Michael Cohen Repeated His Congress Lies To Robert Mueller’s Investigators

US President Donald Trumps former attorney Michael Cohen arrives at US Federal Court in New York on December 12, 2018, where he is expected to be sentenced after pleading guilty to a number of charges. - The hour of... US President Donald Trumps former attorney Michael Cohen arrives at US Federal Court in New York on December 12, 2018, where he is expected to be sentenced after pleading guilty to a number of charges. - The hour of judgment has come for Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, who will learn Wednesday if cooperating with authorities conducting the Russia probe will spare him a long prison term.Cohen, 52, is one of several members of Trump's team who have run afoul of the law but the only one to belong to Trump's inner circle. (Photo by COREY SIPKIN / AFP) (Photo credit should read COREY SIPKIN/AFP/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Former Trump attorney and convicted felon Michael Cohen initially lied to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators, too, federal prosecutor Jeannie Rhee said at Cohen’s sentencing hearing Wednesday.

Cohen “initially repeated false statements” that he had made to Congress regarding the length and substance of Trump organization attempts to build a Trump Tower Moscow during the 2016 presidential campaign, Rhee said.

Rhee said that Cohen has “intended to” slow down and divert the investigation through his lies, adding that the matter had “national importance and interest” due to its focus on the “question of links or coordination between a presidential campaign and a foreign government.”

Cohen pleaded guilty to one count of lying to Congress on Nov. 29, after revealing in a second September meeting with the special counsel that he had lied. He first contacted Mueller’s team in July.

Rhee added that the “government has agreed with Mr. Cohen to bring his assistance to your attention” in part because his cooperation had been “ranging and helpful.”

Latest Muckraker

Notable Replies

  1. Apparently Cohen has testified that he lied to Congress and the Special Counsel in order to impede the investigation, presumably at the behest of the president.

    I think I smell a smocking gun…

  2. The prosecutor’s, “ranging and helpful.” should have dt really concerned. Build the case, but (at this point) I don’t want to see any impeachment. Until SusPense is on the chopping block, there is no real upside. Now if the vp is in trouble, go for it full tilt. President Pelosi has a nice schadenfreude ring to it.

  3. Everyone who told tales to Congress or OSC that aligned with Cohen’s needs to have a friendly chat with his/her attorney right about now.

  4. Funny. Also, I would note that it’s more than likely “smocking” tapes…and that’s the best evidence of all. Cohen was wise to tape that stuff, and it was all legal too. Trump is too illiterate to give the payoff order in an email, but he’s the type that’s a blabbermouth when talking, so those tapes must be a gold mine. I bet Cohen would even ask things a second time to get the answer twice so there would be no ambiguity whatsoever if the poop hit the fan…

  5. Some days you are the pigeon and some days you are the statue.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

19 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for paulw Avatar for druid800 Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for irasdad Avatar for mrcomments Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for newrobotoverlord Avatar for ignoreland Avatar for leftcoaster Avatar for triletter Avatar for southerndem Avatar for wintermoon Avatar for bankerpup Avatar for uneducated Avatar for dannydorko Avatar for aiddon Avatar for skeptical Avatar for occamscoin

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: