(Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump’s 2018 tweets defending a $130,000 hush agreement with adult-film actress Stormy Daniels were shown to jurors at his criminal trial ahead of potentially explosive testimony next week from Michael Cohen, the star prosecution witness who made the payment on Trump’s behalf.

In the tweets, displayed for jurors in a Manhattan courtroom Friday, Trump says the deal to keep Daniels quiet about her claim of an affair is “very common among celebrities and people of wealth.” Trump also tweeted that Cohen was reimbursed through a “monthly retainer.”

Cohen, 57, is expected to take the witness stand on Monday, according to a person familiar with the matter. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told the judge that his office may finish presenting evidence in the case next week. 

Trump, the first former US president ever to face criminal charges, is accused of falsifying business records to conceal his reimbursement of Cohen to influence the election. Cohen, who pleaded guilty in 2018 to fraud charges tied to the payment, is the central witness who can directly link the Daniels payment to Trump’s effort to influence the election by burying her story. 

The tweets shown to jurors Friday undercut efforts by Trump’s lawyers during the trial to suggest Cohen had acted alone or without Trump’s knowledge when he made the payment. They’ve also suggested Trump signed reimbursement checks to Cohen for legal services or without knowing their purpose.

Jurors saw three Trump tweets from May 3, 2018, weeks after the Wall Street Journal reported that Cohen arranged the hush payment in October 2016. In the tweets, Trump confirmed Cohen was reimbursed and Daniels signed a nondisclosure agreement. 

“The agreement was used to stop the false and extortionist accusations made by her about an affair despite already having signed a detailed letter admitting that there was no affair,” Trump said.

At the start of the trial, Trump attorney Todd Blanche told jurors that it wasn’t illegal for Cohen to pay $130,000 to Daniels so that she would “not publicly spread false claims about President Trump.” Blanche said it had nothing to do with the election, but rather was an attempt by Trump to protect his family, his reputation and his brand. 

Cohen Testifying

It’s unclear how long Cohen will testify next week, according to a person who asked not to be identified.

Prosecutors with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office have been laying the groundwork for Cohen’s testimony, questioning witnesses and offering phone records and text messages related to the hush payment. Trump is accused of 34 counts of falsifying business records related to his reimbursement of Cohen. 

On Friday, prosecutors showed jurors a chart summarizing the 11 invoices, 12 vouchers and 11 checks corresponding with each charge in the indictment.

“Michael Cohen is a critical witness for the prosecution,” said Karen Friedman Agnifilio, a former senior official in the Manhattan district attorney’s office. “He is the only person who will provide direct evidence that Donald Trump intended to falsify business records in furtherance of another crime.”

Trump’s deteriorating relationship with Cohen has been a feature of the prosecution’s case. On Friday, Trump’s 2018 tweets about his former lawyer were also shown to the jury, including one praising him as a “fine person” and others that appeared to encourage him not to cooperate with prosecutors who were then digging into the payments. 

‘Pressure Campaign’

Prosecutors argue Trump engaged in a “pressure campaign” against Cohen and other witnesses to prevent them from cooperating with the criminal investigation.

After Cohen pleaded guilty, Trump changed his tune about his former personal attorney, according to a tweet shown to jurors on Friday. 

“If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen!” Trump said in the tweet on Aug. 22, 2018.

On Friday, after the jury had been dismissed, Trump’s lawyer urged the judge to order Cohen to stop publicly commenting on the trial. Judge Juan Merchan denied the request, but ordered prosecutors to tell Cohen the judge would like him to “refrain from making statements” about the case.

The New York jury heard this week from Daniels, who testified over two days about what she says was a brief sexual encounter with Trump at a Lake Tahoe hotel suite. She also testified about her efforts to get paid for the story as Trump campaigned for the White House in 2016, and her subsequent decision to go public.

Read More: ‘He Made Fun of Me First:’ Stormy Daniels Testimony Takeaways

Cohen, who was once bitterly opposed to Daniels but later appeared on podcasts with her, is expected to corroborate her version of events. Cohen can also back up testimony earlier in the trial from David Pecker, the former publisher the National Enquirer, who agreed with Trump and Cohen in a 2015 meeting to help identify negative stories and keep the from being published. 

As part of that deal, Pecker’s American Media Inc. paid $150,000 to Karen McDougal, a former Playboy Playmate who said she had an affair with Trump for nearly a year, and tipped off Cohen to Daniels’ story.

Several prosecution witnesses have testified about their disdain for Cohen, who was regarded as Trump’s attack dog. The defense is expected to question his credibility and portray him as a bitter liar.

(Updates with details of Cohen’s role in case.)

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