Donald Trump’s case?

Cohen, once so devoted to Trump that he claimed he would “take a bullet” for him, has repeatedly spoken out against his old boss throughout the course of the investigation.

Details of exactly what he said to prosecutors have not been made clear, but it is understood that his testimony was important in convicting the former President. Speaking to journalists outside the courthouse, Cohen said his goal was to “tell the truth”, not to engage in “revenge” against Trump. “This is all about accountability,” he said. “[Trump] needs to be held accountable for his dirty deeds.”

The former lawyer also slammed Trump in his tell-all memoir ‘Disloyal’, writing in one excerpt: “From golden showers in a sex club in Vegas, to tax fraud, to deals with corrupt officials from the former Soviet Union, to catch and kill conspiracies to silence Trump’s clandestine lovers, I wasn’t just a witness to the President’s rise - I was an active and eager participant.”

Some people have, as a result, questioned Cohen’s witness testimony. They argue that he has repeatedly expressed extreme bitterness towards Trump and therefore may be testifying against him out of spite. Others have said his credibility is weak given that he previously served three years in federal prison.

Speaking out after news broke of Trump’s indictment, Cohen told MSNBC that the development shows that “no one is above the law”.