Hours earlier, his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud charges lodged by federal officers.
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President Donald Trump is set to lead a campaign-style rally in West Virginia on Tuesday, hours after his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud charges lodged by federal officers.
Cohen had struck a deal with U. S. attorneys in Manhattan’s southern district after months of court proceedings related to a raft of materials seized in raids on his office and hotel room in April.
Trump’s name was not used in the lower Manhattan courtroom, but Cohen made references to an unidentified “candidate,” at whose direction Cohen said he paid two women for the purpose of influencing the presidential election.
However, Cohen’s lawyer, Lanny Davis, had no reservations about calling out Trump by name in a statement following Cohen’s appearance in court.
“Today he stood up and testified under oath that Donald Trump directed him to commit a crime by making payments to two women for the principal purpose of influencing an election,” Davis said of Trump.
At nearly the same time, Trump’s ex-campaign chairman Paul Manafort was found guilty on eight out of the 18 criminal counts against him in a federal trial prosecuted by attorneys for special counsel Robert Mueller .
Trump was expected to travel to West Virginia to lead voter turnout efforts against Democratic incumbent Sen. Joe Manchin, who faces re-election in November.
Trump’s appearance in Charleston on Tuesday night will mark his sixth visit to West Virginia since taking office.
