Donald Trump's 'Mafia' Code Confirmed by Secret Recording: Lawyer

Michael Cohen's secret recording of Donald Trump confirms that the former president spoke in a mafia-like code, an attorney has said.

Cohen, who was previously Trump's attorney, said during the former president's hush-money trial Thursday that he did not seek Trump's permission to make the recording. He alleged that Trump could be heard talking about reimbursing a publisher in cash for buying the silence of Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who said she had an affair with Trump.

Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for November's election, is the first former president in U.S. history to stand trial in a criminal case. He has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments made to McDougal and the adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. He has denied having an affair with either woman and has said the case and other criminal and civil challenges involving him are politically motivated.

In the recording, Cohen discussed sending "information," meaning money, to "our friend David," which he told the court was a reference to David Pecker, the National Enquirer publisher who had purchased McDougal's silence on Trump's behalf.

John J. Perlstein, a senior Los Angeles litigator, told Newsweek that the recording confirmed Cohen's previous claims that Trump spoke in a mafia-like code.

"Unless Trump takes the stand to explain this recording and others, why wouldn't the jury, and general public for that matter, believe Cohen's account of the recording, which is almost comical in its lack of information," Perlstein said.

"I think it aligns well with Cohen saying that Trump never wanted to talk about anything and preferred to speak in unclear, uncertain terms like he is some sort of mafia boss," he continued, adding, "'Less is more' when it can be used as evidence."

Newsweek has contacted Trump's attorney for comment via email.

In February 2019, Cohen told a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing that Trump spoke like a mafia boss about sensitive subjects and that Cohen had learned the code.

"He doesn't give you questions. He doesn't give you orders," Cohen told the committee. "He speaks in a code, and I understand the code because I've been around him for a decade."

In 2018, Cohen was convicted on charges related to illegal campaign contributions and tax fraud, among others. He has become an implacable Trump opponent, and they have attacked each other's characters on social media since the hush-money trial began.

Prosecutors said Cohen made a $130,000 payment to Daniels on Trump's behalf and was later reimbursed. They described the payment as an illegal campaign contribution, saying it was intended to silence Daniels and thereby influence the 2016 presidential election.

The cross-examination of Cohen began Tuesday and is expected to resume on May 20.