Here’s the thing about financial fraud cases. When the paperwork and documents are in hand, there’s zero doubt about guilt, and so a conviction ends up being almost automatic. It’s why career criminals like Donald Trump typically end up going down for financial fraud, even when other kinds of criminal charges haven’t stuck over the years.
It’s why Trump is screwed in New York whether anyone flips on him or not. But the Manhattan District Attorney’s office has clearly decided that it’s not willing to simply rely on documents and paperwork when it puts Trump on criminal trial for his financial crimes. It wants his own people to testify against him as well.
Michael Cohen has long been cooperating with the DA’s office in the case against Trump, as evidenced by the eight times he’s met with them. But the only thing better than an inside witness is multiple inside witnesses. And the key to lining up additional witnesses is to pressure people near Trump to flip on him.