Trump team hits Michael Cohen as having selective memory of 2016

NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers on Monday poked holes in Michael Cohen’s memory of key events in 2016, saying the Trump lawyer-turned-accuser seemed only to remember things convenient for the prosecution.

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche said plenty was going on during the October 2016 dates when Mr. Cohen testified he updated Mr. Trump on a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Mr. Cohen, at the time, was also helping Mr. Trump’s daughter Tiffany avoid a blackmail threat and trying to shore up endorsements for Mr. Trump’s 2016 bid by bringing in a member of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s family.

Mr. Cohen was also focused on business deals tied to property and taxi medallion interests.

Pressed on why Mr. Cohen would have remembered phone calls about Ms. Daniels on those days, Mr. Cohen said: “Because they were important to me.”

Prosecutors allege Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen conducted an illegal scheme to cover up Ms. Daniels’ payment. The defense says Mr. Cohen acted on his own and Mr. Trump thought he was paying legal expenses to Mr. Cohen in 2017, not conducting a cover-up scheme.

Mr. Blanche is trying to convince jurors that Mr. Cohen is lying or back-filling key information to try and tie Mr. Trump to the alleged ruse.

Last week, Mr. Blanche called into question whether a key phone call between Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen focused on Ms. Daniels, as the star witness said, or centered on a complaint Mr. Cohen had about a young prank caller.

Mr. Blanche on Monday questioned whether Mr. Cohen continued to seek publicity from serving as Mr. Trump’s chief antagonist. The lawyer wanted to know if Mr. Cohen spoke to any reporters about his testimony the prior week.

“I didn’t speak to reporters about what happened last week,” Mr. Cohen said.

Pressed by Mr. Blanche, Mr. Cohen clarified he spoke to reporters, though only to exchange pleasantries and not to discuss his testimony.

Also Monday, state Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan said that closing arguments will be held on the Tuesday after Memorial Day, given the extent of remaining business and the holiday weekend.

The judge wanted to hold them much earlier but said the calendar wouldn’t permit it.

Judge Merchan also signaled he would rein in Bradley A. Smith, a former Republican Federal Elections Commission member appointed by President Bill Clinton, when the defense presents him as an expert witness on election laws.

The judge said he didn’t want to spur a war of election experts.

Hoping to set guardrails around expert testimony, Judge Merchan asked both sides to agree to common definitions of key terms related to federal election law.