Trump, ex-confidant Cohen set for showdown in New York trial

NEW YORK: Former US President Donald Trump arrived at his New York civil fraud trial on Tuesday blasting his former right-hand man Michael Cohen as a “liar”, ahead of testimony by the disgraced lawyer that could expose his old boss’s intimate business secrets.

Meanwhile, compounding his legal woes, a third former Trump’s lawyer who worked on his 2020 presidential campaign pleaded guilty in the Georgia case. Jenna Ellis’s plea deal could see her testify for the prosecution in future trials.

Another former counsel for ex-president pleads guilty in Georgia election case

Cohen has become one of the Trump’s — and leading Republican 2024 candidate’s — most vocal critics. He delivered searing testimony to Congress while Trump was still president. His appearance now as a witness in the New York trial, delayed last week for health reasons, is hotly anticipated.

Having served Trump as his lawyer and general fixer for years, Cohen has been privy to many of the scandal-embroiled populist’s private and business dealings.

Ahead of their possible courtroom confrontation, Trump amped up the feud, telling reporters: “He’s a liar. He’s trying to get a better deal for himself but it’s not going to work.” He added, “We did nothing wrong.”

Trump also faces racketeering charges in Georgia for allegedly conspiring to upend the election results in the southern state after his 2020 defeat.

Jenna Ellis’s plea deal on Tuesday could see her testify for the prosecution in future trials, turning up the pressure on the former president as his legal woes grow.

“If I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post-election challenges,” Ellis, 38, told the court in Atlanta on Tuesday.