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Michael Cohen deserves substantial prison time, prosecutors say Cohen spoke to Russian offering Putin meeting for Trump, Mueller reveals
(34 minutes later)
One of Donald Trump’s closest advisers spoke with a Russian offering cooperation from Moscow and a meeting with Vladimir Putin during the 2016 election campaign, the special counsel Robert Mueller revealed on Friday. One of Donald Trump’s closest advisers spoke with a Russian offering help from Moscow and a meeting with Vladimir Putin during the 2016 election campaign, the special counsel Robert Mueller revealed on Friday.
Michael Cohen admitted to having the conversation among other “contacts with Russian interests” during the campaign, Mueller said, as prosecutors said Cohen should receive a substantial prison sentence.
Prosecutors recommend 'substantial' jail time for Michael Cohen – liveProsecutors recommend 'substantial' jail time for Michael Cohen – live
Cohen, who was Trump’s personal lawyer and legal fixer, also told investigators that he made efforts to contact the Russian government to propose a meeting between Trump and Putin in New York in September 2015, after discussing this with Trump. Michael Cohen admitted to having the conversation among other “contacts with Russian interests” during the campaign, Mueller said, as prosecutors said Cohen should receive a prison sentence of about four years.
The remarkable new details were disclosed in court filings submitted by Mueller and federal prosecutors in Manhattan in advance of Cohen’s sentencing for Cohen, who was Trump’s personal lawyer and legal fixer, also told investigators he made efforts to contact the Russian government to propose a meeting between Trump and Putin in New York in September 2015, after discussing this with Trump.
was motivated by greed and “repeatedly used his power and influence for deceptive ends,” they said in a court filing. The remarkable new details were disclosed in court filings submitted by Mueller and federal prosecutors in Manhattan in advance of Cohen’s sentencing for violating campaign finance laws, committing financial crimes and lying to Congress.
The sentencing memo described information Cohen had provided since abandoning Trump and assisting with the government’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 US election and possible collusion with Trump’s team. While Mueller said Cohen had provided significant help to the Trump-Russia inquiry, the prosecutors in New York said Cohen overstated his overall cooperation with the government and had shown a “rose-colored view of the seriousness of the crimes”.
Cohen had been meeting investigators from Robert Mueller’s Trump-Russia investigation since the summer, according to his lawyers, and has also been helping investigators with an inquiry by New York state authorities into Trump’s charitable foundation. Cohen was motivated by greed and “repeatedly used his power and influence for deceptive ends”, the prosecutors said in a court filing, adding that his professional life had been marked by a deceptive streak he apparently hid from his family.
Last week, Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about Trump’s plans to develop a building in Russia, and admitted that he spoke with a Kremlin official about securing Russian government support for the project. Despite his wrongdoing, Mueller said, Cohen disclosed significant new information to the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. US intelligence agencies have concluded the action was aimed at helping Trump and harming the campaign of Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent.
In explosive testimony, Cohen told a court that Trump continued trying to develop a tower in Russia’s capital for several months into his campaign for the presidency – contradicting Trump’s account. Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about Trump’s plans to develop a building in Russia. He admitted the project continued well into Trump’s campaign for the presidency – contradicting Trump’s account – and that Cohen spoke with a Kremlin official about securing Russian government support.
On Friday Mueller disclosed that in November 2015, Cohen separately spoke with a Russian “who claimed to be a ‘trusted person’ in the Russian Federation” and offered Trump’s campaign “political synergy” and “synergy on a government level”.
The Russian repeatedly proposed a meeting between Trump and Putin, according to Mueller, and told Cohen the meeting “could have a ‘phenomenal’ impact ‘not only in political but in a business dimension as well’”, because there was “no bigger warranty in any project than consent of Putin”.
John Kelly interviewed by Mueller's team and expected to quit – report
Mueller said Cohen chose not to pursue the offer of assistance in part because he was working on the project with someone else he “understood to have his own connections to the Russian government”, a likely reference to Felix Sater, a controversial developer who was working on the Trump Tower Moscow plans.
According to Friday’s filing, Cohen also gave investigators “relevant and useful information” about his contacts with people “connected to the White House” this year and last year – a disclosure that is likely to cause increased alarm among Trump’s aides in Washington.
Cohen had been meeting investigators from Mueller’s team since the summer, according to his lawyers, and has also been helping investigators with an inquiry by New York state authorities into Trump’s charitable foundation.
Cohen previously pleaded guilty in August to violating election campaign finance laws by arranging payoffs to women who claimed in 2016 to have had sexual relationships with Trump. Cohen said he acted under direction from Trump. He also pleaded guilty to several financial crimes relating to his business and tax affairs.Cohen previously pleaded guilty in August to violating election campaign finance laws by arranging payoffs to women who claimed in 2016 to have had sexual relationships with Trump. Cohen said he acted under direction from Trump. He also pleaded guilty to several financial crimes relating to his business and tax affairs.
Michael CohenMichael Cohen
Trump-Russia investigationTrump-Russia investigation
Robert MuellerRobert Mueller
Donald TrumpDonald Trump
RussiaRussia
Trump administrationTrump administration
US politicsUS politics
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