Former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen has reached a settlement agreement with the Trump Organization, his former employer, in a lawsuit over unpaid legal fees. The settlement was announced on Friday during a video hearing with Manhattan Judge Joel Cohen, just three days before the trial was scheduled to begin. While the details of the agreement were not disclosed, Cohen stated that the dispute had been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties involved.

The settlement brings an end to a civil lawsuit for Trump's company, which is currently facing numerous legal challenges, including criminal charges at both the federal and state levels. Cohen's lawsuit had the potential to shine a spotlight on his vocal criticisms of former President Donald Trump, with the trial expected to feature testimony from Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr. The lawsuit centered around Cohen's claim that he was owed $1.7 million in legal fees for his work defending Trump and himself during various investigations.

Cohen's role in Trump's legal battles is set to continue in March 2024, when the former president faces state criminal charges related to alleged falsification of business records in a hush-money case involving an adult film star. However, the Trump legal team is expected to challenge Cohen's credibility, pointing to the conflicts he has had with the ex-president. Cohen himself has pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance violations and tax evasion.

In a separate development, a U.S. court order on Friday revealed that Trump's trial over mishandling classified documents will begin on May 20 next year. Trump's lawyers had initially resisted setting a date and argued that the trial should take place after the 2024 U.S. presidential election, in which he is a front-runner for the Republican nomination. However, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ordered the trial to proceed in May. Trump was indicted in June on charges of unlawfully retaining national security documents and lying to officials who tried to recover them.

These legal challenges add to the mounting troubles facing Trump as he prepares for his potential 2024 presidential campaign. In addition to the upcoming trials, he recently disclosed that he has received a letter indicating that he is a target of a grand jury investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges he currently faces and continues to assert his innocence.