New York – Michael Cohen took a last swipe at President Donald Trump as he reported to a federal prison Monday to begin a three…
New York – Michael Cohen took a last swipe at President Donald Trump as he reported to a federal prison Monday to begin a three-year prison sentence for crimes including tax evasion and campaign finance violations related to hush-money payments made to protect his former boss.
“I hope that when I return to my family that the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice and lies at the helm of our country,” Cohen said. “There still remains much to be told and I look forward to the day where I can share the truth.”
Cohen, 52, arrived around 11:45 a.m. at the Otisville federal prison, which is about 70 miles northwest of New York City and has a prison camp that’s become a haven for white collar criminals .
Video from a television news helicopter showed Cohen stepping out of the SUV, pulling off his blue blazer and leaving it inside the vehicle before walking to a prison building. He was met by two men who appeared to be prison officials.
A little less than two hours earlier, as he left his New York City home, Cohen had stopped to briefly read from what appeared to be a prepared statement to a crush of media outside his apartment. He didn’t mention Trump by name, but left little doubt about who he was referring to as being “at the helm” of the U. S.
Cohen didn’t answer shouted questions, stumbling his way to a waiting Cadillac Escalade as journalists jostled around scaffolding and scuffled with his driver.
Prison officials took extra measures to deal with the intense media interest in Cohen’s arrival. They put concrete barriers up along the two-lane road leading to the facility and deployed cones and caution tape to keep about two dozen reporters and photographers from getting too close.