Michael Cohen is telling his friends and family he may cooperate with federal prosecutors investigating him for possible financial crimes, CNN reported Friday.
According to CNN, Cohen would do so both to relieve pressure on himself and because he’s wounded that President Trump and his allies have minimized Cohen’s relationship with Trump in dismissive public comments.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan are conducting a criminal investigation into Cohen’s financial and business dealings, including an October 2016 hush money payment he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels on Trump’s behalf.
In April, federal agents raided his hotel room, office and apartment, seizing electronic devices and troves of documents. That aggressive action prompted the first rumors that Cohen might flip.
Those reports went into overdrive this week thanks to reports that Cohen is splitting with his legal team. ABC News reported that he intends to cooperate, while the New York Times and Wall Street Journal said Cohen had not yet made a decision either way.
As CNN reported, Cohen has not yet met with prosecutors to discuss a possible deal, and is in the process of finding new lawyers who have closer connections with the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan.
Trump told reporters on Friday that he wasn’t concerned about Cohen flipping because Trump “did nothing wrong.”
But Trump also seemed to go out of his way to praise his one-time fixer. “I always liked Michael and he’s a good person,” the president added.
Trying to code talk their way to a tacit pardon bargain, but with a bit of a problem given that the state charges could put him in prison for decades. Also made more complicated by the fact that both of them are morons.
I’d laugh myself to death if they said “Nah, too late”.
“…but the idea that he would cooperate is exactly the reason we aren’t paying his attorneys as we agreed to do.”
Hey Mikey, the truth will (may?) set you free.