President Donald Trump directed his attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about his ultimately scrapped negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, two federal law enforcement officials close to the investigation have claimed.
Buzzfeed reported Thursday night that the president and his oldest children Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. received regular updates about the development, even as Trump repeatedly claimed he had no business in Russia.
The report claims Trump also wanted to visit Russia during his presidential campaign to personally meet with Vladimir Putin and launch talks about building the tower, which he hoped could make him $300 million in profits.
'Make it happen,' the unnamed sources claim Trump told Cohen about the meeting.
President Donald Trump directed his attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about his negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, two federal law enforcement officials claim
The sources claim that Cohen told Mueller that, after Trump won the election, he personally instructed Cohen to lie to Congress about when the negotiations for Trump Tower had ended
Buzzfeed's sources also claim Trump had at least 10 face-to-face meetings with Cohen about 'Trump Tower Moscow' during his presidential campaign.
Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani warned reporters Thursday night to be skeptical of the report from Buzzfeed, which famously published the anti-Trump 'dirty dossier' full of salacious and unproven allegations.
'If you believe Cohen I can get you a great deal on the Brooklyn Bridge,' Giuliani said.
Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress in November, admitting he didn't tell the truth about the Moscow real estate deal's timeline. He testified 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.'
Special Counsel Robert 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.
Mueller's team, who is investigating allegations of Russian interference in the presidential election and so-far unproven claims of Kremlin coordination with the Trump campaign, also noted that Cohen's lies to Congress about when the development ended was meant to 'minimize links between the Moscow Project and Individual 1 in hopes of limiting the ongoing Russia investigations.'
'Individual 1' is Mueller's name for Trump in the investigation.
The report claims that Trump also wanted to visit Russia during his presidential campaign to personally meet with Vladimir Putin and begin negotiations on the tower, which he hoped could make him $300 million in profits - and told Cohen 'Make it happen'
President's lawyer Rudy Giuliani fired back against Cohen, calling him a liar; Cohen has already pleaded guilty to lying to Congress, but claims Trump ordered him to do it
Cohen, who sources said was put in charge of the project, also acknowledged he considered traveling to Moscow to discuss the project.
The two sources claim Cohen told Mueller that Trump personally instructed Cohen to lie to Congress, after he won the election, about when the negotiations for Trump Tower had ended.
According to Buzzfeed, Mueller first discovered that Trump told Cohen to lie to Congress via evidence from internal company emails, text messages, and witnesses from the Trump Organization. Buzzfeeed also reported that Cohen later confirmed it during his own interviews with the special counsel.
Cohen had previously told two congressional committees that the talks about the tower project ended in January 2016, a lie he said was an act of loyalty to Trump.
In fact, the negotiations continued until June 2016, Cohen acknowledged.
Cohen had also testified that he only gave Trump three short briefings on the project, only to tell Mueller that this was a lie as well.
Trump's former personal attorney said he far more discussions about Trump Tower Moscow with the president, and also had extensive discussions about it with Trump's children - giving them 'very detailed updates'.
Ivanka has claimed she was only 'minimally involved' in the project; Cohen has alleged that Trump's elder daughter was actually slated to manage a spa at the tower and had personally recommended an architect.
The bombshell report by Buzzfeed alleges that the president and his oldest children Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr received regular updates about the development, even as Trump repeatedly claimed he had no business in Russia
Ivanka has claimed that she was only 'minimally involved' in the project, although Cohen alleges that Trump's eldest daughter was actually going to manage a spa at the tower and had personally recommended an architect. Pictured is a rendering of the proposed tower
And Donald Trump Jr. testified before Congress that he had only been 'peripherally aware' of the development, and that most of his knowledge about the project was gained during the hearing.
After Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress, Trump defended the project.
'There would be nothing wrong if I did do it,' he said. 'I was running my business while I was campaigning.'
'There was a good chance that I wouldn't have won, in which case I would have gone back into the business, and why should I lose lots of opportunities?'
But while Trump was campaigning for president, he repeatedly claimed he had nothing to do with Russia whatsoever.
'I know nothing about Russia. I know – I know about Russia, but I know nothing about the inner workings of Russia,' he said during a debate against Hillary Clinton in October 2016.
'I don't deal there. I have no businesses there. I have no loans from Russia,' he declared then.
Not long after the Buzzfeed report was published, a parade of Democratic congressmen called for an investigation – with some even demanding Trump's impeachment.
Mueller later filed documents revealing Cohen said he discussed the proposal with Trump on multiple occasions and with members of the president's family
'If the President directed Cohen to lie to Congress, that is obstruction of justice. Period. Full stop,' tweeted Rhode Island Democratic Rep David Cicilline.
'This stunning Trump Tower Moscow story establishes a clear case of Obstruction of Justice, a felony,' wrote California Rep Ted Lieu. 'I've lost count now how many times @realDonaldTrump has engaged in Obstruction of Justice.'
'Oh, fyi the first Article of Impeachment for Richard Nixon was Obstruction of Justice,' he added.
'If the @Buzzfeed story is true, President Trump must resign or be impeached,' declared Texas Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro, a member of the House Intelligence Committee.
Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said they will 'do what's necessary to find out if it's true'.
'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,' he tweeted.
Not long after the Buzzfeed report was published, a slew of Democratic congressmen called for an investigation - or even Trump's impeachment
Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz also called for Congress to investigate the report.
'I mean everything feels like a bombshell and we are all numb but I'm pretty sure if this story is true it's - I'm going to be careful with my words here - something that Congress must investigate thoroughly'.
Meanwhile, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy called on Mueller to 'show Congress his cards before it's too late for us to act.'
'Listen, if Mueller does have multiple sources confirming Trump directed Cohen to lie to Congress, then we need to know this ASAP,' Murphy tweeted.
Hours before Buzzfeed released its report, Cohen told The Wall Street Journal that he paid a technology company to rig Trump's standing in two online polls before he launched his presidential campaign.
'As for the @WSJ article on poll rigging, what I did was at the direction of and for the sole benefit of @realDonaldTrump @POTUS,' Cohen tweeted.
'I truly regret my blind loyalty to a man who doesn't deserve it.'
Cohen confirmed details in a Journal story that reported how he stiffed the owner of the technology company out of tens of thousands of dollars he promised for work that included using a computer script to enter fake votes for Trump in a 2014 CNBC poll asking people to identify top business leaders and a 2015 poll of potential presidential candidates.
The company owner, John Gauger, told the newspaper that Cohen promised him $50,000 for the work but instead gave him a blue Walmart bag stuffed with between $12,000 and $13,000 in cash, plus a boxing glove Cohen claimed had been worn by a Brazilian mixed-martial arts fighter.
Cohen disputed that he paid cash, telling the Journal that 'All monies paid to Mr. Gauger were by check.' He offered no further comment.
Federal prosecutors referred to a payment to Gauger's company – though not by name – when they charged Cohen last summer with violating campaign finance laws by arranging hush-money payments to two women who claim they had extramarital affairs with Trump.
A charging document stated that Cohen had been reimbursed by the Trump Organization for payments to the women, plus $50,000 for 'tech services' that he requested in a handwritten note.
Link hienalouca.com This is interesting We are looking for an investor for a project to grow dinosaurs from chicken eggs and relict plants. Necessary amount of investments from 400 000 to 900 000 dollars. For all interested parties, e-mail angocman@gmail.com. This will be very interesting.https://hienalouca.com/2019/01/18/trump-directed-cohen-to-lie-to-congress-about-trump-tower-moscow/
Main photo article President Donald Trump directed his attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about his ultimately scrapped negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, two federal law enforcement officials close to the investigation have claimed.
Buzzfeed reported Thursday night that the president and his o...
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/2019/01/18/04/8680274-6605677-image-m-57_1547786888500.jpg
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий