WASHINGTON – Michael Cohen, the pugnacious lawyer and problem-solver for Donald Trump who has confessed to committing crimes for his benefit, is scheduled to testify…
WASHINGTON – Michael Cohen, the pugnacious lawyer and problem-solver for Donald Trump who has confessed to committing crimes for his benefit, is scheduled to testify for the first time in public on Wednesday before members of Congress eager to explore the details of his work for the president.
Cohen has pleaded guilty and agreed to provide evidence to prosecutors in two separate criminal investigations into Trump and those around him. He admitted to illegally paying hush money to two women who claimed to have had sex with Trump and lying to Congress about the extent of negotiations for a Trump real-estate project in Russia.
The question looming over his testimony will be whether the president himself participated in those crimes.
A person familiar with Cohen’s planned testimony said he is prepared to testify about « criminal conduct » by Trump after he assumed the presidency. The person, who was not authorized to speak publicly, declined to characterize the conduct, but said it happened during Trump’s first year in the White House.
Trump has said he was not involved in Cohen’s crimes. He argued some of them weren’t crimes at all, and derided Cohen as a « liar » and a « rat. » Both Cohen and the Justice Department have said in court that Trump directed the payoffs to two women in the final months of the 2016 campaign. And prosecutors have confirmed that they are scrutinizing the circumstances that led Cohen to lie to Congress about negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.
The House Oversight and Reform Committee plans to delve widely into Trump’s business and finances, exploring his debts and payments for the 2016 election, his compliance with campaign-finance and tax laws, his business practices, the Trump Foundation and the Trump International Hotel in Washington.
