Cohen’s lawyer has asked the judge for no jail time because, he said, his clients misdeeds were caused by his “fierce loyalty” to the president.
11:45 a.m.
Michael Cohen is now approaching the podium to deliver a prepared speech.
11:40 a.m.
SDNY’s Assistant U. S. Attorney Nicolas Roos is up.
He defended his treatment of Cohen. « For all the hypothesizing that Mr. Petrillo has done, Mr. Cohen can’t have it both ways, » he said. « There is a standard way this office conducts cooperation, we’ve treated Mr. Cohen just the way we treat every other defendant that deal with the US Attorney’s office. »
Cohen’s charges, he said, « portray a pattern of deception, of brazenness and of greed » and were « serious because of the tremendous societal costs. »
Cohen’s actions he said, hurt « free and transparent elections, and in committing these crimes, Cohen has eroded faith in the electoral process. »
11:35 a.m.
Jeannie Rhee, representing Special Counsel Robert Mueller, delivered a short speech summarizing her earlier memo. She called Cohen « credible » and said he delivered « valuable information » about « any links between a campaign and a foreign government. » She said she believes Cohen « told the truth » but that she couldn’t say much because of the « ongoing investigation. »
11:25 a.m.
Petrillo told the Judge Pauley that his client has not been treated like other defendants because « Mr. Cohen had the misfortune to have been counsel to the president. »
« This is a man whose first instinct is to help, » he said. Cohen does not « engage in sharp business practices, » and has not hurt any financial institutions. « No bank has ever lost money dealing with Michael Cohen. I’ll say that again: No bank has ever lost money dealing with Michael Cohen. No friend in need has ever been turned away, » he said.
Cohen, he said, wanted to fully cooperate but is « wary of a long-term cooperation agreement for personal reasons and because he wants both to remove himself and remove his family from the glare of the cameras. »
Finally, Petrillo took a dig at the Southern District, and said they were upset at the spotlight the Mueller investigation had gained.
