The chair and vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee announced Tuesday that, despite unspecified recent press reports, Michael Cohen had stood by his earlier testimony to the committee that he was unaware in advance of a campaign-era meeting in Trump Tower between Trump campaign officials and Russians promising dirt on Hillary Clinton.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Richard Burr (R-NC) and Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-VA) said in a joint statement:
“We have obviously followed today’s reporting about Michael Cohen with great interest. He appears to be pleading guilty to very serious charges, however, we have no insight into any agreements he and his legal team have allegedly reached with prosecutors in New York.
“What we can say is that we recently reengaged with Mr. Cohen and his team following press reports that suggested he had advance knowledge of the June 2016 meeting between campaign officials and Russian lawyers at Trump Tower. Mr. Cohen had testified before the Committee that he was not aware of the meeting prior to its disclosure in the press last summer. As such, the Committee inquired of Mr. Cohen’s legal team as to whether Mr. Cohen stood by his testimony. They responded that he did stand by his testimony.
“We hope that today’s developments and Mr. Cohen’s plea agreement will not preclude his appearance before our Committee as needed for our ongoing investigation.”
MSNBC captured video of some of the statement, read by Burr. Watch below:
Senate Intelligence Committee leaders make statement on Cohen: pic.twitter.com/W8NyLoaZvJ
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) August 21, 2018
This post has been updated.
