Live updates: Michael Cohen resumes testimony in Trump hush money trial

We’re hearing the same questions about each invoice month by month — Cohen put on his glasses to read each of the emails and invoices aloud.

When we get to each check, the questions look like this:

Was this paid to you as a retainer?

Was the description false?

Whose signature is on it?

The falsified documents in this case are the ledger entries, invoices and checks.

Cohen is confirming that the invoices are false records and that the checks are the result of false invoices.

We see a check for that January-February invoice, totalling $70,000, signed by Eric Trump and Allen Weisselberg, with a stub reading that the payment is for a “retainer.” Cohen confirms once again that there was no retainer agreement.

That check was drawn from the DJT Revocable Trust account. (Most of the rest of the payments came from Trump’s personal checking account).

We’re going through each of these invoices and checks. The two questions Hoffinger will be asking for each of them: Was this pursuant to a retainer agreement for that month? Was this invoice false?

Were any of those for services rendered for those months?

“No ma’am they were for reimbursement”

Hoffinger said there were 11 checks in 2017 totaling $420,000.

On Valentine’s Day 2017, Cohen submitted an invoice for January-February 2017, noting $35,000 for each month.

Are these payments consistent with the directions you’d been given from Allen Weisselberg?

The invoice says it’s for “services rendered” in January-February 2017.

“And in truth, was this invoice for any services you had rendered?”

Was that a truthful statement?

What was the true purpose?

The reimbursement to me of the hush money fee along with Red Finch and the bonus.

Was this invoice a false record?

Did you continue to send them monthly?

And did each of those make the same false representation that it was for services rendered for that month, pursuant to the retainer?

An email thread is shown to the court in which Cohen asked for the reimbursement checks but didn’t send an invoice.

McConney replied, asking for the invoices so he could cut the checks.

Cohen asked him to remind him how much per month.

“I actually didn’t remember it. I didn’t have a copy of the document that I worked on with Allen Weisselberg that I presented to Donald Trump”

If there was a retainer, it would’ve been in there, right? But there was no retainer?

Michael Cohen is back on the stand holding a phone and water bottle. He’s wearing a shiny baby blue tie.

Assistant District Attorney Susan Hoffinger resumes direct examination by bringing up a 6 February 2017 email from Jeff McConney at the Trump Organization reminding Cohen about the invoices for his reimbursement.

February 8 2017: Did you visit the White House on that day?

Did you have a conversation with then-president Trump?

“I did. … in the Oval Office.”

Did you discuss reimbursements?

“Yes ma’am … I was sitting with President Trump and he asked me if I was ok, he asked if I needed money, and I said, no, all good … I’m OK. He said, Alright, just make sure you deal with Allen.”

A photo of Cohen in the White House briefing room is also shown as well as a February 8 calendar entry: “Meeting with POTUS.”