Donald Trump, the former U.S. president, is reportedly planning to be present during his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen’s testimony next week in a New York civil fraud case against him and his company.
What Happened: The civil fraud suit pegged at $250 million is set to hear Cohen’s testimony possibly as early as Tuesday, which is estimated to span over two days, NBC News, reported.
"It's been five years since we have seen one another. Assuming I am even on to testify next week, I look forward to the reunion. I hope Donald does, as well," Cohen told the publication, adding that Trump is “scared” and “petrified.”
According to two sources cited by NBC News, Trump is expected to stay for testimony on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, they added that his schedule is subject to change.
See Also: Trump’s Son-In-Law Jared Kushner Refutes Schumer’s Claims Of Potential Imprisonment
Why It Matters: Cohen has previously sparked an investigation by divulging Trump’s business practices to Congress. In 2019, he claimed "Mr. Trump inflated his total assets when it served his purposes" and "deflated his assets to reduce his real estate taxes."
Cohen’s statement led to the ongoing $250 million lawsuit initiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The ex-president is also facing criminal charges from the Manhattan district attorney’s office related to hush-money payments, in which Cohen is expected to testify. Trump has denied the allegations in both the hush-money and civil cases and has publicly disparaged Cohen, referring to him as a “rat.”
While in New York, Trump is also scheduled to be deposed on Tuesday in relation to lawsuits by former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. He is due to answer questions for two hours following the adjournment of the fraud trial for the day.
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