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Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen admits campaign violation Trump 'directed' hush money says his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen
(35 minutes later)
US President Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen has pleaded guilty in a Manhattan court to violating campaign finance laws.US President Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen has pleaded guilty in a Manhattan court to violating campaign finance laws.
He said he did so at the direction of "the candidate", acting for the "purpose of influencing the election". He said he did so at the direction of "the candidate", for the "principal purpose of influencing [the] election".
Mr Cohen's admission was related to hush money paid to Mr Trump's alleged mistresses.Mr Cohen's admission was related to hush money paid to Mr Trump's alleged mistresses.
The 51-year-old admitted eight counts, including tax and bank fraud in a plea deal with prosecutors.The 51-year-old admitted eight counts, including tax and bank fraud in a plea deal with prosecutors.
Mr Trump ignored questions about Mr Cohen as he arrived on Tuesday evening for a pre-scheduled rally in West Virginia.Mr Trump ignored questions about Mr Cohen as he arrived on Tuesday evening for a pre-scheduled rally in West Virginia.
The White House also declined to comment.The White House also declined to comment.
In court earlier, Mr Cohen said he had been directed by "a candidate for federal office" - presumed to be Mr Trump himself - to break federal election laws. The plea came as a jury in Alexandria, Virginia, convicted former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort of bank and tax fraud charges.
The indictment against Mr Cohen carries up to 65 years in prison, but he is expected to receive a far more lenient sentence of about five years under his deal with prosecutors. What happened in court?
He has pleaded guilty to: Mr Cohen said he had been directed by "a candidate for federal office" - presumed to be Mr Trump himself - to break federal election laws.
His sentencing is set for 12 December. The indictment against Mr Cohen carries up to 65 years in prison.
A judge ruled he can be released after posting a bail of $500,000 (£390,000) and surrendering his passport and any firearms that he may own. But his plea deal includes a much more lenient sentence of up to five years and three months in prison, said Judge William Pauley.
Mr Cohen previously admitted to arranging hush money for a woman who claimed she had an affair with Mr Trump. Mr Cohen has pleaded guilty to:
Speaking to reporters outside court, a prosecutor said Mr Cohen's crimes were "particularly significant" because he is a trained lawyer. His sentencing was set for 12 December. He was released after posting a bail of $500,000 (£390,000).
"Mr Cohen disregarded that training, disregarding that tradition," said Robert Khuzami, the deputy US attorney for the Southern District of New York. Reporters in court said Mr Cohen's voice quavered as he answered routine questions from the judge.
"Mr Cohen decided he was above the law and for that he is going to pay a very, very serious price." He was asked whether he had consumed any alcohol or drugs before making his guilty plea.
The plea came as a jury in Alexandria, Virginia, reached a partial guilty verdict on bank and tax fraud charges against Paul Manafort, Mr Trump's campaign chairman during the 2016 presidential election. Mr Cohen told the judge he had only had a glass of 12-year-old Glenlivet, a single-malt scotch, with dinner the night before.
This could get worse for Trump It could get worse for Trump
Analysis by Anthony Zucher, BBC Washington Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC Washington
Back in July, Donald Trump tweeted that Michael Cohen might be "trying to make up stories in order to get himself out of an unrelated jam".Back in July, Donald Trump tweeted that Michael Cohen might be "trying to make up stories in order to get himself out of an unrelated jam".
It turns out, however, that jam is very much related to the president.It turns out, however, that jam is very much related to the president.
Mr Trump has denied having any knowledge of pre-election payments to women alleging that they had affairs with him. On Tuesday, in a Manhattan courtroom, Mr Cohen effectively said the president is lying. Mr Trump has denied having any knowledge of pre-election payments to women alleging that they had affairs with him. On Tuesday, in a Manhattan courtroom, Mr Cohen effectively said the president is lying. The candidate, he said, had ordered the transactions - and then admitted that the undisclosed payments constituted a violation of campaign finance law.
If that's bad, it could get worse. The plea deal does not appear to indicate that Mr Cohen is currently co-operating with federal investigators. As Mr Trump's long-time lawyer, fixer and business associate - who was involved in 2015 and 2016 negotiations to build a Trump tower in Moscow, among other dealings - Mr Cohen may have information of interest to Robert Mueller's special counsel team. Now that he is facing up to five years in prison, Mr Mueller and company could come calling again.If that's bad, it could get worse. The plea deal does not appear to indicate that Mr Cohen is currently co-operating with federal investigators. As Mr Trump's long-time lawyer, fixer and business associate - who was involved in 2015 and 2016 negotiations to build a Trump tower in Moscow, among other dealings - Mr Cohen may have information of interest to Robert Mueller's special counsel team. Now that he is facing up to five years in prison, Mr Mueller and company could come calling again.
For the past few months Mr Cohen has taken an increasingly adversarial attitude toward Mr Trump, a man for whom he once said he would take a bullet. For the past few months Mr Cohen has taken an increasingly adversarial attitude toward Mr Trump, a man for whom he once said he would take a bullet. Now he is implicating the president in the commission of a campaign-related crime.
With a sentencing hearing set for 12 December, Mr Cohen has plenty of time to think about next moves. Is this just the start? With a sentencing hearing set for 12 December, Mr Cohen has plenty of time to think about next moves.
Is Cohen co-operating against Mr Trump? What did prosecutors say?
The nature of the reported plea deal is unclear and does not necessarily entail that Mr Cohen is co-operating against the president. Speaking to reporters outside court, a prosecutor said Mr Cohen's crimes were "particularly significant" because he is a trained lawyer.
It could simply mean he has agreed to plead guilty to unspecified charges in order to spare both sides a lengthy trial. Robert Khuzami, the deputy US attorney for the Southern District of New York, said: "Mr Cohen disregarded that training, disregarded that tradition and decided that he was above the law, and for that he will pay a very, very serious price."
Mr Cohen worked at the Trump Organization for more than a decade and continued to serve as Mr Trump's personal lawyer and fixer after the 2016 election.
Federal investigators have been scrutinising Mr Cohen's business activities for months, including a taxi business owned by Mr Cohen and his family.Federal investigators have been scrutinising Mr Cohen's business activities for months, including a taxi business owned by Mr Cohen and his family.
According to the prosecutor on Tuesday, he failed over the past five years to report income on $1.3m from his taxi business, $100,000 from brokerage commissions, and $200,000 from consultancy fees. Mr Khuzami said Mr Cohen had failed over the past five years to report income on $1.3m from his taxi business, $100,000 from brokerage commissions, and $200,000 from consultancy fees.
The prosecutor said that Mr Cohen had provided "sham" invoices to the campaign for legal fees that he allegedly provided in 2017. He said Mr Cohen had provided "sham" invoices to the campaign for legal fees that he allegedly provided last year.
Mr Khuzami also said that Mr Cohen had sought reimbursement for his "excessive personal contribution" by submitting the bogus invoices to the campaign. The prosecutor also said Mr Cohen had sought reimbursement for his "excessive personal contribution" by submitting the bogus invoices to the campaign.
The FBI seized a number of files in April on Mr Cohen's office and a hotel room used by him in New York. The nature of the reported plea deal is unclear and does not necessarily entail that Mr Cohen is co-operating against the president.
They reportedly conducted the raid following a tip-off from the team of special counsel Robert Mueller. It could simply mean he has agreed to plead guilty in order to spare both sides a lengthy trial.
Why was hush money paid?
In May, the president admitted he had reimbursed Mr Cohen for a payment he made to silence adult film actress Stormy Daniels about her alleged affair with Mr Trump just days before the election.
Mr Trump had previously denied all knowledge of the $130,000 (£100,675) payment as part of a non-disclosure agreement.
Last month it also emerged that Mr Cohen had made a secret recording of the president, in which they discussed a payment to buy the rights to former Playboy model Karen McDougal's story from the parent company of a supermarket tabloid.
Ms McDougal sold her story about her alleged affair with Mr Trump to the National Enquirer in the run-up to the presidential election, but it was never published.
Undisclosed payments on behalf of a political candidate can be considered a violation of US campaign finance laws.
The lawyer for Ms Daniels - who is suing both Mr Trump and Mr Cohen for defamation - tweeted that today's developments boosts her case against the president.
How did Trump and Cohen's lawyers react?
Mr Cohen's lawyer, Lanny Davis, said after Tuesday's court hearing that his client is "fulfilling his promise made on July 2nd to put his family and country first and tell the truth about Donald Trump".
"Today he stood up and testified under oath that Donald Trump directed him to commit a crime by making payments to two women for the principal purpose of influencing an election.
"If those payments were a crime for Michael Cohen, then why wouldn't they be a crime for Donald Trump?"
But Rudy Giuliani, a lawyer for Mr Trump, told reporters: "There is no allegation of any wrongdoing against the president in the government's charges against Mr Cohen.
"It is clear that, as the prosecutor noted, Mr Cohen's actions reflect a pattern of lies and dishonesty over a significant period of time."
How did the case come about?
The FBI seized a number of files in April from Mr Cohen's office and a hotel room used by him in New York.
They conducted the raid reportedly following a tip-off from the team of special counsel Robert Mueller.
Mr Mueller is investigating whether Trump campaign aides colluded with alleged Kremlin attempts to sway the 2016 presidential election his way.Mr Mueller is investigating whether Trump campaign aides colluded with alleged Kremlin attempts to sway the 2016 presidential election his way.
Mr Cohen worked at the Trump Organization for more than a decade and continued to serve as Mr Trump's personal lawyer and fixer after the election.
The FBI swoop triggered outrage at the time from Mr Trump, who complained that it was a violation of attorney-client privilege. In tweets, he called it "inconceivable".The FBI swoop triggered outrage at the time from Mr Trump, who complained that it was a violation of attorney-client privilege. In tweets, he called it "inconceivable".
The president has distanced himself from Mr Cohen since he left his post as his personal lawyer in May.The president has distanced himself from Mr Cohen since he left his post as his personal lawyer in May.
The investigation into Mr Cohen's business dealings has strained his relationship with the president. Mr Cohen once famously vowed he would take a bullet for Mr Trump. But he said in an interview last month that his loyalty to his family and country came before his old boss.
He once famously vowed he would take a bullet for Mr Trump. But he said in an interview last month that his loyalty to his family and country came before his old boss.
What was the hush money about?
In May, the president admitted he had reimbursed Mr Cohen for a payment he made to silence adult film actress Stormy Daniels about her alleged affair with Mr Trump just days before the election.
Mr Trump had previously denied all knowledge of the $130,000 (£100,675) payment as part of a non-disclosure agreement.
Last month it also emerged that Mr Cohen had made a secret recording of the president, in which they discussed a payment to buy the rights to former Playboy model Karen McDougal's story from the parent company of the National Enquirer tabloid.
Ms McDougal sold her story to the Enquirer in the run-up to the presidential election.
Undisclosed payments on behalf of a political candidate could be considered a violation of US campaign finance laws.
The lawyer for Ms Daniels - who is suing both Mr Trump and Mr Cohen for defamation - tweeted that today's developments will help her to win her case against the president.