Cohen testimony on Trump: 'He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat.'
ANDREW DESIDERIO02/26/2019 11:40 PM EST
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/26/cohen-trump-racist-conman-cheat-1189951
In his prepared remarks, President Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen will say Trump knew that his longtime associate Roger Stone “was talking with Julian Assange about a WikiLeaks drop of Democratic National Committee emails.” | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, will provide documents to the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday that he says prove Trump’s “illicit” acts, according to prepared congressional testimony obtained by POLITICO.
The documents include a check that Trump purportedly wrote after he became president to reimburse Cohen for a hush-money payment to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, who alleges she had an affair with Trump. Cohen says the money came from Trump’s personal bank account.
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Cohen, who pleaded guilty to crimes that included lying to Congress, will express remorse over his service to Trump, and will say he is no longer interested in protecting the president.
“I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump’s illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience,” Cohen will say. “I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is.” Cohen adds: “He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat.”
In his prepared remarks, Cohen will say Trump knew that his longtime associate Roger Stone “was talking with Julian Assange about a WikiLeaks drop of Democratic National Committee emails.”
In particular, Cohen will recount a July 2016 phone conversation he witnessed between Trump, who was then a presidential candidate, and Stone. According to Cohen, “Mr. Stone told Mr. Trump that he had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange and that Mr. Assange told Mr. Stone that, within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clinton’s campaign.”
Cohen will testify that Trump responded, “Wouldn’t that be great.” But he will stress that he does not have direct evidence that Trump or his campaign colluded with the Russians to tilt the 2016 election in his favor.
The former Trump attorney will also recount an anecdote suggesting that Trump had knowledge of the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between top campaign officials and a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer offering dirt on Hillary Clinton.
In early June, Cohen recounts, he was with Trump in his office when Donald Trump Jr. — one of the meeting’s participants — “came into the room and walked behind his father’s desk,” which Cohen says was “unusual.”
“I recalled Don Jr. leaning over to his father and speaking in a low voice, which I could clearly hear, and saying: ‘The meeting is all set.’ I remember Mr. Trump saying, ‘Ok good … let me know,’” Cohen will say in his prepared testimony.
Trump has denied having prior knowledge of the meeting, which has been scrutinized by congressional investigators and special counsel Robert Mueller’s prosecutors.
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Cohen will also tell the committee that he will provide “copies of letters I wrote at Mr. Trump’s direction that threatened his high school, colleges, and the College Board not to release his grades or SAT scores.”
ANDREW DESIDERIO02/26/2019 11:40 PM EST
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/26/cohen-trump-racist-conman-cheat-1189951
In his prepared remarks, President Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen will say Trump knew that his longtime associate Roger Stone “was talking with Julian Assange about a WikiLeaks drop of Democratic National Committee emails.” | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, will provide documents to the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday that he says prove Trump’s “illicit” acts, according to prepared congressional testimony obtained by POLITICO.
The documents include a check that Trump purportedly wrote after he became president to reimburse Cohen for a hush-money payment to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, who alleges she had an affair with Trump. Cohen says the money came from Trump’s personal bank account.
Story Continued Below
Cohen, who pleaded guilty to crimes that included lying to Congress, will express remorse over his service to Trump, and will say he is no longer interested in protecting the president.
“I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump’s illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience,” Cohen will say. “I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is.” Cohen adds: “He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat.”
In his prepared remarks, Cohen will say Trump knew that his longtime associate Roger Stone “was talking with Julian Assange about a WikiLeaks drop of Democratic National Committee emails.”
In particular, Cohen will recount a July 2016 phone conversation he witnessed between Trump, who was then a presidential candidate, and Stone. According to Cohen, “Mr. Stone told Mr. Trump that he had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange and that Mr. Assange told Mr. Stone that, within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clinton’s campaign.”
Cohen will testify that Trump responded, “Wouldn’t that be great.” But he will stress that he does not have direct evidence that Trump or his campaign colluded with the Russians to tilt the 2016 election in his favor.
The former Trump attorney will also recount an anecdote suggesting that Trump had knowledge of the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between top campaign officials and a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer offering dirt on Hillary Clinton.
In early June, Cohen recounts, he was with Trump in his office when Donald Trump Jr. — one of the meeting’s participants — “came into the room and walked behind his father’s desk,” which Cohen says was “unusual.”
“I recalled Don Jr. leaning over to his father and speaking in a low voice, which I could clearly hear, and saying: ‘The meeting is all set.’ I remember Mr. Trump saying, ‘Ok good … let me know,’” Cohen will say in his prepared testimony.
Trump has denied having prior knowledge of the meeting, which has been scrutinized by congressional investigators and special counsel Robert Mueller’s prosecutors.
Story Continued Below
Cohen will also tell the committee that he will provide “copies of letters I wrote at Mr. Trump’s direction that threatened his high school, colleges, and the College Board not to release his grades or SAT scores.”
