How important is your word?
I don’t know if you’ve been following the Trump “Hush Money” trial…
Let’s put politics aside – as well as the merits or challenges of the case – for a minute and consider that character is on trial.
The only way the State of New York gets a conviction is if the jury believes the prosecution’s key witness: Michael Cohen. This is a case about what your word is worth.
This case felt familiar to me but it took a minute to figure out why. It’s because I’ve lived this narrative.
In the 1970’s, my mother was a “fixer” for a Baltimore politician named George Santoni. She negotiated deals, covered his tracks and signed questionable contracts.
The FBI knocked on our front door investigating a Lincoln Town Car signed for by my mother. It was abandoned by a fleeing felon and found at BWI airport.
This was my childhood. And adulthood.
My first week in office as county executive, an investigator was in my conference room for an unrelated matter and the first thing he said to me was, “I knew your mother.”
My mother lied to the FBI for Santoni. For years.
Then, in 1981, Santoni stole from her. She called the FBI and offered to be an informant.
They even gave her a code name.
Sure they took her calls but she wasn’t a good witness. She never understood that even if she was telling the truth, her credibility was an issue.
In Trump’s case, the jury can only convict if they believe the star witness. I’m not saying whether he is lying or not, but he has served jail time for lying to Congress and admitted on the stand that he secretly recorded…and stole from…his client.
Your reputation is the most important thing you’ll ever own.
I shared this on LinkedIn and wanted to share here too.
No political comments please.