NEW YORK – In a Manhattan court on Tuesday, Michael Cohen, the former fixer and personal lawyer of ex-president Donald Trump, testified that he had been instructed by Trump himself to manipulate the value of assets that currently lie at the center of a $250 million civil fraud lawsuit. The annual “statement of financial condition” prepared by Cohen for Trump was described as a work of fiction by the former lawyer. According to Cohen, Trump tasked him with increasing the total assets based on a number that Trump arbitrarily selected. Cohen’s responsibility was to “reverse engineer” the values of various assets to achieve the desired number.

As Cohen testified, Trump watched from the defense table, occasionally tilting his head and folding his arms across his chest. Prior to the trial, Trump referred to Cohen as “a proven liar and a felon” when speaking to reporters outside the courtroom. Cohen, who was once fiercely loyal to Trump and even pledged to take a bullet for him if necessary, has now turned against his former boss and become a central witness in a civil case that strikes at the heart of Trump’s business empire.

Cohen’s credibility is a primary target for Trump’s lawyers due to his previous guilty plea in 2018 for tax and other charges related to paying hush money to an adult film actor allegedly involved with Trump. However, Cohen’s appearance on the witness stand brought a new level of intensity to the trial.

The trial, presided over by Judge Arthur Engoron, aims to determine whether Trump and his adult sons, Donald Jr and Eric, will face penalties totaling over $250 million and be prohibited from conducting business in New York. Judge Engoron has already found that Trump consistently engaged in fraud by inflating his net worth in order to secure favorable loans and insurance terms.

During his testimony, Cohen recounted an occasion when a Trump assistant called him into Trump’s office to discuss the financial statement with Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization’s long-time chief financial officer. According to Cohen, Trump admitted during the conversation that he was actually worth more than the reported amount and instructed Cohen and Weisselberg to manipulate the figures until they reached the desired number.

Cohen’s journey from obscurity to serving one of the world’s most famous families was also detailed, highlighting how he went from working as a lawyer in a small firm to becoming an executive vice-president at the Trump Organization. As Trump’s “special counsel,” Cohen reported directly to Trump and resolved any issues or problems that arose.

The trial continues as both sides present their arguments and evidence. It remains to be seen how Cohen’s testimony and the overall proceedings will impact the outcome of the case.