Michael Cohen, Trump’s former fixer and personal lawyer, cast the president as a mendacious and petty racist who enlisted those around him to propagate a culture of deceit, in business, during his campaign and after winning the White House. In testimony before the House Oversight Committee, Cohen revealed how, in his view, Trump broke the law even as president, and he suggested ominously that federal prosecutors remain interested in a case involving the president.
“Is there any other wrongdoing or illegal act that you are aware of regarding Donald Trump that we haven’t yet discussed today?†Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) asked.
“Yes, and again, those are part of the investigation that’s currently being looked at by the Southern District of New York,†Cohen responded.
A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan declined to comment.
Cohen hinted repeatedly at possible legal jeopardy for the president, saying he was willing to tell all now out of fear that if Trump were to lose the 2020 election, “there will never be a peaceful transition of power.â€
“Can you give us any insight into the real reason the president has refused to release his tax returns?†Gomez asked Cohen.
“Statements he made to me…what he didn’t want was to have an entire group of think tanks that are tax experts run through his tax return and start ripping it to pieces, and then he’ll end up in an audit and he’ll ultimately have taxable consequences, penalties, and so on,†Cohen explained.
So, Gomez asked, could one presume that, since he was fearing an audit, Trump was not actually under audit at the time?
“I presume that he is not under audit,†Cohen said.
Ocasio-Cortez also asked Cohen to confirm a New York Times report revealing that Trump undervalued properties he inherited. Cohen replied he wasn't working for Trump at the time but that Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg would know. He also described the process by which Trump allegedly artificially undervalued assets in order to pay less taxes. (NBC News reported yesterday that Weisselberg is not a cooperating witness in federal probes.)
“Would it help for the committee to obtain federal and state tax returns from the president and his company to address that discrepancy?†Ocasio-Cortez asked. “I believe so,†Cohen answered.
Quote by wickedpam:
Morning
NEW: Benjamin Netanyahu has been indicted by Israel's attorney general in one case of bribery and two cases of fraud and breach of trust. https://t.co/cNYAnlrPdx
— Axios World (@AxiosWorld) February 28, 2019
Quote by BobR:
Cummings was on FIRE.
Quote by trojanrabbit:
Luke Perry suffers “massive stroke†per TMZ
Quote by Raine:
BREAKING:
NEW: Benjamin Netanyahu has been indicted by Israel's attorney general in one case of bribery and two cases of fraud and breach of trust. https://t.co/cNYAnlrPdx
— Axios World (@AxiosWorld) February 28, 2019