Michael Cohen said he paid a tech company to rig a poll and inflate Donald Trump’s position in a ranking of influential businessmen.
Cohen, the former president’s “fixer” turned government witness, told Mr Trump’s “hush money” trial that he paid $20,000 to the head of RedFinch at Mr Trump’s instruction to ensure he would “rise significantly”.
“Initially he wanted to be number one but we didn’t think that would be a good idea,” Cohen told a New York court, suggesting this would raise “red flags”. He eventually took ninth position.
Mr Trump allegedly refused to pay for the work because CNBC, the US broadcaster, had stopped reporting on the poll.
“He didn’t feel that he had got the benefit of what the services were supposed to ultimately provide,” Cohen said.
Cohen said he was reimbursed for the payment as part of a calculation made by the Trump Organisation’s chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, which also allegedly took account of hush money he had paid to an adult film star on his boss’ behalf.
It ties together three strands of the prosecution’s case – that Mr Trump was frugal with money, media conscious, and that he was reimbursing Cohen rather than paying him a monthly retainer.
Cohen admitted earlier on Monday that he had stolen from the Trump Organisation when he told Mr Weisselberg that the RedFinch payment was $50,000 and pocketed the remaining $30,000.
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