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| Buzzfeed report Trump 'instructed lawyer to lie' sparks investigation pledge | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Democratic politicians in the US say they will investigate allegations that President Donald Trump directed his ex-personal lawyer to lie to Congress. | Democratic politicians in the US say they will investigate allegations that President Donald Trump directed his ex-personal lawyer to lie to Congress. |
| A Buzzfeed News report claims Mr Trump instructed Michael Cohen to lie about plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. | A Buzzfeed News report claims Mr Trump instructed Michael Cohen to lie about plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. |
| Cohen has been sentenced to jail for lying to Congress and other offences. | Cohen has been sentenced to jail for lying to Congress and other offences. |
| Mr Trump responded on Twitter by referring to Cohen's convictions and saying Cohen was lying about the Moscow project to "reduce his jail time". | |
| Mr Trump has also previously denied ever directing his former lawyer to break the law. | Mr Trump has also previously denied ever directing his former lawyer to break the law. |
| The intelligence committee of the House of Representatives will investigate the claims, says its new chairman, Adam Schiff. | The intelligence committee of the House of Representatives will investigate the claims, says its new chairman, Adam Schiff. |
| "The allegation that the President of the United States may have suborned perjury before our committee in an effort to curtail the investigation and cover up his business dealings with Russia is among the most serious to date," Mr Schiff wrote on Twitter. | "The allegation that the President of the United States may have suborned perjury before our committee in an effort to curtail the investigation and cover up his business dealings with Russia is among the most serious to date," Mr Schiff wrote on Twitter. |
| "We will do what's necessary to find out if it's true," he added. | "We will do what's necessary to find out if it's true," he added. |
| What does the report say? | What does the report say? |
| Buzzfeed says its report is based on testimony from two unnamed law enforcement officials involved in investigating the matter. | Buzzfeed says its report is based on testimony from two unnamed law enforcement officials involved in investigating the matter. |
| The story alleges Mr Trump received 10 personal updates from Cohen about a plan to build a Trump development in Moscow at a time when Mr Trump denied having any business ties to Russia. | The story alleges Mr Trump received 10 personal updates from Cohen about a plan to build a Trump development in Moscow at a time when Mr Trump denied having any business ties to Russia. |
| Mr Trump's daughter, Ivanka, and son, Donald Jnr, were also updated, the story alleges. | Mr Trump's daughter, Ivanka, and son, Donald Jnr, were also updated, the story alleges. |
| Special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating alleged Russian interference in the US presidential election - and whether Trump campaign figures were complicit - has already revealed that Cohen lied about the date the Moscow Trump Tower project ended. | Special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating alleged Russian interference in the US presidential election - and whether Trump campaign figures were complicit - has already revealed that Cohen lied about the date the Moscow Trump Tower project ended. |
| Cohen told Congress talks over the plan had taken place between September 2015 and January 2016 but criminal complaint documents have said they lasted until June. | Cohen told Congress talks over the plan had taken place between September 2015 and January 2016 but criminal complaint documents have said they lasted until June. |
| Cohen said the plan had been halted earlier in an attempt to "minimise links between the Moscow Project and Individual 1" during the election campaign. Individual 1 has previously been identified by Cohen as Mr Trump. | Cohen said the plan had been halted earlier in an attempt to "minimise links between the Moscow Project and Individual 1" during the election campaign. Individual 1 has previously been identified by Cohen as Mr Trump. |
| Buzzfeed says Cohen has told investigators that Mr Trump "personally instructed him to lie" about the date negotiations ended "in order to obscure Trump's involvement". | Buzzfeed says Cohen has told investigators that Mr Trump "personally instructed him to lie" about the date negotiations ended "in order to obscure Trump's involvement". |
| The report said Mr Mueller had other evidence, including from interviews with other Trump organisation staff and internal company emails, to corroborate Cohen's version of events. | The report said Mr Mueller had other evidence, including from interviews with other Trump organisation staff and internal company emails, to corroborate Cohen's version of events. |
| The report also says Mr Trump allegedly encouraged Cohen to plan a trip to meet President Vladimir Putin during the election campaign. | The report also says Mr Trump allegedly encouraged Cohen to plan a trip to meet President Vladimir Putin during the election campaign. |
| Cohen was sentenced to 36 months in December after he pleaded guilty to lying to Congress over the Trump Tower plan. He has also admitted campaign finance violations and tax evasion. | |
| In court he said his "weakness was a blind loyalty to Donald Trump" - whose "dirty deeds" he had felt compelled to cover up. | In court he said his "weakness was a blind loyalty to Donald Trump" - whose "dirty deeds" he had felt compelled to cover up. |
| What's in Mr Trump's response? | What's in Mr Trump's response? |
| The president issued a reply to the story in a tweet on Friday: | The president issued a reply to the story in a tweet on Friday: |
| The reference to the father-in-law appears to be a follow-up to Mr Trump's previous suggestion that Cohen's father-in-law, Fima Shusterman, should be "looked at". | The reference to the father-in-law appears to be a follow-up to Mr Trump's previous suggestion that Cohen's father-in-law, Fima Shusterman, should be "looked at". |
| Mr Trump made the suggestion in an interview with Fox News, although he did not appear to know the man's name. | Mr Trump made the suggestion in an interview with Fox News, although he did not appear to know the man's name. |
| Mr Shusterman allegedly loaned at least $20m (£15m) to a Chicago cab firm owner who was mentioned in the FBI warrants that were used to raid Cohen's offices. | Mr Shusterman allegedly loaned at least $20m (£15m) to a Chicago cab firm owner who was mentioned in the FBI warrants that were used to raid Cohen's offices. |
| A big fuse is lit | A big fuse is lit |
| Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC News | Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC News |
| With the longest government shutdown in history poised to stretch into a fifth week, Washington has become a political powder keg. The report on Thursday night that there is documentary evidence Donald Trump directed his former attorney to lie to Congress just lit a big fuse. | With the longest government shutdown in history poised to stretch into a fifth week, Washington has become a political powder keg. The report on Thursday night that there is documentary evidence Donald Trump directed his former attorney to lie to Congress just lit a big fuse. |
| If the Buzzfeed story is substantiated - and it asserts this evidence is already in the hands of Mr Mueller - this would appear to present a strong case for presidential obstruction of justice. Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, in a hearing on Tuesday, prompted attorney general nominee William Barr to acknowledge as much. | If the Buzzfeed story is substantiated - and it asserts this evidence is already in the hands of Mr Mueller - this would appear to present a strong case for presidential obstruction of justice. Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, in a hearing on Tuesday, prompted attorney general nominee William Barr to acknowledge as much. |
| Already the quiet whispers of impeachment among House Democrats are getting louder. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been able to tamp down this sentiment so far, but she may be unable - or unwilling - to keep it under wraps much longer. | Already the quiet whispers of impeachment among House Democrats are getting louder. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been able to tamp down this sentiment so far, but she may be unable - or unwilling - to keep it under wraps much longer. |
| For almost two years, Mr Mueller's Russia investigation has been a cipher, with details of its activities coming only in opaque legal filings and anonymous accounts of unascertainable veracity. | For almost two years, Mr Mueller's Russia investigation has been a cipher, with details of its activities coming only in opaque legal filings and anonymous accounts of unascertainable veracity. |
| It seems the time for him to put his cards on the table and end the speculation and parlour-game guessing is rapidly approaching. In fact it's past time, if you ask some Democrats. | It seems the time for him to put his cards on the table and end the speculation and parlour-game guessing is rapidly approaching. In fact it's past time, if you ask some Democrats. |
| What has the reaction been? | What has the reaction been? |
| Some Democrats reacted by calling for impeachment, while some of the president's supporters questioned the veracity of the report. | |
| What is the latest with the Russia investigation? | What is the latest with the Russia investigation? |
| Mr Mueller's investigation is still ongoing and it is unclear when he will submit his findings to the attorney general, the top legal official in the US. | Mr Mueller's investigation is still ongoing and it is unclear when he will submit his findings to the attorney general, the top legal official in the US. |
| It is up to the attorney general to notify Congress and decide whether the report will be released publicly. | It is up to the attorney general to notify Congress and decide whether the report will be released publicly. |
| President Trump's nominee for attorney general, William Barr, is currently undergoing confirmation in Congress. He has said he will make as much of the Mueller report public as possible but has not promised to publish it all. | President Trump's nominee for attorney general, William Barr, is currently undergoing confirmation in Congress. He has said he will make as much of the Mueller report public as possible but has not promised to publish it all. |
| So far Mr Mueller's investigation has led to charges against more than two dozen Russians, as well as several people connected to Mr Trump himself, including his former national security adviser and the former chairman of his election campaign. | So far Mr Mueller's investigation has led to charges against more than two dozen Russians, as well as several people connected to Mr Trump himself, including his former national security adviser and the former chairman of his election campaign. |
| A number of them, including Cohen, are known to be co-operating with Mr Mueller's probe. | A number of them, including Cohen, are known to be co-operating with Mr Mueller's probe. |
| Cohen must report to prison by 6 March, but before that, he has agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee in February. | Cohen must report to prison by 6 March, but before that, he has agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee in February. |