Goldberg: Nothing simple about Trump team's trial defense
By Michelle Goldberg / The New York Times
NEW YORK During closing arguments in Donald Trumps felony trial Tuesday morning, his lawyer Todd Blanche said, Theres a reason why, in life, usually the simplest answer is the right one.
I found this an odd approach, because to believe his theory of the case requires accepting several improbable things. First, although its not legally germane, Blanche reiterated, perhaps at the insistence of his client, that Trump has unequivocally and repeatedly denied any encounter with Stormy Daniels. And rather than simply arguing that Trump didnt know about the scheme to reimburse Michael Cohen for the payoff to Daniels, he appears to be arguing that no such scheme existed.
Cohen, said Blanche, had a verbal retainer agreement in 2017 to serve as Trumps personal attorney, and thats why he was paid $420,000. If thats the case, its hard to imagine why Cohen pleaded guilty and served prison time in connection with the hush-money payment.
Blanches argument has been internally inconsistent. First, he insisted that Trump, being busy as president, didnt always look at the checks he signed. Then, trying to discredit the idea that Trump would reimburse Cohen $420,000 for a $130,000 payment which Cohen has claimed was grossed up to include taxes and a bonus Blanche pointed to all the evidence you heard about how closely President Trump watches his finances.
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/goldberg-nothing-simple-about-trump-teams-trial-defense/