New York – Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer and “fixer,” pleaded guilty Tuesday to campaign-finance violations and other charges, saying he and Trump arranged the payment of hush money to influence the election.
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Under a plea bargain reached with federal prosecutors, Cohen, 51, could get about four to five years in prison at sentencing Dec. 12.
Cohen pleaded guilty to eight counts in all, including tax evasion and making a false statement to a financial institution.
In entering the plea, Cohen did not specifically name the two women or even Trump, recounting instead that he worked with an “unnamed candidate.”
Cohen’s plea follows months of scrutiny from federal investigations and a falling-out with the president, whom he previously said he would “take a bullet” for.
The FBI raided Cohen’s hotel room, home and office in April and seized more than 4 million items. The search sought bank records, communications with Trump’s campaign and information on a $130,000 payment to one woman and a $150,000 one to another.
Trump ignored questions about Cohen as he boarded Air Force One for a campaign visit to West Virginia.
The president has fumed publicly about what he felt was government overreach, while privately worrying about what material Cohen may have after working for the Trump Organization for a decade. Trump branded the raid “a witch hunt,” an assault on attorney-client privilege and a politically motivated attack by enemies in the FBI.
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team is looking into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The team referred the case involving Cohen’s financial dealings to federal prosecutors in Manhattan.
Before the election, Cohen had been a trusted member of the Trump organization, working out of an office in Trump Tower next to one used by his boss.
He raised millions for Trump’s campaign and, after being interviewed by the House Intelligence Committee last year, told Vanity Fair that Trump had no part in the suspected Russian conspiracy to tamper with the election.
The president’s initial support for Cohen after the raid has since degenerated into a public feud, prompting speculation that, to save himself, Cohen might be willing to tell prosecutors some of the secrets he helped Trump keep.
When Cohen’s team produced a recording he had made of Trump discussing one of the hush-money payments, Trump tweeted: “What kind of lawyer would tape a client? So sad!”
This Imp Coi’en once said he’d ‘take a bullet’ for Toxic Trumpf. He just did. Trumpf on trial next. How soon will he pardon his crooks?
He’s not testifying. Huge loss for the prosecution as there is no trial.
He really took a bullet for the president. Dems must be pissed as there in no connection to Trump.
Nebach, I never taught I will feel sorry for the POTUS of America.
Dems were hoping this would go to trail and spill over to the midterms. Not gonna happen. Huge win for Team Trump
Archy must be disappointed
Cohen committed a crime and now he will do time. Trump will walk away Scott free
You Trumzis are delusional…this is bad news for Trump, as any attorney would tell you…and if Manafort sings before sentencing…Ooo La La!
The American people are smarter than liberals think. They could see right through this and realize this has nothing to do with Trump and the Russians. The fake news will spin this as a win for Mueller.
“This is a disaster for Trump,” said Cornell Law vice dean and legal analyst Jens David Ohlin. “The president is now smack in the middle of a campaign finance violation case. . . . Prosecutors not only have audio recordings of these conversations but will have Cohen’s testimony on top of that. Cohen can both authenticate the tapes and also explain what happened before and after the recordings.”
As The Fix’s Aaron Blake writes, this is the first time in the broader Russia investigation that one of Trump’s allies pleaded guilty to something specific to the 2016 campaign.