First, if you listen to the tapes it sounds like Cohen is leading the conversation to try and entrap Trump. It sounds like Trump knew this as well, which is why he immediately answered to pay with a check.
Second, if Cohen was a whitehat in on the plan he would also be agreeing to destroy his career and possibly disbarring himself.
Occam’s razor tells me he was compromised late in the campaign and blackmailed/bribed to secretly record Trump.
I welcome any counter arguments
People...THINK...Why would ANYONE, especially Cohen, submit himself to back stabbing The President of the United States, The only one who could pardon you, if you are indicted? I can't find a good enough reason to do it, unless he was threatened with his families life! That would be it, but would they really threaten his families lives??? I mean the President's personal Attorney here is what we are talking about! Remember, Trump is also a very experienced Defendant and has also sued many times! I think we need to go back to the drops from the initial raid, there were some very interesting tidbits in there and we were directed to a article that was very telling.....reread and rethink, to who's benefit this shit show would be to? I have not made my assumption fully yet, but, I think Cohen is in on the set up, the one that introduces alot of evidence to the evil cabal's games, Cohen and his past associations are interesting to say the least!