«You have now a Republican-leading candidate who is a felon who is going to be debriefed on national security issues knowing how loosely lipped he is,» Cohen said.
Former Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen raised concern on Saturday about national security issues if the former president is sentenced to jail following his guilty verdict in his criminal hush money case.
In a case brought forward by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a New York jury on Thursday found Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records relating to a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels by Cohen shortly before the 2016 presidential election. Daniels alleged she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, which he denies. Trump has maintained his innocence and says the case is politically motivated. His legal team says they will fight the case, which will include an appeal if necessary.
«This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt,» Trump said outside the courtroom following the verdict.
Each count is a class E felony, which under New York state law is punishable by a fine and up to five years in prison. Judge Juan Merchan who presided over the case is scheduled to issue Trump’s sentencing on July 11, four days before the Republican National Convention begins its process of officially nominating its 2024 choice.
During a Saturday interview with MSNBC’s The Weekend, Cohen, who served as a key witness for the prosecution in the case and is a Trump critic, spoke on the possibility of a jail sentence for Trump, adding that he is concerned that if the former president is sentenced to jail he will «give away» America’s secrets.
