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| Michael Cohen has information on 'conspiracy by Russians', says lawyer | Michael Cohen has information on 'conspiracy by Russians', says lawyer |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, has information on a “conspiracy to corrupt American democracy by the Russians” that would be of interest to the special counsel investigation, Cohen’s lawyer has said. | Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, has information on a “conspiracy to corrupt American democracy by the Russians” that would be of interest to the special counsel investigation, Cohen’s lawyer has said. |
| Cohen pleaded guilty to eight charges including campaign finance violations on Tuesday, and directly implicated Trump in paying “hush money” to women with whom he allegedly had affairs, potentially leaving the president himself in legal jeopardy. | Cohen pleaded guilty to eight charges including campaign finance violations on Tuesday, and directly implicated Trump in paying “hush money” to women with whom he allegedly had affairs, potentially leaving the president himself in legal jeopardy. |
| On Wednesday morning, Cohen’s lawyer, Lanny Davis, made a series of television appearances in which he said Cohen was ready to tell the special counsel Robert Mueller and his team everything he knows. | On Wednesday morning, Cohen’s lawyer, Lanny Davis, made a series of television appearances in which he said Cohen was ready to tell the special counsel Robert Mueller and his team everything he knows. |
| “Michael Cohen knows information that would be of interest to the special counsel, in my opinion, regarding both knowledge about a conspiracy to corrupt American democracy by the Russians, and the failure to report that knowledge to the FBI,” Davis told MSNBC. | “Michael Cohen knows information that would be of interest to the special counsel, in my opinion, regarding both knowledge about a conspiracy to corrupt American democracy by the Russians, and the failure to report that knowledge to the FBI,” Davis told MSNBC. |
| Mueller is investigating Russia’s effort to interfere in the 2016 US election by hacking emails and spreading disinformation on social media, and the possibility of involvement by people connected to Trump’s campaign. | Mueller is investigating Russia’s effort to interfere in the 2016 US election by hacking emails and spreading disinformation on social media, and the possibility of involvement by people connected to Trump’s campaign. |
| Trump lashed out at Cohen on Wednesday, accusing his former fixer of making up “stories in order to get a ‘deal’” from federal prosecutors. | |
| Trump suffered a huge double blow on Tuesday when Cohen pleaded guilty, just minutes before Trump’s former campaign chief, Paul Manafort, was convicted of financial crimes that could see him jailed for the rest of his life. | Trump suffered a huge double blow on Tuesday when Cohen pleaded guilty, just minutes before Trump’s former campaign chief, Paul Manafort, was convicted of financial crimes that could see him jailed for the rest of his life. |
| Trump praised Manafort on Wednesday, saying he was “brave” and had “tremendous pressure on him and, unlike Michael Cohen, he refused to ‘break.’” | |
| Cohen, appearing in federal court in Manhattan, said that during the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump directed him to make payments to two women who claimed they had affairs with the president in exchange for their silence. | Cohen, appearing in federal court in Manhattan, said that during the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump directed him to make payments to two women who claimed they had affairs with the president in exchange for their silence. |
| He told a federal judge he acted “in coordination with and at the direction of” a candidate for federal office and made the payments “at the request of the candidate”. | He told a federal judge he acted “in coordination with and at the direction of” a candidate for federal office and made the payments “at the request of the candidate”. |
| The payments to the women – pornographic film actor Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal – amounted to illegal campaign contributions and were designed to influence the results of the election, Cohen admitted in court. He said Trump repaid him for the $130,000 in hush money received by Daniels. | The payments to the women – pornographic film actor Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal – amounted to illegal campaign contributions and were designed to influence the results of the election, Cohen admitted in court. He said Trump repaid him for the $130,000 in hush money received by Daniels. |
| “He said under oath the most damaging, definitive information yesterday – that the president of the United States directed him to commit a crime,” Davis said on on NBC’s Today show. | |
| Davis also said Cohen would not accept a pardon, even if Trump were to offer him one. | |
| “Not only is he not hoping for, he would not accept a pardon,” Davis said.“He considers a pardon from somebody who has acted so corruptly as president to be something he would never accept.” | |
| Continuing his series of tweets on Wednesday, Trump attempted to dismiss two of the counts of campaign finance violations that Cohen had pleaded guilty to, saying they “are not a crime.” | |
| He also complained that “President Obama had a big campaign finance violation and it was easily settled!” Trump was apparently referring to a fine levied on the former president’s 2008 campaign over missing and delayed disclosure of high-dollar donors in the final days of that race. | |
| Though Cohen’s plea deal did not include an agreement to cooperate with prosecutors, but his lawyer said Cohen is now prepared to tell all to the special counsel’s investigators and to the public. | |
| Davis did not specify what information Cohen has about Russian interference, but said he is “100%” prepared to reveal everything. | Davis did not specify what information Cohen has about Russian interference, but said he is “100%” prepared to reveal everything. |
| “What he knows that he witnessed will be of interest to the special counsel,” he said on ABC’s Good Morning America. “He will tell the truth to everyone who asks him about Mr Trump.” | “What he knows that he witnessed will be of interest to the special counsel,” he said on ABC’s Good Morning America. “He will tell the truth to everyone who asks him about Mr Trump.” |
| Cohen was for years one of Trump’s most trusted advisers, but his attorney made it clear he has now thoroughly turned on his billionaire boss, less than a year after he said he “would take a bullet for” the president. | Cohen was for years one of Trump’s most trusted advisers, but his attorney made it clear he has now thoroughly turned on his billionaire boss, less than a year after he said he “would take a bullet for” the president. |
| Cohen believes Trump is “unsuitable to hold the office”, Davis said, citing his refusal while standing alongside Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, to accept the conclusion of US intelligence agencies that the Russians were responsible for the election disruption. | Cohen believes Trump is “unsuitable to hold the office”, Davis said, citing his refusal while standing alongside Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, to accept the conclusion of US intelligence agencies that the Russians were responsible for the election disruption. |
| If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen! | |
| “He’s turned his life [around] from what he did for Donald Trump, much of which he now regrets,” Davis said on the Today Show. “That’s the kind of thing that caused Michael Cohen to change his mind, and decide to dedicate himself to telling the truth to the American people.” | “He’s turned his life [around] from what he did for Donald Trump, much of which he now regrets,” Davis said on the Today Show. “That’s the kind of thing that caused Michael Cohen to change his mind, and decide to dedicate himself to telling the truth to the American people.” |
| The distaste is apparently mutual. In his first comment on Cohen’s plea, Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning: “If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen!” | The distaste is apparently mutual. In his first comment on Cohen’s plea, Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning: “If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen!” |
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