Donald Trump’s long-time personal lawyer has said Mr Trump directed him to buy the silence of two women during the 2016 campaign because he was concerned about how their stories of alle
By Michael Balsamo, Associated Press
December 14 2018 3:03 PM
Donald Trump’s long-time personal lawyer has said Mr Trump directed him to buy the silence of two women during the 2016 campaign because he was concerned about how their stories of alleged affairs would affect the election.
Michael Cohen, speaking in an interview with ABC, said Mr Trump knew the payments were wrong.
The lawyer — who for more than a decade was a key player in the Trump Organisation and a fixture in Mr Trump’s political life — said he “gave loyalty to someone who, truthfully, does not deserve loyalty”.
EXCLUSIVE: Fmr. Trump attorney, sentenced to 3 years in prison for various crimes including campaign finance violations and lying to Congress, Michael Cohen, breaks his silence with @GStephanopoulos. FULL @GMA STORY: https://t.co/4ehqd1fP6A TRANSCRIPT: https://t.co/sTCn23S6sb pic.twitter.com/HI8XfS6SUu
Cohen said “of course” Mr Trump knew it was wrong to make the hush-money payments, but he did not provide any specific evidence or detail in the interview.
Federal law requires that any payments made “for the purposes of influencing” an election must be reported in campaign finance disclosures.
Speaking to ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, Cohen appeared shaken over the series of events that swiftly took him from being Mr Trump’s “fixer” to a man facing three years in prison.
“I am done with the lying,” Cohen said. “I am done being loyal to President Trump.
“I will not be the villain of this story.”
People of the United States of America, people of the world, don’t believe what he is saying. The man doesn’t tell the truth. And it is sad that I should take responsibility for his dirty deeds
Michael Cohen
Cohen was sentenced on Wednesday to three years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to several charges, including campaign finance violations and lying to Congress.
Prosecutors said Mr Trump directed him to arrange the payments to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in the run-up to the 2016 campaign.
The decision to pay off Daniels, who alleged she had sex with a married Mr Trump in 2006, was made soon after an old Access Hollywood tape surfaced in which Mr Trump was heard talking about groping and trying to have sex with women, Cohen said.
