President Trump ’s attorney Rudy Giuliani reportedly asserted Tuesday that there is no allegation “of any wrongdoing” by Trump in the charges that Trump’s former personal…
President Trump ’s attorney Rudy Giuliani reportedly asserted Tuesday that there is no allegation “of any wrongdoing” by Trump in the charges that Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to earlier in the day.
Giuliani also attacked Cohen over “lies and dishonesty” in a statement to ABC News.
“There is no allegation of any wrongdoing against the President in the government’s charges against Mr. Cohen,” Giuliani said. “It is clear that, as the prosecutor noted, Mr. Cohen’s actions reflect a pattern of lies and dishonesty over a significant period of time.”
Cohen pleaded guilty Friday to charges of bank fraud, tax fraud and campaign finance law violations.
The charges don’t specifically accuse Trump of wrongdoing, but Cohen said he violated campaign finance laws «in coordination and at the direction of a candidate for federal office,» an indirect reference to Trump.
While reviewing the charges, Cohen told the judge that he made a $130,000 payment at the direction of a candidate for federal office to keep someone quiet, and was later repaid by that same candidate.
At no point did Cohen refer to Trump by name, but the account matches Cohen’s payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels in October 2016.
Deputy U. S. Attorney Robert Khumazi said Tuesday that Cohen’s crimes demonstrated “a pattern of lies and dishonesty over an extended period of time.»
“They are significant in their own right, they are particularly significant when done by a lawyer,” he said.
Khumazi added that Cohen “decided he was above the law, and for that he is going to pay a very, very serious price.”
Michael Avenatti, the attorney for Stormy Daniels, said Tuesday on CNN’s “Situation Room” that Giuliani’s statement to ABC “has no credibility” and that the charges make it “clear as day” that Trump was involved.
«Donald Trump’s fingerprints are all over the crime scene,» he said.
