Former Southern District of New York (SDNY) prosecutor Daniel Goldman, who served as majority counsel in the first impeachment of Donald Trump, explained why Michael Cohen and former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker would be key to reopening the criminal case against Trump for the illegal payoff of adult movie performer Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election.
Goldman offered his analysis after attorney Richard Signorelli, who is also a former Southern District of New York federal prosecutor, put out a call for support to reopen the investigation.
"If you believe Donald Trump a/k/a "Individual 1" should be prosecuted by [SDNY] for the Stormy Daniels payoff scheme, please respond to this Tweet. I will then make sure the response is sent directly to the US Attorney and her Chiefs," Signorelli wrote.
The activist group Meidas Touch noticed Signorelli's tweet and demanded prosecution.
Michael Cohen "was sent to prison for the illegal Stormy Daniels payoff scheme he made 'in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1.' Individual-1 must be prosecuted," the group wrote.
It was at that point that Goldman offered his analysis.
"Aside from the fact that the SDNY already closed this case — Congress or DOJ IG should investigate whether Barr had anything to do with that — you can't charge Individual-1 without [Michael Cohen] as a witness, and the SDNY has made it clear they will not put him on the stand," he explained. "Remember, neither the prosecutors' statements in court nor Cohen's guilty plea is admissible in court against Individual-1. Witness testimony subject to cross examination is required in our system. I said long ago Trump could be charged with Cohen (and Pecker) as witnesses."
Cohen suggested he wants to testify.
"The [SDNY] must stop fighting me at every turn and disclose what really transpired between them and the Trump administration," he said.