Yesterday, Michael Cohen admitted to stealing $60,000 from the Trump Organization. Cohen, a former attorney to Donald Trump and a convicted perjurer, acknowledged the theft while being questioned by Todd Blanche, Trump’s defense attorney, as part of the ongoing Manhattan trial against Trump for alleged “hush-money” payments.

Cohen stole the money in early 2017 by asking the Trump Organization for a $50,000 reimbursement covering payments to Red Finch, a tech company, on behalf of the Trump Organization. Once he received the money, Cohen gave only $20,000 to Red Finch, paying with cash in a paper bag. Cohen kept the remaining $30,000 for himself, although the amount was doubled in a process known as “grossing up,” to cover taxes.

Cohen justified his theft stating that it was “self-help” and done in revenge for Trump cutting his bonus from $150,000 to $50,000. As Cohen admitted, to this date he has not had to pay back the Trump Organization for the stolen funds. Cohen further admitted to making over $4 million from his Trump-focused podcasts and books.

The crime could have constituted a class C felony, which can carry sentences of up to 15 years in prison; however, the five-year statute of limitations on Cohen’s theft expired in 2022. According to Michael Bachner, a former Manhattan prosecutor, the questioning was effective and demonstrated that Cohen is “a liar and a thief” and “motivated in money in everything that he does.”