Republican Confronted With Donald Trump's Signed Checks to Michael Cohen

Amid Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial, South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem was confronted on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday with his signed checks to Michael Cohen, his former lawyer and fixer.

Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee, became the first former president in U.S. history to stand trial in a criminal case on Monday. Following an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office, Trump was indicted in March 2023 on charges of falsifying business records relating to hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. Daniels alleges that she had an affair with Trump in 2006, which he has denied. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and said the case against him is politically motivated.

Meanwhile, Cohen is expected to be one of the key witnesses in Trump's trial as prosecutors allege that the former president reimbursed Cohen via a series of checks for "hush money" payments made to Daniels.

Noem, a close ally to Trump, was confronted on Sunday about her position regarding the former president's criminal trial as she was asked by host Dana Bash about the reimbursement checks made to Cohen.

"Prosecutors allege Donald Trump falsified business records to hide hush money payments weeks before the 2016 election. He violated both state, tax and federal campaign finance laws. Are you saying even if that's true he shouldn't have been charged and that he's above the law?" Bash asked.

Noem responded, "What I'm saying is that these prosecutors are using someone whose testimony has been proven to be a liar. Michael Cohen has lied before Congress multiple times and that's their main witness. I would say he certainly is not someone who could be trusted to do the right thing during this trial."

Cohen, a close ally turned critic of Trump, served prison time after pleading guilty to eight criminal counts, including campaign finance violations related to the alleged hush money scheme. In addition, Cohen plead guilty in federal court in November 2018 to lying to Congress in relation to false statements he made to lawmakers about Trump's reported business dealings with Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Meanwhile, Bash continued to press the governor on the reimbursed checks, showing a picture of them from Trump, asking her if she's "comfortable with this."

Noem said that the checks are from Trump paying Cohen's "legal fees," adding that she will continue to support him in this year's presidential election.

"Michael Cohen worked for president Trump, President Trump paid his legal fees, Michael Cohen legal fees and bills and that's what this trial will bring forward, hopefully is the truth. What a ridiculous case this is and that it's coming from a man that is proven to be a liar...yes I will support Donald Trump and I have from the beginning," Noem said.

In response to Noem's comments, Cohen said in a statement to Newsweek via email on Sunday, "Kristi Noem, in a single breath, spewed nothing more than one Trumpian talking point followed by another and then another. The only accurate statement coming from her mouth is that the Judge and jury, not Donald, will make the ultimate decision of innocence or guilt."

Newsweek has reached out to Trump's spokesperson and Noem's office via email for comment.

Trump has often taken to Truth Social, his social media platform, to scrutinize Cohen, recently calling him a "disgraced attorney and felon."

In March, Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the case, imposed a gag order on Trump, barring him from making public statements about witnesses, including Cohen and Daniels, as well as lawyers and staff in the case and their families. The order excluded Merchan and Bragg, but it was later expanded to include Merchan's and Bragg's families after Trump made blistering attacks toward the judge's daughter, Loren Merchan.

Cohen also testified against Trump in his civil fraud trial. In that case, New York Judge Arthur Engoron found the former president liable for financial fraud in a lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James. In February, Engoron ordered Trump to pay $355 million, plus interest, and barred him from doing business in New York for three years. The former president has maintained he did not engage in any wrongdoing and has appealed the judgment.

Following the jury selection, which were finalized on Friday, opening statements in Trump's hush money trial is expected to begin on Monday.