Michael Cohen, US President Donald Trump’s former lawyer, has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a Trump real estate project in Russia.
Larry Neumeister
November 29 2018 2:47 PM
Michael Cohen, US President Donald Trump’s former lawyer, has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a Trump real estate project in Russia.
Flanked by his lawyers, Cohen admitted making false statements in 2017 to the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence about the project.
Cohen told the judge in New York he lied about the timing of the negotiations and other details to be consistent with Mr Trump’s « political message ».
Cohen and prosecutors referred to Mr Trump as « individual one » throughout the proceedings and said he lied « to be loyal to individual one ».
Among other lies, Cohen said he told Congress that all discussions of the Moscow Trump Tower project ended by January 2016, when they had actually continued until June of that year.
One of the prosecutors working with special counsel Robert Mueller was present in the courtroom.
Cohen’s lawyer Guy Petrillo said he would give the court a letter outlining how his client has co-operated with Mr Mueller’s investigation.
In August, Cohen pleaded guilty to other federal charges involving his taxi businesses, bank fraud and his campaign work for Mr Trump.
The president said Cohen is a « weak person » who is « lying » to get a reduced sentence.
Reacting to the plea to the new charges, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Cohen « should be prosecuted to the extent of the law.
