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Come On Now
Author: Raine    Date: 02/28/2019 13:58:33

I can't be bothered to talk about the monstrosity that happened in Vietnam this week. I listen to almost all of the Michael Cohen testimony. Some of it was very good, some of it was very petty and some of it was downright ugly. There were a few moments that shed some light on what else is happening, things that are not under the umbrella of the Special council investigation. For example:
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.”
Cohen also suggested that his former boss was lying about his taxes. (surprise, surprise)
“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.
As the Washington Post points out, many Dems are laying the groundwork to get a hold of copies of his taxes.
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.
With all that happened yesterday, the very most important moment came at the end, when the Chairman of the committee delivered his closing statement. I am posting the entire 8 minutes, (you can view it here) as the shorter clip rolling around the internet does not do anyone justice. To listen to it is like watching the closing act of a tragedy, starting out humble and crescendoing to a climactic end. The best part is that he's right, he is on point and it is a message this country needs desperately. We must do better.



and

Raine
 
 

11 comments (Latest Comment: 02/28/2019 17:29:05 by Scoopster)
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