Former longtime Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen will unload on his former boss in congressional testimony on Wednesday, bringing a pair of $35,000 checks he cashed as partial reimbursement of 'hush money' he paid to alleged Trump paramours Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal.
In a hotly anticipated hearing tainted by Cohen's own admission he has lied to Congress in the past, he will brand the president a 'racist,' a 'conman' and a 'cheat,' claim he heard Roger Stone tell then-candidate Trump about illicit campaign contacts with WikiLeaks and allege Donald trump Jr. secretly told his father ahead of time about an infamous 2016 Trump Tower meeting attended by a Kremlin-tied Russian lawyer.
Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, has claimed in interviews that Trump paid Cohen a monthly retainer of $35,000 for legal services, as reimbursement for the campaign-year payoffs to the women, who have said they bedded Trump more than a decade ago. Trump has denied ever being sexually involved with either Daniels, a pornographic actress, or McDougal, a former Playboy mode.
One check provided to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform was signed by Trump himself in August 2017, more than six months into his administration, and issued from what Cohen says is the president's personal account.
The other is from the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust – and signed by both Donald Trump Jr. and Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg.
SCROLL DOWN TO READ COHEN'S COMPLETE TESTIMONY
Michael Cohen, a former Trump Organization executive and attorney for President Donald Trump, will testify in a must-watch hearing Wednedsay about the president's involvement in a hush-money scheme to quiet his alleged mistresses as he ran for the White House in 2016
Cohen has provided members of Congress with two checks, one signed by the president and the other by his son Donald Jr, which he says was reimbursement for payments meant to keep Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal quiet; President Trump's check was written after he had been president for more than a half-year
The Donald Trump Jr.-signed check was dated in March 2017, and was drawn on a family Trust
President Trump was in Hanoi, Vietnam on Wednesday, brushing off the Cohen media circus and focusing on a long-awaited second summit with north korean dictator Kim Jong Un (right)
The president tweeted a trans-pacific slap at Cohen, torching his credibility as a disbarred former lawyer who lied to Congress and will report to prison in May
In 20 pages of prepared testimony released Tuesday night, Cohen blasts his former employer and mentor for an alleged June 2016 conversation with Republican dirty-trickster Roger Stone.
Cohen claims Stone told him that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange had told him a 'massive dump' of emails harmful to Hillary Clinton would be released in just a few days.
Stone has claimed he knew nothing about the torrent of emails that would eventually trickle out a month at a time, all hacked from the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. He also insists he has had no contact with WikiLeaks.
But U.S. intelligence agencies believe Russian agents stole the materials and used WikiLeaks as a conduit to make them public. Stone, Federal prosecutors have charged Stone, Trump's longtime informal adviser whospolitical monkeywrenching dates back to the Nixon era, with witness tampering and lying to Congress.
'Mr. Stone told Mr. Trump that he had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange,' Cohen recounts in his prepared testimony, 'and that Mr. Assange told Mr. Stone that, within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clinton's campaign.'
Cohen will report to prison in May to serve a three-year sentence for crimes he has admitted to, including lying previously to House investigators.
As a stunning series of revelations stole much of the media spotlight away from Trump's summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, the president fired back.
'Michael Cohen was one of many lawyers who represented me (unfortunately). He had other clients also,' Trump tweeted from Hanoi, Vietnam.
'He was just disbarred by the State Supreme Court for lying & fraud. He did bad things unrelated to Trump. He is lying in order to reduce his prison time. Using Crooked’s lawyer!'
Trump called Hillary Clinton 'Crooked Hillary' during their 2016 campaign clashes. Lanny Davis, who represented Bill Clinton during the 1990s Monica Lewinsky scandal, is now one of Cohen's attorneys.
Cohen had two other clients: fellow Republican National Committee deputy finance chairman Elliott Broidy and Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity.
Broidy is reportedly under federal investigation for his alleged role in schemes to sell his influence in Trumpworld, including deals with Chinese and Malaysian companies.
He engaged in his own hush-money scheme, paying $1.6 million to former Playboy Playmate Shera Bechard to cover up a sexual affair.
Cohen's 20-page statement, dripping with contempt for his former employer, describes Trump as 'is a man who ran for office to make his brand great, not to make our country great. He had no desire or intention to lead this nation – only to market himself and to build his wealth and power.'
Cohen claims the president often said his White House campaign 'was going to be the 'greatest infomercial in political history.'
'He never expected to win the primary. He never expected to win the general election. The campaign – for him – was always a marketing opportunity,' according to Cohen.
'I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump's illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat. He was a presidential candidate who knew that Roger Stone was talking with Julian Assange about a WikiLeaks drop of Democratic National Committee emails,' Cohen says.
Cohen also describes being present and hearing cryptic comments by Donald Trump Jr. to his father in early June of 2016 that Cohen believes referenced a Trump Tower meeting with Russians
'I recalled Don Jr. leaning over to his father and speaking in a low voice, which I could clearly hear, and saying: 'The meeting is all set.' I remember Mr. Trump saying, 'Ok good … let me know,' according to Cohen.
June is when Don Jr., former campaign chair Paul Manafort, and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner met with a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer who had promised dirt on Hillary Clinton.
There is no way to verify if Don Jr. was discussing another matter.
Cohen didn't spare himself from criticism, on the even of a jail sentence.
'I am ashamed of my weakness and misplaced loyalty – of the things I did for Mr. Trump in an effort to protect and promote him. I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump's illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience,' Cohen will say.
'He was a presidential candidate who knew that Roger Stone was talking with Julian Assange about a WikiLeaks drop of Democratic National Committee emails,' Cohen said, connecting Trump to the hack that U.S. intelligence and prosecutors say was directed by and carried out by Russian military intelligence.
Michael Cohen leaves the Senate Intelligence Committee after spending nine hours behind closed doors with lawmakers
Trump has denied any advance knowledge of the hack and has said repeatedly there was 'no collusion.' He has accused Cohen of 'lying' to get a lighter sentence from prosecutors.
On the Moscow tower deal, which Cohen admitted he lied about during his initial testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, Cohen says Trump 'directed' the negotiations and lied about it during the campaign, when he was repeatedly asked if he had any business with Russia.
'To be clear: Mr. Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it. He lied about it because he never expected to win the election. He also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions of dollars on the Moscow real estate project,' said Cohen.
Cohen also identified Trump as the 'Individual 1' in his plea agreement – the term prosecutors use for the person who directed him to pay off the porn star who claims she had an affair with Trump.
'Yet, last fall I pled guilty in federal court to felonies for the benefit of, at the direction of, and in coordination with Individual #1. For the record: Individual #1 is President Donald J. Trump,' Cohen will say.
Cohen earlier said he is looking forward to Wednesday's public hearing where the American people will get to hear his story and have the opportunity to decide 'exactly who is telling the truth.'
Cohen briefly addressed the media after he spent nine hours behind closed doors Tuesday answering questions from senators.
'First of all I want to thank all of you for sticking around and waiting for me. At this point in time I really appreciate the opportunity that was given to me to clear the record, to tell the truth and I look forward to tomorrow to be able in my voice to tell the American people my story and I'm going to let the American people decide exactly who is telling the truth,' he said.
Cohen will speak in public Wednesday for the first time since he pleaded guilty to lying to Congress when he is grilled by the House Oversight and Reform Committee.
Tuesday's private session with senators on intelligence panel kicked off the first of his three days of testimony on Capitol Hill, where the topics will include racist remarks he's heard from the president and allegations of criminal activity on the part of Trump.
He did not answer any questions after his 30 second statement.
'It's been a long day,' said his attorney Lanny Davis.
Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein told DailyMail.com that Cohen - who pled guilty to lying to Congress - appeared credible to lawmakers and apologized to them in Tuesday's closed session.
'He appeared credible to me today, and he apologized, he said he was going away, you know, he understands, and I think he made efforts to be absolutely truthful,' she said.
Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein told DailyMail.com that Cohen - who pled guilty to lying to Congress - appeared credible to lawmakers and apologized
Aide: Michael Cohen was accompanied by Lanny Davis, the long-term Clinton advisor who is acting as his personal attorney
Arrival: Michael Cohen arrived on on Capitol Hill at precisely the same time as Donald Trump, his former boss was touching down in Vietnam
Same time: Donald Trump arrived in Hanoi for a summit with Kim Jong Un exactly as the former fixer he has branded a liar arrived on Capitol Hill
Cohen's credibility has been questioned given his admission he lied to lawmakers when he appeared before the House and Senate intelligence committees in 2017.
Feinstein declined to offer specific details on what Cohen, who was known as Trump's fixer, discussed with committee members.
'The part I was in, which is about two hours, umm, he answered questions, he was really – it's classified, so I can't tell you much. I think that most of us know that this is very complicated picture,' she said.
Cohen's appearance on Tuesday was behind closed doors so lawmakers could grill him on a variety of matters, including Trump's business dealings with Russia.
As he gave evidence Cohen also learned that he was disbarred in New York because of his felony conviction in a ruling which prevents him practicing law. He had not attempted to fight the move.
It's over: How Michael Cohen was formally barred from being an attorney in New York
Cohen pleaded guilty to violating campaign-finance laws by facilitating payments to Daniels.
Cohen will also discuss the BuzzFeed report that Trump ordered him to lie to Congress about the Trump Tower Moscow deal. The article earned a rare - if carefully worded - denial from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office.
'He'll explain exactly why he lied and how he came to lie,' said the source told Politico.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins told reporters Cohen was receiving an 'extensive grilling' from the intelligence panel.
But the White House voiced anger at the ex-fixer's high-profile session.
'It's laughable that anyone would take a convicted liar like Cohen at his word, and pathetic to see him given yet another opportunity to spread his lies,' Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.
Cohen arrived on Capitol Hill Tuesday morning to the flash of cameras lights and shouted questions but he didn't say a word as he walked into the Senate hearing room with Lanny Davis, the former Bill Clinton advisor who is acting as his attorney, and begins the first of three days of hearings.
Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden told reporters outside the hearing room he's interested in following the money when it comes to Cohen's work on Trump Tower Moscow.
But one issue he wouldn't touch was whether Cohen – who plead guilty to lying to Congress – can be trusted to tell the truth in this appearance.
'I'll leave it at that,' Wyden said when asked that question.
Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich, as he entered the hearing room, said he was looking for 'the truth.'
Wednesday's public hearing will overshadow the others merely by the presence of TV cameras, to which both Cohen and the lawmakers will be playing to as they engage in a verbal parley on a variety of issues, including the building of Trump Tower Moscow, the payoffs to women during the 2016 campaign, Trump's business dealings, and donations to the president's inaugural committee.
Trump and his legal team have repeatedly branded Cohen as a liar, and say he cooperated with prosecutors and furnished false information to get a reduced jail sentence.
But one topic not the public agenda: Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and any possible collusion between Trump's team and Moscow.
Oversight panel chairman Elijah Cummings coordinated with his counterpart on the House Intel panel, Adam Schiff, and the two agreed the Russia conversation will happen discussed behind closed doors at the intelligence session while Trump's business dealings will be the focus of the public hearing, according to a memo released Sunday by the Oversight panel.
Lawmakers can dismiss the chairman's guidance and ask whatever they chose, but Cohen's attorney, Lanny Davis, also said his client cannot talk about the Russia probe in public.
However, Republicans are already preparing to cast doubts on Cohen's credibility - one of Trump's legal team's major arguments against the president's former personal attorney.
'I don't know that we believe him this time,' Blunt noted.
Republicans will be just as hard on Cohen as Democrats, particularly those closed tied to the president.
Republican Reps. Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows, two of Trump's staunches allies on Capitol Hill, sent a letter to Cohen's attorneys last week saying they intend to press the president's former personal lawyer on his questionable business dealings, his lies to Congress, his work for foreign entities, and even 'the fake Women for Cohen social media initiative he commissioned.'
One person who won't be in town for the show is President Trump, who jetted off to Vietnam on Monday for his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. But he will have the ability to tweet even with the 12 hour time difference.
This week marks Cohen's first time before lawmakers since he pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the timing of talks concerning the building of a Trump Tower Moscow during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Lawmakers have indicated that will be a major topic of interest.
'Well, a great deal starting with why the false statements before our committee when he first appeared. Did they go beyond what he told us about Moscow Trump Tower into other areas as well?,' House Intelligence panel chair Rep. Adam Schiff said on ABC's 'This Week' on Sunday.
Democratic Rep. Jim Himes, who also sits on the Intelligence panel, said he wants to know the same.
'Well, you know, Michael Cohen is going to jail for lying to my committee. So obviously, step one is to re-ask him the questions that he felt he needed to lie to us about, when he testified in the last Congress. So we're going to want to get to the truth, allow him to correct the record. And then, of course, the question is, okay, now that we know the truth, what are the follow-ups? It's going to be an interesting week in that regard,' he said Sunday on NBC's 'Meet the Press.'
Democratic Reps. Elijah Cummings (left) and Adam Schiff (right) will chair Wednesday's and Thursday's House hearings respectively
Last week, Cohen got a two-month reprieve from his deadline to report for his three years in jail, with a judge giving him until May 6. One of the reasons cited was his upcoming congressional testimony.
Cohen received a three-year sentence in December for bank and tax fraud, lying to Congress and violating campaign finance laws.
Both Trump's lawyers and the president himself have pushed back against any comments Cohen may have made to Mueller or will make in public by labeling him as a rat and turn coat who can't be believed.
Cohen has been cooperating with the special counsel's probe of Russia's role in the 2016 election. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York was the lead federal prosecutor earlier this year when Cohen pled guilty to eight counts, including tax fraud and campaign finance violations - that stemmed from the special counsel's investigation.
Cohen also has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the timeline of conversations he had with Russian officials about building a Trump Tower Moscow as part of separate investigation by Mueller's team.
He was sentenced to three years in prison and is free on bail until that time.
Cohen's guilty pleas included a charge of lying to Congress about a Trump Organization real estate project that was slated for Moscow, Russia and discussed through the fall of 2016 while the president was running for office.
He testified in a closed congressional interview that the project he pursued on Trump's behalf was abandoned by the time of the Iowa Caucuses in January 2016; that would be consistent with Trump's 'political messaging.'
Mueller later filed documents revealing Cohen said he discussed the proposal with Trump on multiple occasions and with members of the president's family, later in the year – even after Trump became the Republican nominee for president.
Cohen said he lied out of loyalty to Trump.
Cohen also played a role in hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels (left) and former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal (right)
'I made these misstatements to be consistent with Individual 1's political messaging and out of loyalty to Individual 1,' Cohen said at his plea hearing late last year.
'Individual 1' is Mueller's name for Trump in the investigation.
Cohen was also the central figure in a plot to buy the silence of pornographic actress Stormy Daniels, who claimed that she had an affair with Trump in 2006.
Daniels signed a nondisclosure agreement in exchange for $130,000 from Cohen, a transaction that he admitted was a violation of campaign finance laws since it amounted to an illegally large contribution benefiting Trump's White House hopes.
He said in court that Trump directed him to make the payment, suggesting the president was guilty of a crime.
In August he pleaded guilty to eight separate charges related to tax dodges, falsifying bank documents and the campaign finance violations involving Daniels and another woman, former Playboy magazine model Karen McDougal.
Cohen claims that at Trump's request, he arranged for the publisher of The National Enquirer to pay McDougal – another self-described past Trump paramour – for the exclusive rights to her life story. The magazine never published anything, engaging in a practice known as 'catch and kill' in order to help Trump avoid new scandals in the final weeks of the 2016 campaign.
Trump has denied ever having a sexual relationship with either Daniels or McDougal.
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2019/02/27/cohen-will-show-congress-a-35000-check-trump-gave-him-for-stormy-hush-money/
Main photo article Former longtime Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen will unload on his former boss in congressional testimony on Wednesday, bringing a pair of $35,000 checks he cashed as partial reimbursement of ‘hush money’ he paid to alleged Trump paramours Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal.
In a...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/02/27/07/10332940-6750187-Michael_Cohen_said_he_is_looking_forward_to_Wednesday_s_public_h-a-2_1551253797200.jpg
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