Cohen is a lowlife. His words are contrite, surrounded by his family and a daughter on crutches for added effect. And Trump has this way of turning the most despicable characters into sympathetic figures. Like the Times says, don't shed a tear.
5
It’s a true “ Donny” brook.
1
Judge Pauley should know better. The so-called "violation of campaign finance laws" was never adjudicated.
What we have here is simply a guilty plea of a self-confessed perjurer in response to extortion by the special counsel who is on a single-minded mission to take out Trump. ("Incriminate Trump & I'll reduce your sentence.")
Russia collusion was a big fat zero, so hush money is the only Cohen nexus remaining. Thus the phony charging of Cohen.
Hush money is personal—FEC “irrespective test” differentiates campaign expenses from personal. Personal use is any use to fulfill a commitment/obligation/expense that would exist irrespective of campaign. (Indeed, non-disclosure agreements are a standard Trump practice & were for decades.)
Former SDNY prosecutor McCarthy put it this way: "There is nothing illegal per se in making a non-disclosure agreement; they are quite common…The payment is not a donation if it was made for an expense that… would have had to be paid even if there were no campaign. Cohen chose to plead guilty & forfeited the right to contest this point. That concession is not binding on Trump."
What this is all about is subversion.
Trump must go on the offensive and nail the lot of them. He would be a fool to wait for Mueller to close up shop.
"Listen. Understand. That Terminator is out there. It can't be reasoned with, it can't be bargained with. It doesn't feel pity or remorse or fear & it absolutely will not stop. Ever. Until you are dead."—Kyle Reese
1
I can't help but think that to Trump Michael Cohen was a stand in for Roy Cohn and that both of them shared a delusion about what that meant. If you really understand who and what Roy Cohn was - you can see a direct line to Michael Cohen. These are, at their core, truly awful humans who pass their awfulness down through the generations.
5
Trump's wall to keep out criminals doesn't belong on our border with Mexico. It belongs around the White House.
12
And I thought the character Sol from Breaking Bad was fictional.
1
Cohen is closer to Jimmy McGill than Ray Donovan. I can imagine his legal practice advertisement on the back of a bus stop bench:
"Call 1-800-Dirty-Deeds!" "Done Dirt Cheap!"
"Pick up the phone!" "I'm always home!"
1
"Mr. Cohen, once just an example of one kind of person Mr. Trump draws close to him, is now also a case study in where that association can leave them."
I think that it is called "organized crime".
1
At least he didn’t yell “lock her up” at rallies.
Why bother reading this article? Here’s the realistic summation:
Contrite ‘cuz caught.
6
This man is no lawyer.
1
Trump is just a thug who inherited and lost millions - a lucky loser with a smart father.
6
Obama wrote the book, "The Audacity of Hope"
Perhaps Donald Trump can write the book:
"The Hope of Audacity".
==================
Such Chutzpah!
Yes, people voted for Trump because of his Chutzpah, audacity.
How unbelievable that we have such a president, today.
It's like "Ripley's Believe it or not". Totally amazing, but true.
But now, the big question is how will it all end?
"All's well that ends well" (Shakespeare).
4
“a blind loyalty to this man that led [our country] to choose a path of darkness over light.”
1
Did I miss something in my understanding of what just happened with Cohen? Three years for "a veritable smorgasbord of crimes" should encourage me to feel that our "institutions and ideals" still have some fight left in them? I am sure that Cohen's testimony will make a case again his boss easier, but do we think that this sleazy lawyer, this fixer, came forward for any reason that should lessen the consequences of his actions. Sounds to me like he was "just following orders," in the worst historical reference to that phrase.
These people are dreadful to a fault. I am normally the sappy sympathizer of a reformed bad guy, but these folks aren't reformed. They've just opted for the best con on offer.
40
@oldteacher
He couldn't offer anything except non-prosecutable campaign finance payments to two more women with NDA's. With his history, as you point out, he can't testify against his bookie.
If their crimes weren’t so called white collar Flynn, Cohen, et al. would be spending some serious time in jail. Others get far more time then these so called pillars of society. The only reason Flynn, Cohen, and all the others are cooperating with the government is because they got caught. Otherwise they wouldn’t give a d**n about our country and its laws. After whatever “punishment” they receive they’ll write a book and get a movie deal. They’ll make money off this but the poor guy who can’t afford the fancy lawyers will spend more time in jail than either of these so called “patriots.”
Also, I wonder will Flynn still get his military pension even though he was helping our longtime enemy. If there aren’t laws addressing this, then they are long overdue. Someone who was willing to sell our country down the river after taking an oath to protect and defend, doesn’t deserve any more money from We the People.
To paraphrase Flynn: Lock them all up for a long time!
8
Cohen and Manafort quite clearly selected themselves -- who but a grifter would ever want to work with or for Donald J. Trump -- but the extravagance of the criminality on display suggests whole realms which remain unexposed among America's "successful" business people.
What if these two are the rule, rather than the exception? Given the lack of interest among American elites in white collar crime -- gee, I wonder why? -- we'll like never know. Or will know, but to no effect.
It's great being rich in the U.S. Short of a Robert Mueller, you don't have a worry about a thing.
6
There are two, less than consistent, sides to the Jesus story (the powerful son of god and maker of triumphant miracles and, on the other hand, the victim who suffers on the cross for the sins of mankind). Donald Trump is now trying to play it both ways. He postures as the omnipotent strong man, the only voice of the opressed; while, increasingly, claiming the mantle of the suffering servant, a victim of false news, bad legal advice and unreasonable enemies.
I believe that this mendacious and sacreligious claim would not earn him the pity of the Virgin Mother. I certainly don't buy it.
4
After President Trump has stumbled “off gently into that good night”, after he leaves public office and movesbon to whatever fate awaits him next...
Please. Please, good citizens, do not forget the names and faces of our current crop of Republican congressmen and senators. For without them, without their apathy and enabling silence, neither the very real danger nor the national humiliation of the Age of Trump could ever have happened.
If these folks had done their constitutionally defined duties, if they’d adhered to the oaths which they swore to uphold on taking office, who knows where we, as a people, might be today?
Certainly not where we are. That’s for sure.
We can only hope that these national Republican legislators will somehow be repaid for their complicity and lack of moral leadership, somehow, in some future election or other.
We can only hope.
Hey guys. As the president’s “fixer” trundles off to prison, don’t feel left out. The role you staunch Republicans played in this drama will never, ever be forgotten.
21
Some people blaming the press for being late on reporting and investigating the disaster we're all watching right now unfolding in a real time.
And some blame should be attributed to the press, but if you remember no one believed that he could win the election, including the press.
I still remember how on Morning Joe they were happy to interview him almost every day, and then after he was elected the tone changed so dramatically...they probably thought it would add to entertaining segment of their network to have this orange clown day in and day out.
Now everything what was happening coming to a full circle.
We have Russian agent Maria Butina cooperating with prosecutors resulting in plea deal, and the whole Russian Kompromat affair trying to buy GOP through NRA, with some success.
Christopher Steel dossier was very specific about Russian interference.
I also think fear was a big part, considering how divided the country was.
By far, we're not out of the danger zone yet, but passions are so inflamed and he is doing everything to make it even worse throwing the light matches into gasoline, for all we know he can call his base to the streets.
Don't you think it's possible?
4
Rose Ortega gets eight years for voting illegally and Cohen gets three years for being Trump's bagman? Cohen's coming to the light warrants him getting slapped while Ms. Ortega's deed gets her punched. Cohen's three years is some bright light for American Justice? We wouldn't want Cohen's family to suffer more than they already have but we could give two cents about Ortega's family. Cohen gets 1095 days and Ortega gets almost three thousand days in prison. American Justice at its finest?
19
@Steven McCain
More over, post sentencing, Ms. Ortega will be stripped off her US permanent residency, and will be deported to Mexico, while Cohen will enjoy a cushy career as a commentator, a contributor on conservative TV circles with a plushy book deal! It just shows the influence of money, power and vice versa. The reality is that Cohen’s crimes impacted dramatically, and altered political landscape for the foreseeable future; while Ms. Ortega’s illegal vote for a republican in TX was immaterial. Justice is blind!
For co-operation with prosecutors, for criminal offenses, a convicted felon should be given lenient sentencing in the form of extra amenities, rather than reduced sentencing which ends up being like a sabbatical for a lucrative book deal!
4
"Lest a tear come to your eye..." had the opposite effect on me; a hearty guffaw.
7
Cohen's Oliver Twist defense ("I fell in with a bad crowd") should go down in legal history alongside Dan White's Twinky defense ("the sugar made me do it").
68
@Howard Stambor
I didn't hear about trumps putting a gun to Cohens head? Did we miss something? He was snared by his own greed and trump who never had any morals was complicit in using whatever loop holes that could be found defrauded everyone including taxpayers, businessmen , working people. Who has hidden trumps tax returns that he promised to release. I am sure they will never see the light if day. The chicanery of the trump team will remain hidden because it would open a can of worms that will destroy the leadership of the Republican Party. Have they " NO SHAME"... of course not.
1
Given Trump finally confessing that he paid of many women in private transactions for his promiscuities, it is not farfetched to give some credence to the salacious allegations from Steele’s Dossier. The fact that current two misbegotten payoffs can land him in a concomitant legal peril show his asinine judgement.
Unlike Trump who lied umpteen times about these transactions and his Russian connections, the Dossier came across as credible in every aspect including the Moscow project. Irrespective of the veracity, the allegations of such nature itself gives Russia the leverage over Trump. It could explain one of the many reasons for his obsequious behavior towards Putin, that is derided of any logic or reason. Under the current environment, Putin extorts him even further. Senate, please wake up!
17
So glad to see justice served, but still appalled at the minimal jail time these high crimes garner. These crimes affect the whole US, and it seems 3 years is a pretty light sentence from a layman’s perspective. If they had 10 year minimum sentences for each crime, these folks might think twice before committing the crimes in the first place. White collar crimes are sentenced too leniently.
With that said, I am grateful for Cohen coming clean and his help to the Mueller investigation. I will be dancing in the streets the day Trump is thrown in jail. To echo a similar chant he used to lead: Lock Him Up!
8
I suspect that Cohen met with a team of lawyers and "spilled the beans" about all he did for the Trump Organization, and that he plead guilty to the more minor offenses, and will now talk openly about more serious crimes he participated in.
If anyone would know if Trump was involved in money laundering, bank fraud and tax evasion it would most-likely be Cohen.
53
@ejr1953
AMI is a gold mine against Trump.
How about Trump's accountant?
8/24/2018 Allen Weisselberg was granted immunity by Federal prosecutors.
We have yet to hear what Weisselberg has told
the Federal prosecutors.
4
@ejr1953 Two words: Allen Weisselberg. He has known where all the bodies are buried going all the way back to when he started working for daddy Trump in the ‘70s. He’s been granted full immunity, so the showdown in court will be epic. I’m buying stock from every popcorn manufacturer in the country.
4
@ejr1953 "If"? Really?
Judge.....“insidious harm to our democratic institutions.” ! Sad; sad for US!!
Every concerned American should understand this and discuss it with family and friends. They should not avoid discussing this even with those who support D Trump.
5
Lets just hope justice is equally served !!... otherwise it looks like a sham... their is currently a grab bag of items to look at for the incoming AG...
1. Uranium One
2. An Intelligence Community that was spying on a political opponent.. how far up did this go ?
3. The Dossier ... millions of dollars going to an offshore foreign account to dig dirt..
4. Senior officials who leaked and lied ( some already referred to the justice department for indictment )..
3. Flagrant FISA abuse and unmasking.. (again how far up did this go ?)
4. The corrupt Clinton Foundation machinations and those who enabled... FBI .. Justice Department..
5. All the other lines of inquiry / investigation currently unknown that will flow from above..
@Kojo Reese
Please help us understand why the current Republican Congress and the DOJ are slacking on these issues. The republicans are in control over all branches of the government for over 2 years. Seems they are colluded with the Dems.
6
You forgot Teapot Dome and Bert Lantz
1
So, MIchael Cohen is a criminal; he is going to jail, but, in this ( of several) "dirty deed" he was ordered to pay the 2 women, by his boss, Donald Trump. But only Michael Cohen goes to jail. Should not be a jail for 2 that would accommodate this 2 gentlemen at the same time?.
3
"Starry-eyed?" "Blind loyalty?" "DARKNESS over LIGHT???" Hey Mr.Cohen, the darkness is what you sneaked around in to provide your services to a low-life wannabe, and that LIGHT you now see is the spotlight shining in your face during an interrogation. Get used to it . . .
4
He saw the light when he got caught up until then he was a psychopath lawyer that was above it all and interpreting the rules so they benefited him. The judge is a lawyer to so they have now collaborated to this joke of a sentence.
Cm-on we are not all too stupid to recognize what happened here. If that were me they would have opened up Alcatraz again
3
One thing that all criminals have in common is that they all think they are the smart ones. The other thing that criminals have in common is that they are stupid.
4
"Starry-eyed man led astray by the man for whom he would take a bullet"!! Does he believe that himself? A grown man, a lawyer who was way crooked before he even met Trump has the audacity to claim innocence and naivety. What does he believe that the rest of us are just "stupid idiots"? Only that mantle can be claimed by Trump. He believed this conniving, wily, greedy psychopath. A lawyer who tapes his client surely knows and understands that what his client wanted was highly illegal, criminal. He confessed because he was trapped! If he as innocent as he claims, then I have five bridges to sell you.
3
The final guilt it is not just the hog, but more importantly the HAND THAT FED HIM. Is Congress going to do anything about that totally misleading hand????? I will not hold my breath!
Thanks.
1
Maybe it’s a good day. But why has this taken two years? Two years of rape-the-land Zinke, Cruella DeVos, know-nothing Perry, cracker Beau Sessions, charter-flight Price, hapless Carson, ridiculous press secretaries, grab-the-kids Nielsen, rob-the-bank Mulvaney. While we watch and wait. Where have you gone, Mr. Mueller sir? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you. Woo woo woo.
3
I am greatly looking forward to the Trump Organization and all its henchmen (and henchoffspring) being charged under RICO. These thugs and mobsters have already ruined many lives ... and now are ruining our nation.
I hope devoutly that Cohen serves all 3 years in actual prison. The harm he has done is far greater than that committed by any ten drug addicts.
Would that there were a Three Strikes law for graft, perjury, fraud, and swindling. 15 years hard in Allenwood or Leavenworth would go some way toward redressing these crimes. As for President Individual-1, he should be grateful that the rule of law still reigns in the US. Mussolini ended up summarily hung, upside down on a street corner.
5
This whole Trump saga is the result of a concerted attempt by left to get President out of office. But this thing is tearing the country apart. Consider...
1. - The President has accomplished almost all He promised that got him elected. Wall remains. However, the MSM, CNN & MSNBC and most here will not acknowledge. Even one! This drives Trump crazy - no fairness.
I have listed 15 in previous posts.
2. - Trump has moral failings, demeanor many consider non-Presidential and yes lying on occasion. This has created a deep-seated ranging hatred in many, including here. Then...
Number 2 prevents many from acknowledging even nominally Number 1. The solution in my opinion is...
For the Media, led by NYT to accelerate process, to start Doing this - if done I believe Trump might reciprocate and this ship might start to turn around. He may even make some difficult personal changes, maybe??
I know there's risk for NYT and their readership. But the country might require it.
Respectfully.
Well, I will say that so far, Trump’s acted like exactly the greedy, crooked dimwit I expected. If that’s any help to you.
But as for the theory that if we’d just be nice to poor sad picked-on Trumpy....well, it just reinforces my theory that nobody on the planet, but nobody, can afford to be as whiny as a straight white guy.
1
Trump also mocked the handicapped during his campaign . Did he issue an Executive Order and rescind the American Disabilities Act? Did I miss something . He’s right: why should those people get the same privileges as “wealth creators” and “job creators”? And they even get the best parking spaces . MAGA!
@Robert
Thanks for reply. But I'm not talking about whining or picked on but common decency fairness. Tell me what's your opinion about the following:
1. NATO paying $4 billion more for their defense reducing our costs by a similar ammount.
2. USMCA negotiated that will help American farmers.
3. Depleted military that was evaluated as "not combat ready" by DOD strengthened.
4. Unfunded NASA now supported landing on Mars.
5. Bipartisan criminal justice bill Senate will vote on.
6. Veterans Administration now can fire incompetent like those who denied Vets benefits
7. Energy independence. It will improve with Keystone and access to ANWAR. This year the U.S. will be a net energy exporter for the first time.
Thanks
For once, it would be really nice if one of these high profile government investigations indicted their own particular "Individual #1".
Scooter Libby, Bridget Kelly, now Michael Cohen get steamrolled and their lives ruined while their "bosses" somehow were able to escape unscathed.
How can anybody buy that those individuals acted alone?
And in Trump's case, is it possible to imagine a scenario where he covered his tracks so well that a bright line couldn't be drawn straight back to him?
Yes, Trump's fate still hangs in the balance but I wouldn't bet the ranch than even the great and infallible Robert Mueller has the audacity to pull the trigger on indicting a sitting president.
But I hope I am wrong.
Mueller needs to apply the same standard for indictment to Trump that he would for anybody else. The fact that he is president should not matter in the slightest.
If that were to get litigated, as no doubt it would, then you just let the chips fall where they may.
I've heard just about enough debate about whether a sitting president "can or can't" be indicted. Enough already.
We need to find out once and for all, and if this isn't that time, then we're never going to find out.
2
Michael Cohen was exactly the kind of lawyer that Trump wanted. Not bright and not well trained in the law just a mafia style thug who could outshout and terrify anyone who dared to challenge Trump be it a one-night-stand woman or a contractor on one of his real estate projects.
No sympathy from me for Cohen. I actually believe if the full truth be told and we were to know the full extent of his greed and criminal behavior a three year sentence is far too light.
4
Dirty Deeds and they're done Dirt Cheap
4
Big Yay! America is channeling 1980s Monty Python today. Trump's personal lawyer for 12 years, Michael Cohen, is going to jail for 3 years after implicating his boss (our president) in criminal activity and "dirty deeds". Super to see Trump doing his silly walk and name-calling and blaming his personal lawyer for embarrassing him! How great that the non-disclosure agreements with Trump's two girlfriends were broken open to reveal the corrupt fruit of the Trump poison tree. How long before we get to see His Orangeness rolled under wet cement by the likes of Michael Palin?
2
Don't trust him. 3 years, minimum security and all is over. He's free to reap rewards from Trump. He and the Russian Betina fake giving "all" the information the prosecutors want by pleading "guilty," - thereby saying there is nothing more..... serve their time, collect their reward from Trump and continue to the dark side. A clever plan from the deal-maker, fake president.
1
Cohen represents a certain type of sleazeball who can develop and prosper especialy well only in the warm embrace of my hometown, New York. he made money from taxi medallions, a kind of scam that would be pretty much incomprehensible to President Trump's most ardent supporters in the rural hinterlands. he was smart because he bought up numerous expensive condos with Trump's name plastered on them, all on an income of about $75k a year, which even decades ago would have been impossible on the up and up. he was involved with assorted lowlifes and mobsters, some of whom used him as a front and a mouthpiece. Cohen's assertion is that he was a naif bedazzled and led astray by Trumpian Magnificence is ridiculous. he has declined to actually cooperate fully with the Southern District because to do so would require him to disclose his other past (or continuing) crimes which have not yet floated to the surface of his cesspool of a life. Mr. Trump attracts unsavory characters like Cohen, brings them into his orbit, then throws them away like a used tissue when they're no longer an asset, just like used up wives and girlfriends. this is notmguikt by association; it is more like contagion.
2
“We, the people” will be shocked when the full extent of Trump’s bad acts are known. IMHO, the best explanation is a simple one. Trump, long a washing machine for Russian money, ran for president as a publicity stunt. Putin put a finger on the scale and Trump, oops,won. He fell into Putin’s lap.
Russia rises every time the US staggers around the world stage bleeding from self-inflicted wounds. Trump is the best thing to happen to Russia since vodka. It just so happens that Trump, a civic midget, accidentally gives Putin what Putin wants.
Trump is a fool. He BELIEVES in himself. He doesn’t KNOW he’s playing into Putin’s hands. He’s also such a fool he believes he’s safe. He thinks he’s safe from Mueller and from Putin.
He better hope Mueller puts him in prison. If anyone PROVES he’s Putin’s patsy, Vlad will drop a little Novichuk into Mar-a-Lago. Why? To show he can.
7
All of this should be a warning to any and all who work with or for Trump. You will do his dirty deeds. You will get caught. You will get thrown under the bus as soon as it becomes expedient. The worst of all, you’ll become fodder for his sophomoric tweeting.
4
Crickets from Evangelicals and Trump Country Cult Jamboree
4
The funny part will be when Putin humiliates trump for his weakness. Professing pity for an American president brought down by his own lawyer and mistresses, trum's buddy Putin clucks; how sad, chuckle, with a wink to BinSalmon, his new crush. Poor trump!
donald trump craves adoration and the power of a mafia don above all else. Desperate to be seen by all as the most powerful alpha leader, he lashes out when belittled. And his followers obey him when he says 'Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain! I AM the great and powerful.....uh....OZ!'
Pass the popcorn. trump is going to deflate like my neighbor's front-yard Santa.
5
The judge accepted a plea, did not rule on the charge. And never will, per the strategic course of the special council. I today agree with every Democrat that could spit out words during the Clinton presidency...it’s just sex. What goes around, comes around. We have Trump thanks to you.
The greatest use Cohen serves is as an example to others who might consider joining Trump's orbit. This one is the clearest example yet of how the orange one will use you badly and throw you away when you're no longer useful. Let us hope Trump continues to be more and more isolated as even the most self-serving, conscience free toadies decide working for him is a bad deal and they will lose more than they gain.
A good leader would surround him/herself with high quality individuals.
How many documented criminals has Trump surrounded himself with?
6
December 13, 2018
We should remind ourselves - to know kind of friends, or employment we accept - to measure the character and integrity for joining in on important life career agreement.
Now one can say know your politician and the cote surroundings that are worthy or decadent. Donald J. Trump now as President would be wise to resign as the litigation events are insurmountably cascading to his impeachment and this is no surprise to all. For the love of our nation and his family the best deal is to seek asylum in say Cuba, China, or Russia - okay North Korea with or without the missiles on the ready everywhere.
2
Cuba is probably apt to say no as he killed the Obama deal. China can’t be very happy about CEO arrest in Canada.
1
Slept with? Come on grandpa, be honest.I don’t think that is the appropriate verb. It was sex, traded for fame or profit or something else, sleep, if it occurred was at best a side dish.
Be honest and discuss the main course.
4
Trump won't resign a la Nixon, because there will likely be a slew of indictments waiting for him as a citizen (assuming that the DOJ asserts that a sitting president cannot be indicted - because of the undue burden of mounting a defense while attending to the work duties of the nation. HA!!).
Any impeachment of Trump will likely not succeed in the Senate.
It is incidentally extraordinary that while directors of companies are legally held to a higher duty of care, our president has shown, true to form, nothing but disdain for the any laws (work ethic, morality, etc etc).
The destructor-in-chief is likely going nowhere for the next two years, all while feeling cornered like a dangerous, unpredictable animal - hold onto your hats, it's going to be a very bumpy ride.
1
Majesty? Oh please. Just a moment before you indicated there wasn't much life in American democratic institutions.
Which is it?
O. Hatch and his fellow republican co-conspirators in congress are essentially joining trump's base and telling the world that,well, yes, trump is a low down LIAR, and criminal, but we trust him.
6
In spite of Cohen's plea for leniency and professed new found religion called telling the truth, the judge rightfully sentenced him to prison.
The real Michael Cohen has been a low life grifter since he began law practice in the 90's. He's swindled clients, abandoned workers in his failed enterprises and stolen tax dollars all to support his own lifestyle.
His relationship with Trump was simply one low life grifter seeking to partner with a high rolling grifter. The idea that Cohen was fooled or beguiled into supporting Trump is nonsense.
Cohen willfully put up with Trumps abuse because he saw Trump as his $ticket and Trump kept Cohen around because he loves to surround himself with compliant 'yes men.'
For those who want the real story on Cohen see the report "Who is Michael Cohen? Narrated by Susie Essman." Available on line. He is worse than anything you've sen on cable news.
1
Like the song says, "Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap". It probably seemed like a good idea at the time, at least compared to trying to raise a family in NYC on $75K per annum. Not so much now.
27
Republican cowardice and venality may save the republic. The winds of change last month sent 40 Republicans home, and, in two years, Republicans will have to defend the indefensible to maintain control of the Senate. As the House begins to investigate the criminality of the Trump Administration in earnest, the news will be dominated by horrific truths that the Republicans have desperately kept under the rug. Not all voters are loyal Americans, but there are centrist Republicans and concerned Independents who will not tolerate a crime family operating out of our White House. Republicans who have shown no interest in the truth or the American people will begin to drift toward morality, not because they believe in ethics or the Constitution, but because they fear losing their jobs.
3
It is indeed unusual to quote the band AC/DC in reference to a US President, but Trump would do well to listen to their version of "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap".
1
In all fairness, you should also remind your readers--lest your paean to American justice and rule of law brings tears to their eyes--that Cohen is not an exception. Morality and justice require the recognition of autonomy and equality of all Americans. America is ruled by elites. Elite rule is based on exclusion and domination; it is intrinsically unjust. Let’s not forget that when justice is done in cases of other transgressors (for example, those unsavory characters around Hillary and Bill Clinton who also value loyalty over honesty).
"He's a very smart person" said Mr. Trump. Evil people often excuse themselves for cheating and lying by imagining they are smarter and more enterprising.They think have found these angles because other people aren't smart enough to realize how things really work. Fortunately, time behind bars is still part of how things really work.
2
Talk about Dirty Deeds...check out "the Moscow Project".It explains in great detail the Russian $$$ involvement in Trump's many dirty real estate ventures.This is a treasure trove which will enlighten all as to how trump has been compromised and how he continues to be a traitor to America right up to today.
1
let's put Trump on Mount Rushmore. and leave him there.
4
So, the court brought Mr Cohen back to the light. Well, isn't that special? Bless his little heart.
2
To quote Flip Wilson: "The devil..." (literally) "... made me do it."
2
I know Trump haters are gleeful about revenge on Trump for defeating the DNC's and the NYT's anointed one. But just like presidents are elected not anointed. Trump wasn't elected pope, everyone knew of his womanizing. Things he said about women in the past didn't stop him. The fabricated leaked story about one of his trips to Moscow, fell flat. He had no reason to be worried or pay of off a strippers or Playboy model. He would probably think it added to his image. But Cohen had every reason to pay them off. He wanted Trump to win. We would be a president's lawyer which would pay off for years to come. He was more likely not tell Trump because Trump would tell him to forget it. Who cares? So this lawyer who lied to congress and investigators and who earlier said he had paid it out of his funds, now sees a way to get all his crimes punishment reduced to three years and he will probably get sooner. He probably was told to testify against Trump or look for years of prison time. This lawyer who has been accused of all sorts of crimes, whole heartily agrees. Some are saying that while Obama paid one of the highest fines ever, $375,000, that doesn't count. The bottom line is Mueller could not tie Trump with Putin that had anything to do with election tampering. So, he turns to blackmail payments. Don't count Trump out yet. To a lot of people, this is nothing more than an attempted political coop.
@Ron - Oh dear. You've forgotten the part about Trump and Cohen's tape recorded conversation.
6
That's leaked information like the Moscow movie that didn't exist. But if Trump did violate some campaign law, it's a fine. No one talked about charging Obama as a felon when he concealed over one million dollars in contributions. And, none of this has anything to do with Putin - Trump collusion, which what Mueller was supposed to be investigating.. By the way, according to Alan Dershowitz, collusion wouldn't be a crime.
Human idealism is the shining city upon the hill and it is good to see idealism shining through in the election results and this editorial.
However, the resilient majesty of American justice and rule of law seems more like a lucky scrape with autocratic darkness.
The Trump Presidency has been a stress test of the American system of constitutional Government that has revealed critical weaknesses.
There need to be stronger constraints on Presidential powers of dismissal of the Attorney General so a corrupt President has no ability whatsoever to frustrate an investigation into their conduct or any other matter.
The Constitution needs to be amended to make it clearer that the President can be indicted whilst in office and that the Presidential power of pardon cannot be exercised until after a court of appeal has ruled on the matter in question.
The American electoral system does not express the will of the people through the ability of a corrupt political party operating outside the spirit of democracy to gerrymander electoral boundaries and construct non-proportional outcomes.
The Electoral College failed to protect America from a patently unfit person becoming President.
Fixing these issues will be small victories.
Small because our planet is at risk from human-induced climate change.
The Republican Party has become a bastion of climate change denialism that threatens all of humanity as a direct result of the donor system that allows big money to buy US elections.
1
Well it becomes clearer every day as news breaks that Putin was supporting the election of Trump to get financial relief for his oligarch cronies. This election of Trump explains reluctance to say one harsh word vs Putin which hints that Trump is compromised. Trump and his family want money as much as possible and the presidency offers them an opportunity to cash in big time internationally. The first trip of TRump to Saudi was engineered by Jared who was cultivated by MSB to secure his power grab in Saudi. Ivanka the designer of Trump Moscow Tower was looking to cash in thru Russia. The Trumps are like kids in a candy store looking to grab all the candy(money) they can get away with GOP enables this pack of grifters to loot away at will.
9
We keep hearing how his supporters don’t see the obvious corruption of this man as a problem, but rather, he is seen as a victim of his enemies’ lies. A flawed man trying to help the real Americans who work hard against a system stacked against them. They see Trump as they see themselves.
4
@MrRocknRoll - Yep, willfully ignorant, bigoted and shameless.
4
Every Republican should be thanking Robert Mueller, a Republican, for his attempts to save the republic and by extension, their own party.
9
Cohen's shame is rightfully shared by many voters who failed in their duty as citizens to do due diligence on a highly suspect candidate before casting their support to him in the election. The old cliche is "elections have consequences," and one consequence of the Trump election is the enormous damage to the republic both at home and abroad. We cannot load all the blame on the Trump Crime Family, though they certainly bear major responsibility; those who voted for Trump without doing their homework and those who did not bother to engage all must also shoulder some blame for the desecration of our country by this obscenity at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
12
The right person is in jail and the right person is still our President and will be for six more years. Nothing new or unexpected here but for a specious attempt to criminalize the requests of a client who was misrepresented by his lawyer. You can editorialize all you want, this nonsense is going nowhere. Trump will be President through 2024, supported by tens of millions of people who can think for themselves in the best interests of the Country!
3
Has anybody gotten sick to their stomachs, over how Trump continues to minimize and trivialize the hush money as "a private matter"?
I hope that Stormy Daniels gets reimbursed for the court costs she had to pony up, on account of the sliminess between Trump and Cohen.
6
While it is good that the courts sentenced a clearly guilty man to prison for crimes he obviously committed, I'll start giving our "American institutions" a slap on the back when they impeach, and imprison his boss for the crimes he has clearly committed.
4
Donald Trump needs some solid legal advice. I'm an attorney. Here we go:
Stop tweeting, dude!
8
This is what cannot but happen when 50% of the American people don't vote, decade after decade.
Not voting often means not paying attention to who's doing what in DC, and that's precisely what allows a handful of corrupt, extremely wealthy individuals to take over the government and as a consequence the country.
What we're seeing today is without any doubt the dirtiest government in decades - both morally (corruption at the highest levels) and literally, knowing what they are doing to the climate and as a consequence America's capacity to allow ordinary citizens to find food and shelter during the rest of this century.
As a comment below suggested, we should all call the GOP the "Dirty party", and Trump "Dirty Donald", until we get rid of them and finally continue to MAGA.
4
Excellent time-line editorial.
And a beautifully written, even inspiring, last paragraph.
[And isn't it interesting that the New York prosecutors and Mueller's prosecutors are using the same techniques in investigating Trump and his organization and family, as they would an organized crime racket. Very telling.]
12
As I read through this editorial, it was so easy to insert "Trump" in so many places where it said "Cohen":
Trump committed "a 'veritable smorgasbord' of crimes, most important, paying hush money to two women . . "
Trump "concealed the accusations from voters in the closing weeks of the campaign."
Trump's "violation of campaign finance laws created 'insidious harm to our democratic institutions.' "
Trump's "payments were illegal campaign contributions because their purpose was to help win the election."
Trump "reached out to see if President Vladimir Putin of Russia could help seal a Moscow real estate deal that could bring in hundreds of millions of dollars."
Trump: our National Nightmare every single day since his inauguration, and guaranteed to continue every single day until he gets booted out of office.
12
Cohen, Manafort, Flynn, the Bannon-Mercer Cambridge Analytica fraud, ... Trump clearly only knows how to surround himself with the worst people out there.
Why is the GOP base accepting this?
The answer to this question is perfectly clear: because for two decades now, Fox News and the GOP made them believe that all that is happening today is what Democrats have done for years already.
That's why they don't share our desperation. For them, DC is 100% corrupt anyhow, so they've given up the "ideals" of Congress etc. long ago already.
All that they still hope for today is that the guy at the top at least uses corruption in order to advance what they still see as important ("less government") - but when you see how the GOP is selling out America's greatness to Big Oil, even that isn't happening anymore.
That also means that the only way to stop this carnage of American institutions is to find a way to make GOP voters get both a sense of reality and a sense of pride and trust in those same institutions again (the one won't go without the other).
And HOW could we do so?
By engaging in real, respectful debates with them, without any doubt. But beyond that ... ?
I don't trust this. There's money involved. I feel he's keeping key information pivitol to Trump's Russia case from the prosecutors by "taking the bullet" for Trump and going to jail. After 3 years he's free, and Trump will reward him. His golden bullet will be cashed in.
3
Why did Trump run for President when he could have continued to run his criminal enterprise under the cover of grifters on the take? He confused the line between reality and reality TV.
5
@Jacquie
Sooner or later he would be captured. Whereas as president, he clearly hoped to be able to be above the law, all while passing huge tax cuts for people like himself, which is basically the only thing he accomplished in DC.
5
@Jacquie,
The genital grabbing, draft dodging, putin stroking coward never thought he'd win.
He thought he'd be sexually assaulting golf cart girls at one of his country clubs now.
Individual-1 never thought he'd be pretending to be a man in the white house during his golden years.
2
It's not the last straw that breaks the camel's back, it's the first. So it is with Mr. Cohen.
Regarding the future of trump and his presidency: those who make people suffer will never be a martyr. In fact, he'll be the exact opposite. trump has been a mediocre farce his whole life. I don't expect his end to be any different.
2
With Mr. Cohen's conviction and sentencing to a three year jail term, the editorial board of NYT opines optimistically that trust in American institutions have been restored.
That opinion, in my estimation, is premature.
Our institutions are still under attack by Person-I, the President, and his supporters both inside and outside the government.
The President manufactures preposterous, poisonous, and perverse rhetoric and lies so frequently that it is hard to discern any signs of reassurance that we are being governed democratically and under the rule of law.
Talking about democracy, most readers will be surprised to know that the word democracy occurs nowhere in our constitution or in the declaration of independence. What democracy are we thumping our chests about? We ought to have an accurate definition of democracy embedded right in the constitution so that its practitioners would know what their boundaries are.
We are still ruled by the rule of “Might is Right.” If I substitute Money for Might, the the new rule becomes “Money is Right.” You get it?
Thanks for the lecture, but that’s not what this article says. Oh, and the bit about democracy?
Jefferson et al just took that as a given, and moved on to considering what sort of democracy we should have.
3
Are you referring to the Jefferson whose slaves were sold off to pay for his vast debts (apart from members of his slave-mistress's family)? If so quite a good role model for Mr Trump.
Donald Trump recognizes no moral, political or strategic commitments. He feels free to pursue objectives without regard to the effect on allies and the world. He has no sense of responsibility to anything beyond himself.
Trump’s finger is to the wind, always. If prevailing winds of at least 2/3 of the U.S. population feel strongly about something, Trump will change his position on any topic.
Perhaps 2/3 of the U.S. will find that Trump's lies about his financial and other ties to Russia, a country that interfered in our election and tipped the scales towards Trump, is enough to censure Trump, impeach Trump, and/or remove Trump from office.
The question then would be, what will Trump do in response to what 2/3 of the nation believes should be done.
If Trump did that, he’d already have changed. Way this works, the guy simply ignores the 60% who loathe him and what he’s doing. He can afford this, kind of, because he knows that a lot of the decent people won’t get off their duffs and go vote.
1
Cohen is a small fish as compared to Trump and family and, hence, a consolation prize. Only when the Trumps are behind bars (not pardoned!) can we be convinced that the rule of law prevails. So far the Republicans in Congress are doing everything in their power to prevent that from happening. Never forget that at election time.
15
As Mueller puts the puzzle pieces together, each piece as in an actual puzzle provides very little information. But as the pieces are slowly fit together a picture emerges and it spells out the word TREASON.
14
@Robert Haberman, or as I like to put it:
TRE45ON
3
I’m wondering why nobody is talking about Trump’s dog-whistle call for his supporters to revolt if he is impeached. Also, what was he suggesting when he said in the “Donald, Nancy and Chuck Show” that he would get the wall built by the military if not by other means. It seems that we are ignoring these hints of his willingness to retain his position through extra-constitutional means (i.e. autocracy).
12
he is taking a video correspondence course from Duterte.
2
@GJB - He'll be waiting a long time. Take a look at a video of his supporters, a large percentage of them are elderly and the younger ones wouldn't bother to pick up a fly swatter for him much less a gun.
3
Now that President Individual-1 is behind the proverbial 8-ball it is the moment of truth for so-called Law and Order Republicans. Will they stand up for their beloved "Nation of Laws" or retreat to "do what we say, not what we do." My prediction is for the latter. Something between Mike Pence trying not to be seen as in the Oval Office shamozzle and Orin Hatch's "I don't care". a poor showing for the former party of character.
5
@John Arthur
You are so absolutely right in your comments. It's scary that they GOP individuals have turned against any type of reason. do they truly believe that the voting public will forget this nightmare we are all living in. Do they think the farmers are going to forget the tariff's while they are waiting for that better deal. Children in cages, the list goes on. Mike Pence should of just removed himself from the meeting he offered nothing because this administration is full of old men who are in over there heads.
Mr. Hatch just needs to retire and go away along with the rest of these Fox news supporters.
Michael Cohen has seen the light only because he was caught such a phony.
2
I still can't phantom how someone like Mr. Cohen who graduated from a 3rd rate law school was made President Trump's legal counsel. (Any answers, please.) Also, how did Mr. Cohen go from earning $75k a year to buying expensive properties that only the very wealthy can own?
5
By experience and observation, I believe that incompetent or merely inexperienced people are sometimes hired specifically because they have no idea what they are doing, but are so flattered to be selected and so well compensated they don't question their unqualified ascendancy. We might call them "patsies," they are where they are to take the fall when the time comes. Ergo, Cohen.
3
"in 2007...Mr. Cohen got a condo board ousted after its members tried to take the Trump name off a building in which he lived"
Has anybody done a story on this? I'm certain there are innumerable sources who would love to talk about it, some of them on the record. There might even be public records available if the matter ever went to court. I'd love to hear all about it, particularly on the question of whether any form of extra-legal persuasion might have come up. Were offers made to the board members that they found themselves unable to refuse?
3
Another witch hunted down. How many more to go?
There can't be that many more; fatigue, disgust and attrition have taken most of Trump's cronies, staff, and cabinet.
Everybody who leaves is slimed one way or another, either by the slimer in chief or by way of association with all that sleaze. And anybody who works for him may be in legal trouble as soon as they cross the threshold, because, as Hope Hicks hinted, one of the main prerequisites is to lie, doesn't matter how convincingly. They must lie to the people, to each other, and of course, to Trump, telling him how wonderful he is every other millisecond.
That leaves only the coven of witches among the family. Indictment, trial and conviction couldn't happen to nicer folk.
Who knew witch hunting could be such a sport?
12
Trump not only lied brazenly to us about the "hush money" payments, he also lied brazenly both during & after his campaign regarding his dealings with Russia. In spite of his many (false) claims to the contrary these past 3 years, Trump continued to do business with Russia during his campaign. And I suspect he continues to do business with Russia on the sly. The evidence certainly points in that direction.
6
If Michael Cohen really wants redemption and to be able to live a life without regrets post-prison, he needs to come clean now as to all the bribery, payoffs, money-laundering and other criminal acts he and Trump engaged in over the years. Only then will Cohen be able to lead a peaceful rest of his life.
2
The final months,the final days of any despot and dictator,the noose tightens as the web of lies,deception and obfuscation gets too tangled and self incriminating.
The only difference being,Individual One won't be placed against a wall and shot.
3
This hideous situation for all of us now that Trump and his ilk have achieved political power still goes back to the rich wanting more and the average-income and poor, rural whites needing more. With Trump's skills at hucksterism gone crazy and connections to the rich, he could fool the second group through his Big Lies. It has been quite a combination of greed and need (with the racism among many thrown into the mix). Yet, mercifully as well as almost miraculously, under this criminal onslaught on democracy, "American justice and rule of law" has indeed still prevailed.
Three years in a country club Federal lockup is really cruel and unusual punishment? Since he gets to spend the Holidays maybe Santa Claus will send him a pardon down the Chimney. If I was Trump even though I hated the guys guts I would pardon him to keep him from sinking the family business.A pardon for Cohen could keep his mouth shut on any other dirt he has on 45.
2
a guy like Cohen is more likely to wind up in the river wearing cement galoshes.
1
until MC flips on his Russian masters, he is just as dirty as ever.
2
I think we now have an appropriate nickname for our so-called president: Dirty Donald.
4
@Pat M.
Excellent!
From now on, any patriot should use "Dirty Donald" rather than "Trump", when referring to the president.
Maybe someone can now create an ad where his orange face becomes so dirty from bowing to Big Oil CEOs intend upon making tons of money while destroying America's greatness, with a capture below saying "I have the best words! I hire the best people" ... ?
2
Dark deeds, indeed! And there’s more to come! The worst is the Putin connection, and why is an American presidential campaign so cozy with Russians?
His supporters are in denial, but Donald is a criminal and worse....a traitor! Lock him up!
5
BTW, everyone is trying to figure out what is Michael Cohen hiding, I think it's obvious, just like Manafort he had a long history of connection with Russian Mob that would put his life in jeopardy if disclosed...
It's been reported, Cohen is deep in a pockets of Russian Mafia, just like his crooked boss, who made all his dirty money from oligarchs/mobsters, it's a blood money, same as Manafort., Kushner, Don Jr, Ivanka...all of them.
And none of them wants a polonium in their tea.
Russians are skilled in killing people no matter where they live. UK is a great example.
They will get them sooner or later, if they dare to speak the truth.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/05/09/us/politics/michael-cohen-shell-company.html
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/michael-cohen-lanny-davis-russia-716413/
http://fortune.com/2018/05/06/michael-cohen-business-russia-mafia/
https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-cohen-bragged-about-being-part-of-russian-mob-2018-4
2
Cohen has decades of sleaze, fraud, dishonesty and threats against others. The three years sentence is remarkably light, considering his cooperation was only given to save his rear end.
2
We are all crying over spilled milk.
What is the point in trying to blame Trump, Cohen and everyone else?
What is it that made us, the people, think that America was not great enough? There were a lot of things that Mr. Trump said at the election campaign. Whether they were the right things or not to say, did convince people to elect him to Office. People made the judgement.
There are elections coming up in the future. We will have the opportunity to once again, decide who should be elected to Office. Do we vote for the individual or for the party? How do we make that evaluation? How do we make the determination as to who is suitable to serve in Office - importantly, to properly evaluate a candidate's background and suitability? Do we decide on an individual's personal views or what is good for the people and the country?
We all love this great country. It is left to us, the people to insure how we preserve that greatness.
@Citizen.... This sounds like a “mea culpa”. Are you trying to rationalize a vote that you now,finally, realize was a terrible choice?
3
@citizen: "spilled milk"?! Do you understand this involves criminal activities, felonies, influencing an election (a federal violation), conspiracy with a foreign power, 36 or so indictments and/over convictions (so far) and 3,000+ documented Trump lies (to date)? But sure, let's just sweep all the criminal activity under the proverbial rug. Would you say the same if it were Hillary or Obama in same circumstances?
3
@citizen The Investigation is much bigger than what we see. Read up on Watergate. Eventually, Trump will be charged with ....treason.
5
I am afraid that American's will likely sweep this disaster of a presidency under the rug and not make any changes - they same as we are doing for addressing the life-threatening issue of climate change.
4
So this will give Mr. Cohen 3 years to write his book with a ghost writer and make a multi-million dollar picture deal with a major studio. You go Michael!
2
Dark Days?
Low unemployment numbers, strong national economic outlook, excellent foreign affairs (from North Korea halting hostile actions to Chinese trade negotiations, European countries making payments to NATO), prison reform regulations being signed into law, seems like immigration reform finally is going to happen, etc.
These are dark days for the elites in the east and west coast metropolises, not for Middle America. These are dark days for people who are employed in the news, entertainment, media, government bureaucrats who see their power dwindling under the Trump administration. These are dark days for people who amplified their views through the cultural megaphone. Yes, these are dark days for them.
People in the middle class, we are doing just fine. Don't worry about us, we've got this.
The Rule of Law is not being upheld they claim. Gibberish. This has never been about the rule of law otherwise Hillary Clinton would be in jail. The contrast in the application of the rule of law is evident. Hillary was given a pass because the groupies in the political sector and the media were convinced up to 8:00 p.m., October 8, 2016, Hillary Clinton would be the next U.S. President. Middle America had other plans.
For those who held power, the contrast in overzealous prosecution against people associated with the Trump Administration vs. the immunity granted to people associated with the Clinton Campaign are the dark days.
2
@F1Driver
Your house of "light" is a house of cards.
7
@F1Driver
Based on my reading pleasures here, we can easily paint the vision and show heaven to a blind person. It’s possible to make a deaf person tune and dance to Chopin’s melancholy, yet I’m sad that even a swish of magic can’t sway a section of the puritanical voters that discern Logic & Reason as alien.
3
Speaking as somebody who grew up in small towns, works in them now, and has worked nearly all his life, let me just say...
Piffle. Hallucinatory piffle.
I certainly admire the cheerful way Trumpists can skip happily by the way the DPRK’s cheerfully building more nukes and missles and enjoying the dodged sanctions, China’s cheerful expansion around the world, NATO’s always having paid something despite Trump’s cheerful screaming attacks, and the fact that there has been no criminal justice reform passed or signed, and cheerfully swear up and down that their Terror of Tinytown’s a giant hero.
Oh, and congrats on reacting to last month’s elections by sticking your fingers in the ears, squeezing the eyes tight shut, and yelling, “WUBBAWUBBAICANTHEARYOU!”
I mean, it’s spectacular. The rest of us are stuck with noticing material reality and all. Hey...is this what that glowing orb was for?
The Times is right. Yesterday was a good day for America; you can tell by the bellowing from 1600 Pennsylvania.
4
It is not so much that Trump led Cohen into darkness, but that he made the choice to go to the dark side. People, including Cohen, are responsible for their actions, not others. Besides, didn't AC/DC sing a song about this? "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap"? I will say in the case of Cohen they were not cheap. Oh, well. I support the President. I support Trump. America First! MAGA! Thank you.
3
@Southern Boy
Thanks Confederate States of America (CSA).
You always show your true treasonous colors.
Good luck with your neo-Jefferson Davis.
13
@Southern Boy: Cohen & Pecker indeed made choices, as did Trump who allegedly instructed them both to commit this criminal act.
8
@Southern Boy "America first" yet you live in the CSA...
8
Lie down with dogs, and you get up with fleas.
Work for Trump, and you end up with sleaze.
10
The truth of this adage throughout history is why it is an adage. Cohen’s rationalization of his crimes (“The devil made me do it”) is not unique to current events. Cohen, and other Trump sycophants who prostitute themselves to a corrupt leader have eons of predecessors. We only need look to the rise and fall of the nazis in Germany, to which Trump and his regime have often been compared.
While serving his time in jail, Cohen would do well to read a copy of Spandau, Albert Speer’s diary, written during his 20 year imprisonment in Spandau prison after his conviction for war crimes at Nuremberg. He was Hitler’s architect, one of the few to escape the noose and, therefore, one of the last of Hitler’s inner circle who could testify to, and contemplate, his personal role in service to true evil.
The relevant sections are those in which he recounts his thoughts on his guilt after reading Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Grey. His reading led him to wonder whether his service in Hitler’s “dirty deeds” was because he himself was evil or if he was corrupted by a charismatic evil genius. Speer wrote, “Did he lead me from myself or did he lead me to myself?”
Cohen is considering only the self justification of being led by Trump “into darkness”. His personal history suggests he he hasn’t yet considered that he might have been in “darkness” already.
History and literature can teach us much. Perhaps all of Trump’s sycophants should read Speer and Wilde.
2
Superb editorial. Sure wish this editorial could be posted on the Fox News website, because it is exactly what Fox News fans do not hear and provides context for understanding what kind of individuals Trump and Cohen are and did--the set-up with Cohen's darkness into light quotes was perfect.
The second contribution is the editorial explains why payments to Trump's girlfriend are not "a private matter" for Trump, but a violation of campaign finance rules--which, of course, Cohen should have known and advised his legally challenged boss not to do it and why.
But Cohen is the kind of lawyer Trump seeks. Not a lawyer to advise him about the law, but to do what Trump demands, despite the law.
And another thing Trump fans do not get is why the hush-money payoffs were wrong and did damage to the election process--because had the voters known this information, many voters may have decided against Trump as a presidential candidate.
The tainted and toxic Trump presidency has demonstrated some very worrisome things about American voters and our hyper-partisan, big donor political system.
1. Dirty deeds are only wrong if done by politicians in the Democratic Party, but not the Republican Party (wrong is not really wrong, unless done by a Democrat)
2. There seems to be little understanding how Trump's lies, contempt for the truth and laws, and sleazy actions damage democracy and the reputation and status of this country worldwide.
Trump supporters seem to like the dark.
325
@PB Not exactly. It's not liking the dark per se, it's conflating being outraged and angry with the light.
10
@PB I despise Trump, I'm a registered Democrat, worked in Bernie Sanders campaign and voted for Hillary. Having said that I seriously question your assertion that "...had the voters known this information many voters may have decided against Trump" Perhaps I have become overly cynical about American voters, or rather the barely 50% who voted for that dangerous charlatan. They didn't give a damn after the Hollywood tapes came out; they didn't give a damn when Trump asserted that he could shoot somebody on 5th Ave. and get away with it; they didn't give a damn about his track record as a reckless businessman with multiple bankrupcies, failed scams like trump University, etc; they didn't give a damn when Trump declared that he loves the "uneducated" ; they didn't give a dam when he lied constantly, refused to produce his taxes, divest his assets, and a long etc.
As a dual nationality naturalized US citizen who used to admire this country I'm alarmed and terrified at how an incompetent ignoramus has captured the gullibility of the populace for whom Trump has become a cult figure. My bags are packed and my affaires are in order to make a quick exit.
60
@Sitges Agree 100% with what you've said, which I believe why a significant number of Trumpsters continue to downplay all of these illegal activities. Since such illegalities don't change THEIR view/support of Trump, they believe they shouldn't be significant legally or otherwise. Precisely why the RULE OF LAW is such a critical foundation...it isn't based on political views/personal opinion.
31
If Cohen belongs in jail -- and he does -- then so does Trump, the person on whose behalf he acted. It doesn't matter that Trump is president. No one in "a nation of laws, not of men" should be above the law. No one. To me, this seems like stating the obvious. The fact that I feel I have to state the obvious tells me that something is bad wrong with both our system and sense of justice. We need a fixer.
8
@Citizen-of-the-World We have one. I have great confidence in Mr. Muelher. We just have to be patient and let him do his detailed work to expose the crimes committed by trump and his enablers.
2
Whoever knew that when Trump repeatedly sang Drain the Swamp, that Bob Mueller would be taking the lead on that effort?
Cohen was between a rock and a hard place in this whole thing, and he made a decision that he thought was best for him and his family. I'm not convinced he actually had a come to Jesus reckoning though.
4
One small detail:
It was the Russians who originally reached out to Donald Trump, back in the 1980s... If we could be flies on the wall when Donald and ex-Czech Ivana first started entertaining, circulating and talking up a storm, we could probably identify the specific link back to Moscow who first flirted with The Donald.
In fact, if memory serves, I remember an earlier article in the NYT that mentioned Anatoly Dobrynin as the first high-level Soviet Russian point of contact who encouraged DJT to make his first, 'exploratory' visit to Moscow...
Anatoly Dobrynin was very well known around Manhattan, not to mention Washington, DC.
I am sure if someone asked Ivana to search her memory, she would remember all about that.
Thank you for this Editorial, NYT Editorial Board.
7
One irony of this is that many people would not have cared if they knew of his extra-marital affairs. Not then, not now: even today - even after Trump's amoral character and thug-like behavior have been on display for all to see - his popularity rating (according to 538) is between 42% - 50%, depending on which poll you read. People don't care who he sleeps with. The real interest to me here is the lesson in power this has shown: so many of the GOP have done just what Cohen stated he did ("blind loyalty to DJT"), apparently to be approved of by the guy in power. T'was ever thus.
1
What, if anything, ever came out of the stories reported months ago that Cohen was selling influence in the White House? AT&T, Novartis, Korean aerospace giant KAI and Russian-linked investment firm Columbus Nova all admitted to giving millions of dollars to Cohen's shell company, Essential Consultants. This actually bothers me more than paying off the women he had affairs with.
5
We know the line, "Praise the Lord! I saw the Light!"
The letter of Mr. Cohen could be read as "Praise the Court! I saw the Light!"
The difference: instead of the light of Paradise, it will be the light of a jail cell.
2
Isn't Cohen's admission that he lied to Congress on Trump's behalf going to become an even bigger deal for Trump?
He was prepped for his hearing by Trump and certainly lawyers in the WH.
3
It still remains to be seen if Mr. Cohen keeps his deal with prosecutors. Three years for a person who threatened journalists out in the open is ridiculously mild. There is no place for forgiveness for such people, particularly when the president threatens the legal system with the power of pardon. Now it is the time to show that justice is supreme, even over a crook in a position of power.
87
@AH Well, I dunno . . . If someone threatens you with mayhem over the telephone, you don't lock up the telephone. The gooney bird here was just a conduit - totally moral-free conveyor of someone else's threats. The culprit is the one who originally issued the threats and when he is behind bars, the problem will just. go. away . . .
5
As a liberal Democrat who voted twice for Obama and misses his presence in the White House every minute, I am bemused, bewildered and confused by one thing. (Actually many but I’ll try to focus.) Obama supporters were able to continue to look at his policies and support or disagree with them depending on their personal opinions. I am amazed that Trump’s base seems to view all that he does and is as exemplary. Interesting. And frustrating.
111
Yeah. Well . . isn't it time to speculate on who will be the independent counsel investigating the next president? This is ugly, but worse, sets a precedent for hobbling every president going forward. We've seen this precedent problem with the appointment of well qualified Supreme Court Justices, government shut-downs, and now this. This is worse than Andrew Johnson . . a method to bring the executive branch to a grinding halt for another couple of years. Watch the American people re-elect an impeached president if you want to see a case of international fecklessness.
The focus should be on Trump as the instigator of crimes. He should be suitably punished.
2
Forget the flowery "path of darkness" and "into the light" stuff, unless there's solid and reliable evidence that Trump's intent in making these hush money payments was to influence the election (such as a recorded conversation of Trump and Cohen in which campaign finance laws are discussed), I'm inclined to give Trump the benefit of the doubt on this one. Cohen is the lowest of the low, a sleazy and cowardly lawyer who turned on his client to save his own skin and then had his wife and daughter come into court for the sentencing hearing so he could hide behind their skirts to gain the court's sympathy. It doesn't get much lower than that.
What is wrong with you guys? Cohen was not led to the dark by Donald Trump, as much as I dislike DT. He ws a crook that worked in cahoots with DT. His tax evasion counts. his false statements to financial institutions, etc, had nothing to do with DT. There is a spin to concentrate on campaign violations, and those are bad deeds. But MC did way more than that, and 3 years is a present. That is what you get for stealing a loaf of bread in the south if you are black. And more talk show hosts did not pick up on this including my favorite, Rachel Maddow, who interviewed Mr Davis, one of the lawyers for Mr Cohen.
Dont like to be lied by either side.
4
Not until Individual-1 is out of office and perhaps even behind bars will justice have been served.
7
It is mind blowing to witness the spin hard core Tumpists are employing to defend their man, even as the evidence piles up that he broke the law. I have Facebook "friends" who deify him beyond all measure of reality. I guess there was a hard core Nixon support that never gave up, too. I certainly hope our electoral system never, ever elects a man like this to office ever again. We have to put in place a process to ensure that it doesn't happen, that we aren't hijacked by a minority of crazy voters.
8
@JS Getting rid of the outdated electoral college would be it. No more extra weight to votes from a few states.
5
The truly terrible thing about the Mueller investigation is that even if there is enough evidence to impeach Trump in the House, the Senate remains willing to put unqualified judges into office, will accept a corrupt President and will not convict. Our democracy depends upon good will, moral behavior, and willingness to compromise. The Republican Party has shown itself for nearly twenty years to be both unwilling and unable to be or do these things. Only a conversion away from the corrupting influence of money through the passage of a voting reform bill will save the Republic from oligarchy and corporate tyranny.
Americans continue to view the government as the bad actor, but behind the government and supporting the actions that are killing the planet, destroying the non-partisan nature of the court system and ultimately the democracy itself is corporate money. Our blind adherence to the myth of our own “wonderfulness” and the greatness of American business will be the source of our demise.
Acquiescence to unethical behavior in and from business, the normalization of Presidential lying and fabricating, bullying, name-calling etc. shows that our democracy has already been degraded. The destruction is well on its way to completion. The primacy of money for all those in Mueller’s crosshairs brought them down. Will Trump alone survive because he is at the top of this heap of garbage? My guess is that he will but democracy won’t.
3
The trump/Mueller/SDNY plea deal that ends in donald's resignation is the logical next step. Short of hundreds of millions of dollars in forfeited ill-gotten gains (via tax fraud, mostly) and at least one felony conviction and an agreement to life long surveillance and monitoring by the US intelligence infrastructure (let's face it, the single largest threat to American national security is a loud mouth D.T.-whether my malice or stupidity), NO one should make a plea deal with donald.
The trump syndicate is the domestic version of 9/11, and Americans want blood. We can only hope our legal system serves justice. I'm not holding my breath.
2
Looking forward to reading about investigations of Cohen and his role with Signature Bank, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's slush fund, the taxi medallions. Icky stuff all right!
7
Dirty deeds done dirt cheap. Three years is dirt cheap for all this Crime Family has gained. But not nearly enough for what our country has lost. This is not over yet.
4
Seriously 'most important, paying hush money' was not important at all and non-disclosure pacts aren't illegal. Btw How did Ellison get re-elected despite domestic abuse accusations? Oh he's a Democrat I forgot.
3
@Larry Lying about it and trying to cover it up in the course of a Federal investigation is illegal.
1
@Norma:He lied to who? lying to the press is not illegal. Cohen was sent to prison for his financial crimes. So far campaign violations are only Civil even dear old Obama got fined $500,000.
There are many lawyers out there doing very dirty jobs everyday for very immoral and dirty people.
The point is here never was, never been and never will Mr. Cohen lifestyle and his actions. that was his choice, he is going to pay the price for that like many before him.
The real subject here is President.
WATERGATE scandal , the issue was not what plumbers (covert CIA connected people ) did, that was the standart procedure in many actions. It was president involvement.
So please lets be sure here the focus is not Mr. Cohen. It is President.
2
I have no doubt Mr. Cohen's crocodile tears are genuine - as are his regrets, but how much of his 'enlightenment' stems from his residual anger at Trump rather than a moment of satori? Cohen has run Trump's gauntlet from unconditional flattery to deeply personal insult...while scrubbing the grime and slime off of his employer's image. Cohen's sentence is well deserved - many will experience a sense of karma in witnessing the full force of the law coming down on him. I hope he finds peace over the next three years and takes the time to write about it honestly.
1
@Tom Storm Since he is not allowed to profit from his crimes, he can start writing it now for the courts to use in upcoming trials for trump and other co-conspirators.
1
"American justice and rule of law have recalled Michael Cohen to the path of light, and it was a fine thing, on Wednesday, to witness their resilience, and be reminded of their majesty."
This is religious writing at its best.
Spare us the sanctimony and the moralizing.
Mr. Cohen lied then, and he is lying now. His "confessions" and his sudden embrace of the path of light, as you so delicately put it, are nothing more than dictations of the prosecutors, down to the commas.
Only buyers of bridges in Brooklyn, or those desperate for anything, and who will do anything, that would overturn the 2016 election, will believe otherwise.
3
And Russia contributed to this in what way?
1
Trump and his coterie of grifters, cons, weak men who will do anything to get whatever it is they want or need--money or power--have really polluted our lives. I think the GOP has a lot to reckon with by encouraging and allowing Trum to continue in his reckless style. Cohen was a chump to tie himself to Trump, and yes, a weak man. His face as he came out of the courtroom said a lot. Prison will be his payment. What of the man for whom he did the dirty deeds for covering dirt, forgetting the rule of law as a lawyer, and all the rest. Be sure those light bulbs in that path of light are in good shape for they'll have to stay on for even longer.
4
How many others laundered their criminal profits buying Trump condo's?
4
As I understand it, Mr. Cohen has selectively shared his knowledge regarding his business relationship with Trump. This is why he was sentenced to 3 years in jail. Apparently, Mr. Cohen has only partially 'seen the light' and his remorseful protestations are self-serving and pathetic.
Mr. Cohen needs to come clean 100% before he can claim any new age dawning in his life. Still scamming after all these years.
3
trump should be facing the same jail time as his personal lawyer, Cohen! On the sleazy factor, Cohen is a ten and trump is totally off the charts!
5
So is the next national story that “The U.S. Supreme Court sentences all Republican members of the U.S. Senate to 3 years in prison for blind loyalty to Trump”?
2
@Anonymous Only if they also paid off someone to avoid scandal for trump and lied about it.
Michael is just not real bright. And when a fancy NY developer paid attention to him and dangled silver in front of him, he did whatever was wanted. Good riddance and I hope the tacky developer is next to get his comeuppance.
7
How and why is it that people like Michael Cohen were not subject to Guiliani's "broken windows" policy and Bloomberg's "stop and frisk" policy?
5
every time i hear the news of Cohen saying he took care of Trump's "dirty deeds"..the song by AC DC just pop into my head...dirty deeds done dirt cheap....but unfortunately for Cohen, it was not!
2
Pulp Fiction Ezekiel 25:17 adapted
The path of the righteous man( Cohen claims himself ..???) is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men(Trump). Blessed is he who(Muller,FBI SDNY), in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I(Justice -courts) will strike down upon thee(Trump and his family) with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers( Sane and moral GOP voters ). And you will know my name is the Lord (2020 re-election) when I lay my vengeance upon you( Russians-Saudis).
3
It's nothing short of hilarious that Michael Cohen wants us to now believe that he was some kind of helpless, naive waif who was powerless to fight off Donald Trump's evil spell and was compelled to carry out Trump's nefarious, dastardly plots.
LOL!
Ray Donovan has a less broken moral compass than Michael Cohen.
He's should consider himself fortunate that he's only going to go to jail for three years.
6
Tweedle-dee Dee is a lowdown, sorry old man
Tweedle-dee Dum, he'll stab you where you stand
"I've had too much of your company,"
Says Tweedle-dee Dum to Tweedle-dee Dee
—Bob Dylan
4
Please, for crying out loud, let Trump be next!
6
Cohen claims Trump is a Svengali.
1
Somehow, this op-ed brought to mind a clear image of Jimmy Swaggart, tears streaming down the waterproof makeup on his carefully engineered, anguished face. "...forgive me Lord, for I have sinned!!!!"
7
Looks like Cohen ended up taking a bullet for Dump ...because Cohen's in jail (and more importantly, reportedly had to pay a fine that is not reported here) and Dump is not...yet.
5
"But it's not collusion there is still no collusion...." I imagine El Trumpo and Giuliani will say.
In the first paragraph here https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/appointment-special-counsel It shows us that "collusion" was never the point or intent of the investigation. That is an issue and a thing El Trumpo brought up himself and teh Press went along.
The questions about whether or not there was conspiracy between the El Trumpo campaign and Russia was raised by so many members of his campaign and transition team being caught in lies about their contacts with Russians. Lies that have not been explained as yet in spite of several guilty pleas and verdicts.
In the end Cohen is still a slime ball and I have no doubt there are other crimes that have not yet come up for which he is liable.
2
Ben Stiller's impression of Michael Cohen on SNL of a sniveling, clueless man-child begging his "daddy" for help is probably closer to the truth than we might imagine. A thug who provided goon services to a gangster. Cohen, were he possessed of any intuition, would have known that Trump would eventually attempt to distance himself from his useful tool.
2
What is America's nightmare is a stinkin moral rottennes.
Trump was idolized not only his base , but in particular Evangelical groups. An adulterer ( 1 of the 7 greatest sin) never repents about adultering ( chetaed his wife 10 months right after her son born). So called righteous Christians on the right was just saying, it is okay.
Like Mr. Hatch said yesterday, I don't care........
This ill fell on us first with sleazy Bill Clinton eventually cost Hillary's presdiential bid loss too, enabled Trump immorality to acceptable behaviour.
If a Democrat presisdent does adultery , why not a republican one cannot do.
But this is not only these two man moral rottenness m, this is as a nation our moral rottennes too. of course spread other issues like wise.
A american journalist killed and we justified his death for money paid to us by his murderers.
Millions of people are starving in yemen again we justify this becasue tormentor pays money to us.
Some people say , it was always like that, it is now open. ( like Iran Contra , we were selling weapon to murderers and getting money from murderers) but that was one difference, it was done hiddenly and when they caught , no body defend themselves brazenly and shamelessly.
We all know prostituon exist but do you want in fron your house in your neigbourhood sex rafficking and drug trafficking, that is where we are heading.
1
How could anyone imagine trump had anything to do with a sleazy character like Cohen? After all, Donny Duce only hangs out with "the best people."
5
Trump is a bit like Jim Jones who mesmerized 800 people to drink "the cool aid." Trump's ardent followers and Senators have drunk "the cool aid." When and if Mueller's discoveries are made public, the Senators and other public officials are going to have, as Desi said on the Lucille Ball show, some s'plainin to do.
5
If this were in a novel, you’d reject it as far-fetched: A man who abuses, insults, and assaults women wins the presidency against a much more qualified woman by means that are consistent with his usually habits, with the help of a Mr. Pecker, who paid hush money to two women who say they had affairs with the candidate and thus steals the election. Then what? He goes on to be a wannabe autocrat who apparently takes orders from a foreign dictator who also seems to have helped him wil election. At least there is an ironic twist that the women may dethrone the man from his ill-gotten position.
5
Do we really think that news of two affairs by Donald Trump would have changed the election results? Please. If the Access Hollywood tapes and all the abhorrent things Trump said on them didn't do it, two more small logs on the fire certainly wouldn't have done it. So why he spent all that money and intrigue to suppress the news is beyond me. He didn't have to.
9
@James- probably because two affairs are the least of trump's illegal activities...and that is what he's worried about!
2
@James Because he not as smart as he thinks he is.
3
The institutions and systems established in the United States aren't the problem.
The main problem are the people and the party that is in the majority and charged to enforce them. Let's put the blame where it is deserved - on the Vichy GOP.
It has become clear that the Vichy GOP, the collaborators of the Reality Show Con Artist, are actively obstructing the laws to protect someone they all know is unfit and a probable Russian dupe.
They are also changing the laws in states where they have lost elections to limit the power of the Democrats and increase their hold on the states. That is on top of their gerrymandering and their voter suppression efforts that seek to limit the true voice of the public.
To talk of US Institutions being "brittle" when it is really one party looking to subvert democracy is akin to the grifter in chiefs analogy of "both sides" being to blame for the hate in Charlottesville.
Also, the US public just rewarded the Vichy GOP with additional seats in the US Senate so it seems a good portion of the US public is fine with having their rights restricted.
It isn't the institutions, norms and process that are to blame. As Shakespeare rightly noted, the fault isn't in the stars but in ourselves for allowing one party to ruin them.
12
Agreed , if we look what aspect of USA is really faltering, we can clearly see that that is GOP and 30% voter base. That is one thing their moral compass is more astray than Trump.
5
Thanks to the Times for referring to Trump in this editorial as "Mr. Trump" and not "President Trump" as he in unworthy of that honor. Better yet, remove the Mr. and begin Trump's name with a small t.
9
@Charles Focht
The times is too "fair" and will never do what you suggest Charles but that doesn't mean you should use his name. He is beneath contempt and doesn't deserve the dignity of having his name used at all.
To me, he is always the Reality Show Con Artist, the grifter in chief or the coward in chief. Those names are accurate and befit a fraud like him.
6
Until now Trump has been the beneficiary of a strong economy which was mostly a carryover from Obama. Now that economy is starting to crash like everything else that Trump touches. Hopefully, this will be Trump's one and only term in office if he even manages to complete this term.
8
The Russians are still trying to influence our elections, our Congress folk, our policies, our very lives. Trump is letting them get away with it. Why? We need to know to avoid similar ever happening again. The Republican Party didn't vet him appropriately, why not? How was he able to change the platform at the RNC related to Ukraine so easily? This is a coup de tat of worldwide oligarchs seeking a puppet for our president that they could sway with the almighty buck. Between Saudi Arabia's influence over Kushner, China's with Ivanka, and Russia's with 16 contact people around Trump and 94 lies about those contacts, too many foreign entities were competing for influence over American policy, both foreign and domestic . Whoever is responsible for this assault on our democracy and democratic institutions needs to be held accountable, and it is more than just our 'so-called' president, possibly his son, son-in-law, daughter, Nunes, Meadows, Gowdy, Graham, etc. etc. Who knows? If not Kavanaugh too! The jig is up, the rigging is over and we need to know how this corrupt administration ever came to power to make sure it ends and never happens again. Pence is implicated too, as he knew Flynn was compromised as he was heading the transition when notified by Cummings. It's time to clean up the swamp and this flood of foreign influence in our government and change the climate in Washington so America can be great again NOT MAGA (My America Gone Awry)!
7
Mr.Cohen tearfully confessed to some dirty deeds and made it clear that he is prepared to cooperate even more when it comes to exposing Trump’s campaign transgressions.He did not own up to other dirty deeds committed in New York and the Second District knows about them since they have all of his records.Cohen does not want to implicate some of his New York pals- after all he wants a life after incarceration.He is sad , of course, but he had a good thing going so he is not devastated.
3
Trump's defense of his criminal behavior would be immensely comical if it weren't so serious. He is completely delusional, living in an alternate universe where he truly thinks he is the smartest person on the continent. I so look forward to the day when he is indicted, impeached, his assets are seized, he is ordered to pay restitution deep into the hundreds of millions (how do you put a price on a stolen presidential election?), and his entire family and administration are imprisoned. Up until yesterday he seemed like the Teflon Don, impervious to our system of checks and balances. Now he has begin the inexorable, ignominious descent into total defeat. Let's hope the system continues to work and he is gone soon. America deserves better than this.
8
While it is very satisfying that Cohen has provided some key information to shine a very bright light on Trump's many "dirty deeds", I am finding it difficult to feel too badly for Michael Cohen. It seems he may end up in a white collar prison in Otisville, New York. It could be a lot worse.
I am looking forward to the possibility that the new house will call Cohen to testify after the new year and before he heads to prison. That open testimony could be very telling. The thought of that likely scares Trump to death.
3
It is, to some extent, natural to feel sorry for Mr. Cohen. His family will pay the price for his crimes, and one can have sympathy for them, and even him in that regard.
But his pleas and please for leniency and no prison time are the culmination of a life led with special treatment based upon association with an important and powerful person. Simply put, Cohen's drugs of choice were money and power, and for those, he suspended good judgment, repeatedly violated the law, and led a life of tactical hostility and verbal brutality toward others. The tapes don't tell it all, but they tell a lot.
Mr. Cohen, in the end, does not appear to have remotely been a nice guy deserving of leniency. Rather, he had a foxhole conversion, and a disingenuous and self-serving one at that. In this respect, he is no better, and perhaps worse, than an ordinary petty criminal who faces the same separation from his family. As a lawyer, he knew better than flouting the law he swore to uphold.
If Cohen cared as much for his family as he now professes to possess, he had ample opportunities over many years to conduct his life accordingly. He chose the wrong path at many forks in the road, and his plea for mercy, simply because he has now fingered his powerful former client, is just one more example of his selfishness and belief that he is entitled to better treatment than other criminals, let alone those who he aggressively pummeled throughout his sordid career.
2
@Quoth The Raven His crafty lawyers undoubtedly wrote his "speech" and ensured he delivered it with an Oscar-winning performance to precisely conjure the image that he is remorseful and somehow now atoning. They know Christian America will "believe" him because of their delusional belief that admitting one's sins will absolve him in front of their fictional god. The reality is that he bargained down his sentence in exchange for delivering goods on his boss--thereby completely defrauding his fraudulent client, "Individual 1."
2
Sorry, EB, but you are wrong that paying hush money from private funds while not an office holder is a crime. It is stretching campaign finance laws beyond recognition to claim it is so and was only stipulated by Cohen as a way to plea down from his real serious crimes of defrauding banks.
Getting Cohen to cop to "campaign finance" violation is an easy way to try to prove that Trump committed a "crime," especially one that may--or may not--have had an impact on the election. But such a precedent will be VERY hard to live with in the future.
Just imagine if such a standard was around when JFK was running for office. Then, imagine how it will be weaponized when the next JFK, Bill Clinton, or John Edwards comes along.
1
@Liberty Hound, it was weaponized with Bill Clinton by Newt Gingrich and the Republicans in the House at the time. He was impeached for perjury and he and his wife and daughter were humiliated. He chose not to attack/bomb Osama bin Laden for fear that political opponents would accuse him of trying to draw attention away his troubles. After he left office, the 9/11 attacks occurred, coordinated by Osama bin Laden. That public fiasco influenced the way that Clinton performed his duties for the worse.
The charge against Clinton was lead by Gingrich at the same time he delivered divorce papers to his wife. At the time, she was in the hospital with cancer and he was having an affair with an aide who was 20 years younger than him. Republican Congressman John Hastert was also happy to participate in bringing down Clinton, despite Hastert’s own history of pedophelia, which had yet to be discovered at that time. Since then, Hastert has been incarcerated.
Obviously, they never had the moral high ground to stand on regarding sexual scandal or lying to the public compared to Clinton, but that did not stop them.
2
I was saddened to see Cohen’s son and daughter being dragged into the perp walk videos and front page photos yesterday as he entered and left his sentencing. Their appearance in the courtroom may have been intended to soften the sentencing itself, but whatever the reason, those young innocents were dragged into a shameful and everlasting exposure that will haunt them, unjustly so in my opinion.
8
This statement deserves a NYT pick.
2
Path of light for a man who violates the law, records his clients in privileged coversations, and is a grand example of how not to act in society? The ends clearly justify the means for the editorial board. You all have sacrificed your integrity, decency, and honor by throwing in with this man and absolving him of his sins. If Trump broke the law, he can face the consequences. This man broke the law, and to you he became Paul on the road to Damascus.
Over the years, I’ve read a lot that I did not agree with from the editorial board, but this turns my stomach. Path of light? Sounds like something the Catholic Church would say about its “wayward” priests.
1
"I never directed Michael Cohen to break the law."
The payments were a "private transaction."
I suppose there is some wiggle room in the president's statements, but I'd like to hear him explain these and many other apparent contradictions, under oath.
4
@Chris "Under oath" to Trump means his lies will be easier to tell because now everybody believes he must be telling the truth. Don't you get it? He told the world he could "shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not get arrested." There is no truth when a malignant narcissist rises to this level of power.
1
No. The quote is: "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I WOULDN'T LOSE ANY VOTERS." I think we can agree that there is a world of difference between not getting arrested and not losing any voters.
2
Mr. Cohen, it wasn't "blind loyalty". It was the money.
1
Three years. For helping to throw OUR U.S. Presidential election and decades of corruption. Big whoop.
How many people are locked up for twenty years for crimes that look minor compared to these white collar morons? How many are locked up for life because their last petty crime made it the third?
Michael Cohen has wealthy friends in the lowest places. I'm sure he will be just fine. It's the rest of us who will suffer the horrible consequences of his actions in helping to install The Con Don in OUR white house so he and his Robber Baron brethren can rob us blind 24/7.
This will not stand in OUR United States of America. WE THE PEOPLE will get true justice no matter how long it takes.
14
Your editorial readers will be well-served by following a couple of the references in this piece. The focus on Cohen’s errant “moral compass” being attributable to Trump is almost comical when viewed in the context of the entirety of Cohen’s legal career. Additionally, the court’s view of severity of the campaign finance issues can be more clearly understood only in the context of AMI’s wrist-slap with a promise to be better in the future. The strength of the prosecution’s case rests upon the tax and bank fraud issues and the campaign finance admissions cost Cohen nothing and likely would not stand on their own absent the other crimes. It’s almost a certainty that Trump was involved in the two playoffs as described, but as a thrice-married, acknowledged womanizer, it’s difficult to describe them as undermining the integrity of the election process.
4
You want a swamp? Look at NYC banks. There's your swamp, chock full of money laundering and mobbed-up creatures. It's no wonder why Trump would fit in there just fine.
But, wow, is Cohen dirty or what? I figured that anyone who would voluntarily associate themselves with the Trump criminal enterprise had a screw loose. But Cohen had boxes and boxes of very large screws loose. Huge piles of boxes.
But what the heck was Ivanka doing on the Board of Signature Bank? Oh, right... I guess her background in making costume jewelry and handbags gave her some solid insight into how banks work. Or how the Presidency works, now that she's a Senior Advisor on the Board of the United States.
We can't be rid of this cabal of criminal clunkers soon enough. I want my America back again.
14
We NYT readers have to be willing to go over to Fox News and see what the other side sees..repulsive as that may be. The other side isn’t even having this discussion. I’m not preaching for us to try and understand them but rather so we don’t get caught up in what we wish would happen and think that’s reality.
It’s going to take a lot for Trump to be removed from office. I think the best we can hope for is that he will not be a viable candidate in 2020. This is no Christmas story. I’d like to see Trump in an orange jumpsuit to match his ridiculous make up and that’s far away. Knowing the other side will be our greatest strength. We screwed up 2016 by reading and reading how Hillary was going to win and wearing pantsuits to vote. Let’s not do it again ok?
15
@Kim I would gladly do it again. Hillary did get at least 3 million more votes than trump.
So, the attention has to be on the outdated electoral college system. How do we get rid of it and go to popular vote elections for president like we do for congressional and state elections.?
We are raised to believe that the bad get punished and the good get rewarded.
Where does Michael Cohen fit in?
1
Dirty deeds, and they’re done dirt cheap!
5
Looks like the cofeve is boiling over and the denouement is at hand. Godspeed to our better angels as we’ll need them to get back to a functioning government as soon as possible .
If only the Russian bots and trolls could be neutralized, the dream might come true.
3
Nixon? He established the EPA, and normalized relations with China. Hitler? He must have done something useful. Built Autobahns. Trump? Got tough with China, but they need only wait 2 years until he is voted about by a 70% to 30% margin. Still, the next president can use that. Like Hitler, there will be some tiny achievement in his name.
3
Imagine if Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama had been surrounded by even a tenth of the sleazeoids and criminals Trump has been (his entire adult life); had lied over 6,000 times to the American public in less than two years in office; had deceived and hidden dirty and damning information, paid off porn stars, had thrown America over for fealty to Russia and Putin, had attacked captured and tortured US soldiers as losers for having been captured...in short, had behaved as Trump has. Does anyone, including Trump supporters, really believe the same people who defend Trump would have defend Clinton and Obama? Of course not. That alone illustrates the pathology of the right wing and Trump supporters, including the Christian right: the very things they'd use to tear an opponent apart they yawn at or defend in Trump (and a lot of Republicans). Democracy cannot withstand that kind of selective "principle"...calling Hillary Clinton a liar, with rage and disgust in the voice, while literally ignoring the fact that Trump is a pathological, chronic and bizarre liar. It cannot hold. WE cannot have one party impeaching over fibs about private consensual affairs and then showing fealty to a truly corrupt, felonious president who has committed crimes against the country. I cannot for the life of me figure out how someone as odious as Donald Trump manages to get so many to lick his feet. It's truly a mystery.
28
@Virginia Exactly. And just wait until Christian theocrat Mike Pence takes over as the clean replacement to finish the job.
3
@Virginia Beautifully expressed and incredibly accurate. Nicely done! This is not so much a presidency or an administration as it is a caustic cult, a sick fusion of an autocracy and a kleptocracy (think Jim Jones meets Mussolini), where truth is jettisoned and mendacity championed. My only question is: What level of kompromat do the Russians have on the Far Right, Evangelicals, McConnell, Ryan, Hatch and Trump's panoply of oddball sycophants? It's got to be potent stuff. We must hope — and work — for better days ahead. As Victor Lazlo remarked, "This time I know our side will win."
1
At least he didn't say he found Jesus or Yahweh?
1
@Jonathan London It's early yet. Give him a couple of months.
2
Do you hear it....???
I think 'The Swamp.....is beginning to drain....'...….and perhaps
we might be able to thank the good sweepers of this vile mess
for their long and tedious efforts to restore our capitol into good
order once again...' Carry on Mr. Mueller good work......thank you all.
10
Michael, Michael your lack of foresight got you 3.
You were used and now wished you had listen to that little whisper that would visit you from time to time; these are 'dirty deeds' you're executing and it ain't worth the money and notoriety Mike.
2
You said sleazy legal practice? Is there any other kind?
Mike is going to be such a model prisoner they're going to have to straightjacket and gag him just to get a minute's peace and quiet.
But none of this is anything a steady diet of good government s.o.s., dry bologna sandwiches, and franks n beans with mac n cheese aren't fully capable of fixing forever.
Bon Appetit, Mike, Individual 1 is still eating off china with silver.
2
New York City is packed with sleazy unethical money-grubbing ultra-agressive embarassments to the legal profession.
Cohen is just one of a thousand who do the same thing for their clients every day.
To see the Times Editorial Board fawning over him as though he has had some sort of epiphany that is going to bring the Times' hope of Trump's downfall to fruition, is just perfect.
Mueller's investigation has boiled down to this: a few people caught making false statements (there is no requirement for intent to decive in this badly written law), including a couple who actually lied.
No evidence of any horrendous things claimed previously by the board, whose members achieve fame by tweeting that they hate white people. Just a few bad apples - one, Manafort, actually committed serious infractions.
One thing is certain; the Times' final hope, a Trump campaign finance violation based on Khuzami tilting at windmills, is doomed.
Trump has an established pattern of bimbo payoffs, a legitimate basis for claiming that the paymant(s) are unrelated to the election and would have been made regardless of candidacy.
Uncomfortably for Khuzami, FECA (52 U.S.C. 30114 (b)(2)) specifically says that campaign-related expenses do not include any expenditures “used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense of a person that would exist irrespective of the candidate’s election campaign.”
So it dies with a whimper now, and the Times moves on the the Next Big Thing, whatever that is.
1
@Objectivist
Just for the record. New York doesn't have a lock on sleazy unethical money-grabbing ultra aggressive embarrassments to the legal profession.
And given the pattern of what we've seen going on in this administration, there probably won't be too much of a wait until the "Next Big Thing".... It's coming.
5
@Objectivist. ". . . irrespective of the candidate’s election campaign.” ??? The payoff to Daniels was in October 2016; to McDougal in July 2016. Hell of a coincidence, that.
2
@N. Smith
"Just for the record. New York doesn't have a lock on sleazy unethical money-grabbing ultra aggressive embarrassments to the legal profession."
Indeed.
For example, there's Congress.....
1
No, you are a grown man who was led astray due to your own greedy nature and bottomless capacity to do evil.
4
My question is, how long our society unravelling will last, are we close to the bottomless pit, are we the "ugly americans."
The unholy war in Yemen, where we're fighting along with Saudis who starved and killed thousands of children.
85,000 children have starved to death during the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, says new report
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/21/world/middleeast/yemen-famine-children.html
Question, why are we there helping them?
Is it because immoral, ruthless president wants to keep his personal business transactions with MBS, after he gets kicked out from the WH, and look at Kushner corrupt bromance meltdown.
Are we there yet?
3
Well, we shall see. The clearly biased NYT Editorial Board can hardly be viewed as an objective judgment on whatever might be alleged. My guess is all this hoopla is ultimately non-campaign funds to handle personal disputes and that there is no illegal there there. But give Mueller and his pack of frothy Democrat assistants their due; they can without complaint or even thoughtful observation by the same Editorial Board conduct a far ranging inquisition, sacrificing whomever does or doesn’t serve their purpose. Shameful disrespect, generally, of the voters.
1
@Truthbeknown If truth be known, Mueller's a registered Republican, and was previously appointed by presidents Reagan and both Bushes.
Time to update you screen name?
3
@Truthbeknown - Too funny. Are the courts biased as well?
2
Not necessarily. The Judge is only going to deal with what is front of him or her; here you have the sycophant Cohen blubbering all kinds of things to get 3 instead of what, 20(?) years. I have no doubt that Cohen’s bank fraud was substantial and recurring as he owned all those financed taxi medallions hocked for millions but worth thousands as ride-sharing caught on.......
1
All I can say is that a hypocritical little snowflake peon like Mike Pence will never, ever see the Presidency after this.
3
Wow. The hundreds of black guys doing 25, 30 and 40 years behind bars at San Quentin had a fit when we told them Cohen got THREE YEARS for major treason, lying, stealing, covering up Trump's hookups with sleazebags, sneaking around with Russia, and god knows how much other mischief he's done.
These guys mostly went in for smoking weed while driving around, low-level robberies, or pitifully unskillful fraud like trying to write a bad check. They've spent their whole adult lives behind bars, so so many of them. Most of them are the most respectful, earnest, helpful and cooperative men I've worked with in my 30 years as a nurse.
16
@NYSF- thank you for that.
Absolutely.
Does every mention of the hooker and the porn star sting to Melania?
As revealed this year from President Johnson’s papers, in 1968, Republican presidential candidate Richard Nixon conspired with others to successfully destroy Johnson Administration led peace talks between South and North Vietnam, extending the war and causing tens of thousands more deaths. President Johnson called Nixon’s conspiracy “treason” at the time.
Nixon did this to influence the election and this corruption extended to his time as President and attempts to influence the 1972 presidential election, as revealed by John Dean during the Senate Watergate Hearings.
Mr. Cohen revealed evidence of direct contact involving political conspiracy to influence the 2016 election.
Not indicting a President who used illegal means to influence the candidate’s election means Americans are willing to justify illegalities, corruption, conspiracy, and cheating in all future presidential candidates. Not indicting a President for illegalities and abuses of power while President means justification of corruption that could threaten everything Americans stand for. With a Congress unwilling to perform their constitutional responsibilities to check the powers of the Executive, democracy is threatened.
5
Let's not pretend any problems have been solved. This pathetic group of criminals got away with their nefarious enterprises for decades. Trump and Co. is the tip of the iceberg of very wealthy people who got rich stealing from the rest of us. Trump got elected promising to speak for that "rest of us." He was lying. Not only do we need better education so people will be able to see a crook like him from a mile away but we need to point ourselves in the direction of some of the people who are actually sincere about helping "the rest of us." People are so easily led. Let's lead them in the right direction.
11
We can talk about trump and Cohen forever. It's really very simple, folks. They are organized crime, the mob. That's all there is to it and a million articles will not make that any clearer than it already is.
11
@lulu roche These articles help us vent our frustrations and concerns with the electoral college president and his enablers and the harm they are doing to our country.
Psychologists are too expensive.
1
So, according to a Department of Justice "Directive" a sitting president can't be indicted for crimes committed during the campaign, e.g. not only illegal campaign donations but a foreign power and enemy of the US at that helping him into the highest office of the land.
Where is that in the US Constitution?
This is the first time in the history of the US that a man has stolen the election by committing crimes. And he carries on while sitting in the Oval Office by committing more crimes covered by the Emolument Clause.
American justice and rule of law have prevailed against Trump's fixer, Cohen, yet they might not prevail against the Don of the fixer, unless the spineless Republicans finally jump from the sinking ship of immorality, crimes, lies an deceit.
8
I just finished reading Bob Woodward's 'Fear'. In it, Trump's attorney Dowd resigns when he realizes the President wants to talk to Mueller against all advice, and Trump is constantly quoted as saying 'I'm the President, I can do anything I want' or in discussing Sessions, 'He's my Attorney General, he can do anything he wants.'
In a nutshell, this is Trump. He thinks his power and personal influence is unlimited and always right, don't bother me with the law. Cohen was just a common sewer rat Trump picked up along the way to do his bidding.
It's bad enough that even one person voted for this psychopath. Why doesn't his Cabinet remove him, with a straitjacket if need be? What part of 'we're all in mortal danger' do they not get?
16
. . . “insidious harm to our democratic institutions.”
Only three years for that? There are people incarcerated for longer periods for considerably lesser crimes.
3
It looked sad but we have to be careful with a guy like this and the company he keeps. His background shows little if any sincerity, honesty, empathy... just greed and aggression...
2
"For those who guide this people mislead them, and those they mislead are swallowed up." Isaiah 9:16
3
Why didn't this--and Trump's other sleazy/criminal activities--become public information before the election? Where were the investigative journalists when there was still time to prevent his election, time to prevent his cult from ever forming? Yes, the press did find some of it but vast, putrid swampfuls remained hidden.
3
@Virginia Tuttle They were busy going after the low-hanging fruit placed by the Republicans--worried about being "fair and balanced" instead of doing actual reporting.
1
The great irony of all this is that, if 45 had not won the presidency, all of these dirty deeds would have remained hidden and Mr. Cohen and his dark overlord would have continued on their merry way, pillaging NYC and the world.
Crooks, like cockroaches, should not seek the spotlight, lest they be squashed under the heel of justice.
12
@Avatar So true. Now, he does it with the USA stamp and his every bad action affects us all. Right now, he is encouraging coal mining in previously protected areas, including Indian reservations.
It is amazing just how fast sleaze can turn to good when faced with years of incarceration. All that can really be said about Cohen is that he is either smart enough or scared enough to suddenly morph into whatever person is needed at the moment to serve his immediate need. Perhaps he is genuine in his sudden discovery that life as a fixer for the king of sleaze is nothing to be admired. I doubt it. The reality is that nothing but time and what he chooses to do with it will change how people perceive him. I do applaud him though for finally realizing that there is no honor in taking a fall for Trump.
4
Sure, the devil (you know who) made him do it.
2
Think about how the mentality among American’s has shifted. Traditionally these actions would be considered reprehensible. I wonder what impact competitive, cutthroat popular reality TV programs like big brother or survivor have had, to the point where I wonder if the new thought process is as follows:
- Well, what s/he did wasnt illegal. They were just trying win and/or get the job done. (Ends justify the means).
- Even if illegal, everyone does it. OR, its not so bad. Im willing to accept this if I get xyz. What about (insert deflection here).
Combine this with the fact that if you just bash and scapegoat immigrants, China, and Mexico, 40% of the country really doesnt care about what else you do.
4
@Joe Arena Well said. And how bout a "get out of Jail Free Card', i.e., what about her emails?
I certainly appreciate your enthusiasm for the rule of law but it is striking how quickly you ignore the considerable number of Obama and Clinton surrogates who too lied to congress or the FBI. I won’t shed a tear for Cohen or Trump but the blatant hypocrisy is breathtaking.
1
@Dady From Wikipedia:
Whataboutism (also known as whataboutery) is a variant of the tu quoque logical fallacy that attempts to discredit an opponent's position by charging them with hypocrisy without directly refuting or disproving their argument, which in the United States is particularly associated with Soviet and Russian propaganda.
1
@Dady - I'll bite, name them.
1
I have a question: If the National Enquirer could dig up the dirt on Donald Trump prior to the election, why couldn't the rest of the media? Where were the reporters for the NYT and WaPo? Surely they're as talented as the Enquirer's reporters.
I generally hate the National Enquirer, but will I have to start buying to get news that's fit to print? I hope not.
Regarding the "big picture," I wouldn't be surprised if the feds bring down the entire Trump Organization and toss the kids in the slammer. That's where this is all headed, I think.
8
GMoore—
The Enquirer didn’t “dig up” the dirt on Trump, they have participated in covering it up for years for Mr. Pecker’s good friend Donald Trump (and $$).
1
"I would do anything for Mr. Trump. I would take a bullet for Mr. Trump!"
Today, Michael Cohen took 36 big bullets for "Mr. Trump."
Three long years worth of bullets.
Lesson learned, Michael Cohen?
3
Cohen got what he deserved.
This is a good piece by the NYTimes, except for this sentence: "...most important, paying hush money to two women who said they slept with his ex-boss."
Fact is he didn't sleep with them, he had sex with them. That's the problem. So what's with this false prudishness? Why not state the facts? It's sex, not sleep...Except if this is a direct quote by the judge, then make sure your readers understand that.
8
In other words for right wing conservatives, President is an unrepentant adulterer.
Let put the topic in right context.
1
so senator kennedy calls cohen "a gangster" on cnn early
yesterday morning. does he have a moral compass?
or does he just :O for power and control?
see how 'twisted' the regime is, i mean.
smh.
rest unsaid. how hard is it to be honest, *especially*
when you are senator.
a) if cohen is "a ganster"
then b)
who is trump?
what a mule. you know?
and he's SENATOR, OF LOUISIANA.
power and control. all that is. sad man.
1
Trump’s followers see him as their Messiah. Perhaps he cannot walk on water, but certainly he can skate.
6
The biggest mistake of the legal system and the media has been to let a mobster become a President. Allowing him to get away with everything and get to power is a failure. On another note, what do they teach in law schools and which schools generate Michael Cohens?
7
Trump himself is a criminal. He is surrounded by criminals. Congratulations to the Southern District of NY for convicting Cohen.
I am 70. I have cancer. Looking back over what this country is supposed to be, I am apalled by the racism and gender messups that have been part of what our identity is supposed to be. And what's with the squeamishness about sexuality? Is that what one must be in order to be an "American"? Movies and TV are a disgrace . Yes, a woman smuggler who's dead now did call me 30 years ago when I lived in DC (41 years!) and said "... the whole world's laughing..." She was correct.
2
Wishful “journalism”. Cohen was played like a 10 cent fiddle. His failure to remain intact with his client got him 3 years in the hoosecow.. with no hope for reprieve from the focal boss. Mueller’s results this far ..... are puny.
If there is anything we have learned from the Trump presidency it is that there is no omertà in Washington D.C.
3
Finally DJT is being shown for what he is and always has been. A two-bit hoodlum dressed up in a fancy suit.
12
Trump’s suits are “fancy” only insofar as they are probably expensive. It’s reported that he wears off the rack Brioni suits which are several thousand dollars.
But they always look ill-fitting; too baggy. In that sense they aren’t fancy at all since they make him look unkempt, even slovenly.
That’s Trump’s way: Spend a lot money on something that looks cheap.
4
Unintended consequences. There are always going to be unintended consequences. So the NYT ended up locking up the one who helped bring you down? Micheal Cohen wasn't out knocking on doors or handing out pamphlets yet helped catapult Donald Trump to the White House against all predictions by the NYT. But then...
Cohen's public repentances have consistently contained the words "darkness" and "light".
Did he undergo a jailhouse conversion to Jedi Knight or something?
2
Cohen's statement said "Time and time again, I felt it was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds ..." I hope Mueller has also discovered how many times this refers to, and exactly what all those deeds were.
3
Trump is a sleazy character, a two-bit grifter. If you associate yourself with him, you're going to get dirty! But Cohen is a grown up and a lawyer, he should have known where he was heading.
2
We've always known that the sitting president is a slimy grifter, but now we know he's a criminal. Soon this nightmare will be over, and may the GOP be banished to the wilderness for decades to come.
7
@Aaron
I suggest Sebiria labor camps.
Let them eat cake there and have a "sweet taste" of Putin's rule of law.
Ship them all out to "Russia with Love"
2
We need rules and laws that will make sure criminals and con men like Donald Trump do not again gain the reins of power and, God Forbid, if they do, to stop them in their tracks immediately. But now, we are in dire need to put enormous resources in squashing the Russian interference and encroachments on our democracy and the democratic world order. Do we need to get rid of Trump to do this ?
@mckenzie422 We need to get rid of the electoral college system that gives power to a few states over the majority.
“ Dirty Deeds, done dirt cheap “ a song by AC/DC. Cheap by Trump standards, a self proclaimed “billionaire “ who never got a Bill or Invoice he couldn’t dodge. Once again : the primary
“ business “ of Trump International Properties is Money Laundering. He’s the definition of chiseler, Con artist and swindler. An American success story, for the Trumps. A true American Tragedy, for everyone else. May his name, and deeds, live in infamy.
2
“His dirty deeds.”
And these do not take into account—the tens; the scores; the hundreds?—of others authored by the darkest wizard in our nation’s history.
Michael Cohen, in a final, pitiful plea for mercy from the court, admitted to what we all—MAGA Nation included—have known about this president since before he was elected. The disgraced and disgraceful fixer blamed it all on someone else. He took the easy way out and his mea culpa carried with it all the grasping self-interest of a man who knows his last throw is a loser.
Michael Cohen knew what Donald Trump was when he decided to subsume himself into the greater (or lesser) man’s orbit. Cohen walked the slippery legal and ethical tightrope when he scammed the City of New York with his taxi medallions. Trump, knowing something about avoiding responsibilities for payments to employees and contractors, knew a kindred spirit when he saw one; like a spider recognizes a fly.
So, after winning the presidency of the United States in a decidedly dishonorable fashion—and thereby earning his eternal reward for his pains by becoming expendable—Cohen slunk back to Gotham to nurse his wounded pride, all in a sulk because there was no room for him in the sewer that he himself had just helped bring into being.
“Dirty deeds”, indeed, Mr. Cohen. We learned some of yours. We need to know all of your ex-boss’s brazen plots to build his family’s fortunes at the expense of America’s. You had a choice—and greed won out.
Enjoy prison.
1
“...American justice and rule of law have recalled Michael Cohen to the path of light, and it was a fine thing, on Wednesday, to witness their resilience, and be reminded of their majesty...
Do you folks ever read what you’ve written...
Once more, a traffick-court judge exhibiting egregious judicial over-reach – though the civility of the proceedings gained my grudging respect...
In places less civilized than NYC, a lead prosecutor would’ve just strangled Individual-2...
You know – for playing such tawdry roles with such tawdry persons...
As far as:
“...Mr. Cohen got a condo board ousted after its members tried to take the Trump name off a building in which he lived...
Right then and there, a special condo board should have been appointed – with powers like assigning Cohen parking spaces in the garage where the ceiling drips goopy and rusty crud...
Now look where we are – our poor perp pathetically pandering down a one-way road to Perdition-on-the-Hudson...
And – yet another set of members trying to take Trump himself out of a building in which he currently lives...
Fitting justice in this case would be home-imprisonment in a condo disgorged in some forfeiture by a Crimean Oligarch...
Put him in a pad so high up, he wouldn’t be able to see the ground below...
To really drive the point home – make it one with 360-degree views...
Every time the guy hears an ambulance and reflexively chases in its direction...
Bam – right into a floor/ceiling glass pane...
Mr. Cohen watched to much of the "Soprano" series. I would chance a guess that he had a romantic relationship with the "dark" side his whole life. This tale is about power as a defining quality of a person's personality, not just his public persona to make a living. I hope prison gets very real for him. Thank you to the courts and the judicial system for this purge.
1
Mr Cohen biggest sin was his incompetence. As a lawyer it was his duty to point out to Mr Trump the possibility that his paying off the women involved maybe interpreted as a campaign violation.
Seriously, does the NYT really thinks Trump would have lost the election due to that disclosure?
@Maria He did lose the election. He won the electoral college because of added weight given to a few states. And, it is possible those few states had some voters who would have voted other than for trump.
Never con a conman. The problem with sociopaths like Trump and Cohen is that they are so narcissistic as to believe they are smarter than everyone else, and will never get caught. There is also no loyalty among thieves. Trump has destroyed everyone who crosses him. But even Trump is doomed. He believes he has a “really smart brain,” and that others are weak and stupid. Plus he believes that people like him and he demands loyalty from these syncophants. He doesn’t realize that loyalty is not a commodity. Trump will go down in history as an example of how our democracy can be crushed by the rise of a psychopath to the presidency.
2
"There have been some dark days in America in recent months, days when its astonished citizens have had reason to wonder whether its institutions and even its ideals . . . had become too brittle to withstand what could seem like relentless assault.” Talk about over the top apocalyptic hyperbole! Even Chicken Little might find this a bit much. But then again, the agenda is clear: consistently write that democracy is dying, that we live in a country made only of the virtuous oppressed and immoral oppressors, and that Trump is evil incarnate worthy of Dante's 9th circle and presumably if you keep beating that drum, maybe all of us "citizens" will actually become "astonished."
1
Hoo-boy... this is going to prompt quite the twitter tirade from the short fingered vulgarian.
1
New York real estate developer Donald Trump didn’t “lead Cohen into darkness”. Cohen was already there, and got there all by himself.
Trump hired him for a reason. He recognized personal qualities that he could use. Cohen could be more than just another bag man. He could be a “cleaner”, his “Mr. Wolf”, borrowing a “Pulp Fiction” character. And that’s all that Cohen was to Trump. His Burakumin. A janitor, and slops-man.
2
Trump Country (or what's left of it) doesn't care about Federal Finance Laws. They care about hating on liberals and treason against the US of A. Trump won't and should not be impeached on paying off women he had liaisons with. Treason is the key. 2019, it's Mueller Time
1
Three years in jail is bringing him to the light? Lesser criminals doing much more time than Cohen wished that had of seen the same light. Playing a Sammy The Bull like character to his Don caused him a little inconvenience but nothing massive. Have we forgotten the young man held in New York's jail for over two years waiting on a trial for stealing a backpack who later hung himself? To herald Cohen's slap on the risk punishment as something of note is off the chain. This is just another example of the two-tiered justice system in America. Justice in America is not blind to The Haves and The Have Nots. Having served on a few juries I cannot recall anyone we convicted getting the chance to go home and spend Xmas with their family. Most were led out by court officers to immediately to start doing their sentence. It is not called White Collar Crime by accident.
2
'But for' the fact that Trump is currently president, he would be facing criminal indictment as the ringleader in the fraudulent enterprise he directs. A ridiculous 'get out of jail free' card which has no basis in the Constitution.
There is no excuse not to indict Trump and his family, bring them all to trial and 'lock 'em up.'
A shame we can't do the same to his idiotic sycophants in Congress and at his flea market red state rallys.
2
GOP: A Latin acronym meaning "accessory after the fact."
3
Cohen came clean and confessed his crimes in assisting a fraud, liars and racist Donald Trump win an election. It is time for the Republican leadership to follow suit but instead people like Orrin Hatch are saying " So Trump is a criminal, at least he is a good president."
What more do you need to know about those who control the GOP, the second party in our so-called democracy. These hypocrites are pathetic beyond belief.
4
Ha! Michael Cohen believes he had a "moral compass." That's a good one!
Cohen and Manafort as cell mates a fitting tribute to trumpettes. Thievery, thuggery and Trump the ties that bind the pair.
First, this judgment against Cohen by the United States of America, which has been extremely fair, is an evidence that the law to insure democracy still matters. No one, no matter how clever or of wealth, is above it. Second, as regards Cohen: Justice has been served on the misdeeds of his life, at least the ones known about. That he has become forthcoming about these after being caught, compromises the credibility of his new-found remorse as well as, maybe, his new-found view about the person he so previously admired that he said he was willing to be wounded, if not die for. Cohen’s redemption, if one wants to use that term, is too early to appreciate fully. Hopefully, the 3 years in prison he is to “serve” (an important word to deeply consider) will be of help to him in this respect ... that life for him thereafter will be guided by the moral compass he now speaks about. To hope for him ... that he would in substance contribute to American justice and the welfare of America society after prison ... would also seem to be an important part of what we as a nation strive to be about. In all of this, Trump’s in the back seat without anything to say ... and having to wait.
1
Yes, Wednesday was a good day. Our democracy has been greatly compromised by the Trump presidency abetted by Cohen, Trump's appointees and Republican senators who protect their jobs over protecting our country and this was a ray of hope.
We need to look ahead and get active in rallying the younger vote who will vote against Trump in 2020. Reach out to them and make sure they know how to register to vote and register now. Check that they have followed through. Before the election, if they are away at college email them with instructions for requesting an absentee ballot. Then send them stamps. (Hopefully they know there are such things as mailboxes.)
It is hard to have any sympathy for Michael Cohen, and the jail time he has received was earned, unlike his legal practice, fair and square. As the cast of sleazy characters that have surrounded Donald Trump falls to justice, it is only a matter of time before Boss Trump meets them in their new homes.
“man that led me to choose a path of darkness over light.”
Substitute ‘the United States of America’ for ‘me’ in Cohen’s statement and we have an ominous truth.
.. just as the New York Times reminds us daily of the resilience and majesty of a free press by the determination of its reporters to investigate the endless lies and shady dealings of the Trump organization and of other headquarters of greed bent on destroying our institutions and polluting our environment. The resilience and majesty of our laws go hand in hand with a free press.
3
I am not surprised that Donald Trump considers those payments to a porn star and a Playboy Playmate as "private transactions."
He has zero understanding of the law, and doesn't comprehend campaign finance law. I have no doubt his attorneys have tried to explain it to him, but our president has the attention span of a gnat.
It is instructive to research back a few years to the video-recorded depositions of Trump in NYC. He was asked to read a portion of a document in front of him, which was a statute that he was accused of violating.
At first he claimed he neglected to bring his reading glasses and couldn't make out the words. When the attorney suggested they enlarge the font all of a sudden he could read with no glasses.
He was clearly in over his head. Fast forward to the here and now. Only difference is he is president of the United States. How in the world did that happen?
6
Three years? Justice? This was attempted murder of the United States of America.
3
Mr. Cohen takes one for the Family; that's what a good capo does. Perhaps Mr. Trump will pardon his soldier, if not, Mr. Cohen may end up working for Fox News or become a talk radio host, that is, after he writes his tell-all book, goes on the media circuit hawking his story where he can repent on TV shows and received America's forgiveness - looks like another best seller.
3
The dirtiest deed of them all, and the most apparently self-destructive, is associating oneself with this figure we have elected as our president in the first place. One need only to ask John Kelly, Jefferson Sessions, Gary Cohn, Mike Flynn, Reince Priebus, Sean Spicer, H. R. McMaster where such association leads them: to the most toxic of waste dump sites.
The president is purs poison.
3
As Charles Dickens wrote in Great Expectations, "No amount of varnish can hide the grain of wood." The cowardly and corrupt Cohen needs a copy to read in his cell.
1
An excellent analysis of the current president's and his henchmen's crimes.
The article raises an interesting point about Cohen's political past. According to wikipedia, he is Jewish and was on and off overlapping member of the Democratic and Republican Parties.
An ethno-sectarian cliché view of New York Jews is of non-practicing leftist radical Democrats, supporting the politically correct, militant vegans, anti-tobacco pro-cannabis, and anti-2nd Amendment types, attached to their cost-tails.
But in this case, the regrettable resonance of the moral fiber of the two individuals has put them on the path of illegal activities.
What comes next?
...yet the sycophantic and cowardly Republican Senate leadership continued to vehemently stick by Trump in the aftermath of Cohen's sentencing, further disgracing not only themselves, the Senate, and our American republic. From Hatch to Graham to McConnell, to a man they've compromised their integrity and stature to remain beholden to a narcissistic pathological liar who's only concern is his wealth and ego. Meanwhile, parts of our nation literally burn while the Republican Party fiddles while other parts lie in ruins from repeated floods as ocean levels continue to rise, lending more fuel to catastrophic storms. How would have thought it would come to this?
3
Robert Mueller III hands down for Time magazine man of the year
I feel for Cohen’s kids and the shame they must feel. They seem like decent kids. Conversely, Trump’s children have no shame at all and are as indecent as their father. I look forward to their bankruptcy and incarceration. It will come.
1
While the music played, Cohen certainly had one heck of a gold-plated time enjoying all of that “darkness “. Perhaps when he’s locked up in the near future, staring at four drab walls, he will seriously reflect upon all the harm he has done to innocent people through unethically, illegally weaponizing his law degree, particularly in the immoral service to his client, Trump. Perhaps Cohen will even “find” God in jail. Don’t bet on any of it.
That's all grand, and hurray for justice etc. But have you stopped to consider what Mr. Trump's crimes are here? That he tried to prevent two women - who had a consensual relationship with him - from ruining his career? Is it allrighty with the Editorial Board that somebody could use consensual, private relationships to torpedo a presidential election? I mean, if Trump was a Nixon, sending thugs to break into Chuck's office or breaking into Pelosi's psychiatrist's office, I would say, yeah, you guys are fighting for the Republic. But an Establishment that shrugged off Mr. Bush's torture, the illegal invasion of Iraq, the secretive financing of al Quaida in Syria, protecting Hezbollah to get the Iran deal? And you get all democratic when a man tries not to get destroyed for having consensual sex?
2
"But prosecutors made clear that the payments were illegal campaign contributions because their purpose was to help win the election. "
That all ya got?
The GOP was either stupid, or extraordinarily righteous, in agreeing to the appointment of a special prosecutor whose sole mission was to find a way for Democrats to reconcile themselves to the voters' rejection of Hillary Clinton.
Having failed to find evidence of actual "collusion" with the Russian government to "manipulate the election" (although the Clinton Foundation's conduct may be suspect), the special prosecutor managed to wrest guilty pleas from political neophytes and international businessmen for "hush money" to not reveal sexual affairs and for lying to the FBI.
Wow. The democratic institutions are sure "under attack." Thankfully, the NYT and its congressional allies are here to save the day! It's almost as if the eight years of Bill Clinton never occurred and Rep. Gerald Nadler, who remained silent during those years, suddenly was also "brought into the light" like Cohen.
What partisan nonsense this is. The voters who voted Trump knew what they were getting. There are few surprises here as to Trump's moral character. Unlike failed Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards.
But Trump is performing well as President. We hired the anti-Hillary, not a saint. Trump is authentic. But perhaps he could call himself Beto to pander for votes, or prove that he is 1/1024th Native American to win more love.
3
Michael Cohen is a pathetic individual and worse as an unethical attorney. There is no doubt that there are many of these in the lucrative NYC market place. Buyer (client) beware when shopping for an Attorney, good luck finding transparency when vetting one, the industry protects it's own. Mr. Cohen chose his paths and clients as a professional. When he was investigated he did the same and it concluded with Prosecutors summaries trashed Cohen the individual and as the professional. Unfortunately he was filmed entering court with his children and wife who witnessed his sentencing for a slew of crimes. How sad this man did not hold up a picture of his beautiful family as he made such criminal decisions in his past?
Oh, if only Trump hadn't won....what else we we not know?
In order to get tax cuts for the wealthy and powerful and conservative judges the GOP took in a morally corrupt fraudster to become president of the USA. Trump has infected our government and moral stature in the world to reflect the dark greedy narcissistic character of the new leader of the free world. Trump surrounded himself with corrupt liars and self dealing family members all feeding at the trough offered by the prestige and power of the presidency. This White House needs to be fumigated when this pack of grifters are marched out in disgrace and charge the ex president with crimes worthy of a mob boss.
1
The only wall that Trump should build now is outside his bedroom in the White House.
After his fixer was sentenced yesterday for three years we should presume that for Mr. Mueller,"Trump is next."
Having lied on the questions that the Special Counsel had asked him in the long questionnaires,Trump has literally implicated himself under our perjury laws.
Now it's up to Mr. Mueller whether to charge Trump as an 'unindicted co-conspirator' like Nixon was charged in 1974 or simply charge him with 34 counts of 'obstruction of justice' which will be legal as per many legal scholars irrespective of Justice Dept. rules that "a sitting president cannot be charged while in office."
As we came to learn from an Op-Ed in this paper yesterday that a team of legal scholars in the Justice Dept. wrote an opinion in 2000 that "A president is not immune from legal proceedings for crimes committed before or after he or she assumed presidency", Trump should be charged now for committing a felony just to win his election in 2016 and then lying about it again and again from the White House.
Mr. Cohen and David Pecker who paid $280,000 to two women among themselves around October, 2016 now admitted in court papers that they did it "to help elect Mr. Trump president, and with his cooperation".
That's why Trump should not build just one wall outside his bedroom but another steel wall in the White House after he listens to an old song,"Bad Boy, Bad Boy, what you gonna do, when they come for you."
With only partial cooperation, there is much more light required on the crimes of this convicted felon.
Michael Cohen's prayer: "Lead me not into temptation evil but deliver me from evil" Gee, thanks Robert Mueller!
Cohen, unlike, say, General Flynn, had a sleazy career that would have continued being sleazy if Trump hadn't been elected. His sudden discovery that doing dirty deeds for Donald was wrong is just more of the same.
Donald, too, made a career of sleaze: cheating (in business and on his wives), lying about EVERYTHING, ripping off vendors and lenders, even trying to coerce his own father into signing over assets.
If Cohen deserves a substantial punishment for his life of crime, guess who else does.
1
I believe I hear drums along the Potomac.
When GOP senators say they don't care about federal crimes committed by the President we have entered a realm that Rod Serling would have a hard time describing.
The blatant disregard for the rule of law by the party (temporarily) in the majority is a blow to our democracy, one which we must take the responsibility to correct.
We are better than this, or at least aspire to be.
Just last night, while sitting with my wife at a restaurant in the deep south I overheard a conversation by four old white men in the next booth, who sadly are my contemporaries.
Apparently the main stream media and all democrats are Satan worshipers. Mexico will be "wiped out" by a U.S. bombing campaign, which will send those Mexican criminals scurrying for the hills. Some of those affected will be innocents, which is unfortunate but necessary in order to stem runaway illegal immigration. But never fear, Trump will save us.
This is merely a sample of the insanity plaguing our nation, when otherwise normal citizens eagerly participate in the hate and lies emanating from the oval office.
The struggle for compromise and bipartisanship is being sabotaged before our eyes. Reject the false equivalency which places the onus equally on both sides. Truth matters.
2
@Yakker
I agree, I know many 'deplorable' who are college educated, intelligent people. Their thought process is well constructed and verifiable. EXCEPT when it comes to the republican party's platforms. There, they have guzzled the Kool-Aid generously poured down their throats. No room is left for any semblance of discussion
1
There have been presidents who lied to the people. But, until now there has not been a constant liar as president. This trump-person has surrounded himself with family and others who cozy up to those who not only lie, they murder people.
After this trump-person is in jail where he belongs, the country will certainly need the "make America great again " hats.
Michael Cohen and his attorneys claim that he had the “misfortune” of becoming Individual-1’s counsel, and that it was “blind loyalty” that led him to facilitate and cover up the latter’s “dirty deeds”. So far, so bad. What was it that led some seventy million people, as well as hundreds of similarly misguided sycophants, enablers and toadies to do the same, and impose Trump’s perverse, twisted and venal “values,” i.e., the DT’s, on the rest of us? Michael Cohen is merely a microcosm of the latter voters and “validators,” the “fixer” writ large. When, if ever, will they see the light? What will they say when they have their day in court? What will their excuse be for subjecting us, the country and the world to this grotesque undermining of our democratic beliefs, laws, and institutions?
As Thomas Friedman wrote shortly after the “election,” America was attacked on December 7, 1941, on September 11, 2011, and on November 8, 2016, and the last will prove to be at least as damaging as the first two.
1
"His Dirty Deeds" sounds like a wonderful title for the tell-all book Michael Cohen can write with all the free time he'll have in prison. It will be a best seller, then made into a blockbuster motion picture sensation. Who will play Cohen, Trump, Melania, Stormy, and Karen?
Michael Cohen will find God, repent his sins, serve his time in prison, and then go on the lecture circuit at $100,000 a pop. America is the land of opportunity!
Problem is, Trump will blow Cohen's sentence, as well as the admission by the National Enquirer that it paid off Ms. McDougal with Trump's cooperation, the same way Trump blows off media reports of his wrongful or illegal acts - "fake news, fake plea, fake justice." And like members of a cult (at least one backed by a national tv network), his base will nod their heads knowingly and believe every word that comes out of his mouth.
1
So, when shall we see the national reckoning required after Trump has soiled democracy? To heal and restiore our purpose, we must have that. The man must go.
"Democracy", like "virginity", is a wonderful theory but not much honored in the clear, cold light of day. From the start, this country has been all about taking care of the oligarchs, almost exclusively comprised of old white men.
Cohen's laughable excuses wouldn't be tolerated from a six year old.
Michael Cohen may have collaborated with Trumps dirty deeds (in the Nixon era it was dirty tricks) that led him into darkness but the midwestern Evilgelicals and assorted Hypochristians have kept The Crook in power forgiving him, or looking the other way, in every fraud or prostitute payolas. Cohen as an adult and a lawyer should have known better.; in fact he did know better but chose the wrong path. No excuses or commiserations. He enjoyed the caviar and now he must pay the piper.
1
Lay down with dogs, you wake up with fleas.
- Though it's unfair to lump dogs in with The Trumps...
1
Americans should not feel sorry for a man who worked with the Trump family: mafiosi, corrupt, inept... what else can we expect from this American Royal family of kleptocrats and misfits. Michael Cohen knew exactly what he was doing. He was just as greedy as the rest of the gang. The act of contrition he is playing like a fiddle to the American people will not work. You commit a crime, you get punished. No one is above the law, not even a President.
2
And the proverbial icing on the cake...not a single tweet from Trump.
one step at a time
all mobbed up, all the way up and all the way down
1
Michael Cohen said Donald Trump led him into darkness.
Right. And the dog ate my homework.
2
I've just started reading "The Origins of the Final Solution: The Evolution of Nazi Jewish Policy, Sept. 1939-1942" by Christopher Browning. Frivolous equivalencies are loathsome, but I couldn't help but notice that our president's *style* of leadership bears an uncomfortable resemblance to another's. I thought of Mr. Cohen, among other fixers.
"Although ___'s shrill exhortations for a 'harsh racial struggle' ... made clear the general direction of ... policy, they were barren of specifics. This had a twofold effect quite typical of ___'s method of ruling. On the one hand, those exhortations constituted a 'green light'... No one was going to be called to account for being too 'ruthless' or 'energetic.' On the contrary, ambitious [party members] now had to prove themselves capable of living up to their rhetoric. The result was to unleash a chaotic terror ... whose virulence and emphasis varied with the local perpetrators...
"On the other hand, ___'s exhortations were an incitement to [party] leaders to produce proposals for policies that would turn his vague ideological pronouncements and emotional tides into specific programs with well-defined goals. Those who authorized proposals most attuned to ___'s wishes were awarded with enhanced powers to carry them out... Those who did not accommodate themselves quickly enough were pushed aside. 'Wild actions' gave way to centrally directed programs. Chaotic terror gradually became systemic terror. Such was the pattern..."
1
Trump cares nothing about this. He is very used to fighting off charges of corruption and swindling that have dogged him since the 70's and as long as he can find lawyers as corrupt as Michael Cohen he thinks he will wiggle out once again.
As for his base of support in the Congress and among voters, he is the hero that sticks it to the elites, provide a gun in every pocket, over turn Roe v. Wade and destroy the last blade of grass left any where. Climate warming that's slowly cooking us and bringing us storms of the century almost daily? Rule of Law? Voting rights? That's for winpy elites and hated democrats. Let Citizen's United reign.
As for Michael Cohen's coming clean he is just a loser who deserves a horse's head in his bed, just another of Trump's victims though admittedly as corrupt as the Trumpster to be discarded in the path of Trump destruction. I wish that I could bask in the light of a moment of justice, but as long as that man and his GOP enablers is in office darkness rules.
2
Donald Trump’s many shenanigans and shady deals make Watergate really look like “a third-rate burglary” and Whitewater sound like a fun rafting adventure. And yet, both caused serious damage to their respective presidencies at the time. Nixon was forced to resign as a result of the Watergate investigation and Clinton was impeached as a byproduct of an expansive Whitewater probe.
Trump’s deep and dubious financial ties to Russia go back at least a couple decades, and it appears increasingly likely that he got by, to use a Beatles analogy, “with a little help from my friends” in the 2016 presidential election. Special counsel Mueller will soon let us know whether that help from Russia violated U.S. laws. Then there are the contacts by Trump’s transition team with Russians prior to his inauguration that might have also violated U.S. laws. Also, Michael Cohen and David Pecker, have both confirmed “Mr. Trump conspired to commit a felony” by funneling hush-money payments to his mistresses through them just prior to the 2016 presidential election. And, there is the question of Trump’s tax returns, which when subpoenaed by a Democratic House could reveal a treasure trove of financial information that might not pass legal scrutiny.
The Cohen-Pecker exposure of Trump’s “dirty deeds” scratches only the surface. When the Mueller probe is complete, and the SDNY starts filing its many cases against Trump, that’s when his presidency will begin to unravel. We ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
1
I ranted and railed to friends who couldn’t stand the idea of voting for Hillary. As a New Yorker, I knew what a terrible man Trump was. Not a tremendous Hillary fan, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was a no-brainer to cast my vote for her and against Trump.
The people who voted for Trump were and still are being conned by a low-level gangster who has been breaking and skirting the law for decades. He was a joke in New York as it was known that he was a legend in his own mind and just an incredibly creepy and stupid guy. Not to mention a serial cheater and womanizer of the most vile type.
So, I think New Yorkers have been particularly affected by the fact that Trump sits in the Oval Office. It is stunning and mind-boggling that this known (to us) dufus managed to pull this off. Now, let’s see if we can kick him to the curb. I’m sure Michael Cohen had plenty of stories to tell that Mueller’s inquiring mind wanted to know.
3
The flies are beginning to stick to the fly paper.
1
Micheal Cohen didn't so much find the light as he was spotted by the searchlights. Trump didn't lead him to darkness. Trump recognized the darkness within him and took advantage of his venality, cruelty and stupidity. In this way Mr. Cohen is no different from any other Trump supporter, be they the head of a small town white supremacist group or Mitch McConnell, who leads another, more dangerous but oddly similar, white supremacist group.
3
The individuals who helped get Donald elected : The Roger Stones et al., let them all be brought to account for their dirty deeds and ill-gotten gains.
Hard to imagine a sullier white collar group.
1
In Trumpworld, everyone not named Trump is expendable.
Mr. Cohen is the latest example of that fact.
1
The devil made him do it? C'mon man, take some responsibility for your own actions.
1
There are two kinds of people Donald Trump surrounds himself with. The first like, Michael Cohen is just an amoral, sleazy grifter who is now a convicted felon. The second kind of person the enabler, is much worse. The enablers, the Mitch McConnells, Paul Ryans, and the rest of the GOP has allowed a man who is an authoritarian, serial lier, fabulist, climate denier, and white supremest, who is also compromised by a foreign adversary, to stay in power. We have never before had a political party who would do this, but this is the 21st century GOP.
2
Cohen was a disaster waiting to happen. After graduating from one what one website called “the worst law school in America,” Cohen was happy to do whatever it took to run with the big dogs. I don’t want to kick a man when he’s down, so I’ll just leave it at that...
1
The Trump crime family is overdue a judicial reckoning.
I am quite sure a good many DJT people did not see Trump becoming president as a blessing. Lilk Michelle Obama said, the presidency shows who you are. And Trump brought his whole gang as well.
Didn’t we learn that ignorance of the law is no excuse? Yes, Michael Cohen, you knew that too. And that’s why you are going to jail. But we’re glad you have provided some Primary Evidence in the Trump Pathology Report. But you know a whole lot more than you’ve spilled. I’m sure you’ll cough up more to see what you can get in return and because once you’re in the slammer you won’t have anything to lose. PS: Hey Trump, your castello is crumbling.
--Trump manufactures fake news through the National Enquirer, Fox News and Russian intelligence, then accuses the traditional, scrupulously ethical U.S. media of reporting fake news.
--Trump commits a panoply of crimes and corruption and calls for his wonkish opponent to be locked up.
--Trump assembles a rogues gallery of criminals to do his dirty work, spews ugly insults at people who have devoted their lives to public service and calls his opponent a "such a nasty woman."
--Trump violates all 10 Commandments on a regular basis, betrays trust, haughtily dismisses any need for God's forgiveness, hurts the poor and powerless and revels in the adulation of hypocritical Christian evangelicals.
--Trump runs the national debt to $20 trillion, has multiple bankruptcies, threatens to shut down the government over his political branding opportunity, fritters away our tax dollars and calls himself a "conservative."
--Trump commits blatant treason, sides with a Russian dictator against American intelligence, gives away classified secrets and acts like a sycophant to a foreign power but demands a U.S. military parade in his honor and surrounds himself with obedient generals. What on earth is wrong with the American people?
2
I have often thought about the subsequent "Trump Network" or whatever form this organization might take, if Trump had not been sworn in, as potentially more damaging than anything we're experiencing right now: not subject to the same degree of public or legal scrutiny, growing in some private corporate petri dish.
At least there is the opportunity to try and expose and disinfect our body politic and to heal.
The more I read and hear about Trump's tactics and those of his "associates" the more I'm reminded of a crime syndicate. Trump attracts corrupt people into his orbit. He attracts power hungry people. Being power hungry and/or corrupt does not make a person competent. It makes them inhumane, greedy, and a liar.
Cohen got a light sentence considering what he did. Had he been a regular criminal he would have received a stiffer sentence. He cannot claim that every dirty act of his was due to Trump. He seemed to have some initiative and didn't use it to free himself or do the right thing until it was too late.
This president, his "friends" and family, his associates, and his cabinet seem to be composed, for the most part, of people who are predisposed to be corrupt, are power hungry, and have no problems claiming government privileges beyond their station. If any person in the Obama administration had pulled similar stunts the Grossly Overbearing Popinjays would have been screaming for Obama's impeachment, that person's criminal prosecution, and a myriad of special investigations.
Electing Donald Trump president was like prescribing open heart surgery when all that was needed was bed rest. Nominating him was, to date, the biggest mistake the Greed Over People party has made next to accepting the Southern Dixiecrats into the party after LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act.
1
The chickens are finding their roosts. I believe in personal redemption, that it is never too late to start again. Michael Cohen is creating his second chance- kudos to him. It takes a certain amount of introspection to own up to mistakes even if caught red-handed.
I hope that the fact that he is doing the right thing helps his family through this public humiliation and shaming. It is worth it- they'll have a person back who eventually has integrity instead of the creepiness that permeates Donald Trump's world.
I have only one question for the Republican-backers of Trump: if this is no big deal, then why was Bill Clinton impeached?
Oh, the irony.
9
You don't have to like the man in order to like his evidence. We are effectively unwinding a global crime syndicate. You're going to run into some unsavory characters. I'm actually surprised we haven't heard about a bone saw in Trump's business dealings yet. Oh, wait...
4
Maybe because I am from NYC, and grew up with Trump like school mates, but, you only need five minutes in a room with Trump to figure out he is sleaze on wheels---and whatever contact you have with this man will not end well. And yet, with all kinds of evidence of the depth and breadth of sleaze in the Oval Office, you still have a party headed down the same path Cohen so sadly describes.
7
“Time and time again, I felt it was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds rather than to listen to my own inner voice and my moral compass.”
Doug Stamper.
4
Three years is a mere slap on the wrist.
2
This begs the question, who is worse, Cohen or the Republicans who are now making hourly appearances on Faux News, the WSJ and even in the comment section here, to proclaim, "It's a process crime, Mueller set an perjury trap"? Really? A judge thought it was enough of a felony to sentence Cohen to three years, and he wasn't the one giving orders! I guess in their minds the judge is in on it too.
No, I would say the poor immoral slobs defending the president, in our congress and our media, and places like the comment section are the truly pathetic cases. At least Cohen knew when he had past the point of no return and decided to turn witness for his criminal activity.
The Republicans? Nope. They are going to step on the gas, Thelma & Louise style, until they kiss that cold hard earth. If there's anything positive about the Trump presidency, it has been how naked the reveal of the Republican party as an immoral, nationless, criminal enterprise the believes in nothing it's power and control. It exist for no reason beyond wielding power and is willing to stand on the throat of democracy, law, and the notion of a country itself to do so.
Good riddance to Trump and to the Republican party!
9
Cohen became a legal bully who used his knowledge and experience as a weapon, a sharp, ferocious tool with which to attack and defeat any challenger to Trump. He was vicious and probably effective.
But he got caught. Now he's a sad puppy dog, a wannabe Boy Scout, a good and law-abiding citizen.
Coincidental? I think not. Only fear of punishment stopped him; if he had not been arrested, he'd still be Michael, the legal steamroller, Trump's cleanup man, doing almost anything to get the job done. (I doubt he would have killed people, though, to win.)
Sad, disappointing, and nauseating, but ecce homo. All of us have fallen short, but he went all the way to the bottom, where society must step in and control him, because he, like a child, can't, or won't, rein himself back in to civil, legal, and socially acceptable behavior.
Admittedly, if I had walked in his shoes growing up -- who knows? -- I may well have turned out the same. Lucky me, unlucky him. He got dealt a bad hand, but we must nonetheless do the time if we do the crime, for the sake of society and civilization itself. Them's the rules, and we need 'em. Next time, it could be me or you unless we watch our step. The fear of punishment has often kept within legal bounds. I feel I'm not alone in that regard either. Whatever works.
1
Trump is a big time crook who made the mistake of running for president. He would have gotten away with his myriad of crimes had he not won the election. Be Careful what you wish for...! His slow downfall is well deserved and couldn't happen to a meaner person. Anybody trying to claim this is an effort to invalidate the election, are missing the point. If Trump quits, Pence will be president and the republicans will still have control of most of our government. If Obama were accused of these types of crimes would you Trump supporters be dismissing the charges? NO! Trump supporters are the same people who pushed the birth myth to try and de-legitimatize Obama's election. Now you have the audacity to claim that Trump, an un-indicted co-conspirator in multiple crimes so far, is being falsely accused to discredit his election. No he is being accused because he is a corrupt transparent criminal who should have stuck to his casino and real estate scams.
4
The payoffs to the women is nothing compared to the Russia thing. Once that comes to light, I truly hope that it's lights out for Trump and his minions.
4
Cohen should be counting his lucky stars he only got three years in the slammer. As for Criminal #1, he can't be sleeping well these days. The law is closing in on him and his family from all sides. Not even Fox 'news' can save them now.
2
Trump was desperately hoping for a Cohen of silence. Didn't happen. Too late to get smart, Donald. The choir of people who know your dark secrets has already started singing.
362
@Jay Orchard
Love the allusions. Did Cohen make calls on his secure shoe phone?
22
@jabenda2
Good question. But if he did I’m sure Trump is anxiously waiting for the other shoe phone to drop.
20
@Jay Orchard
Very funny!
13
As the song goes, “dirty deeds, done dirt cheap” perfectly describes the entire Trump Enterprise and also his administration. Cohen should count his lucky stars that he only got 3 years jail time for the immoral and unlawful way he lived his life and conducted his business . He bullied a lot of honest business men and regular people andy cheated them out of hard earned money. Not to mention the taxes that he tried to cheat us all out of. Unless he delivered his ex boss’s head to Mueller on a silver platter I think it got off EZ!
1
Donald Trump is a perfect example of a con man. He has succeeding in convincing about 40 percent of our citizens that he’s a successful businessman and knows what’s best for the country and for them. He has convinced them that he is on their side and not the corporations and billionaires who fund him and the GOP to protect their interests and keep the status quo.
Michael Cohen and David Pecker are just two of Trump's flunkies who jump through hoops to protect him. Trump has surrounded himself with Flunkies who are there to clean up his messes and take the heat off him. Punishing Michael Cohen is all well and good; however, what Mr. Mueller and the prosecutors need to do if they want to permanently clean up the corruption created by Trump is to go for the head of the snake. The head of the snake is currently in charge of American interests and making deals with foreign entities for personal gain.
1
Yes Trump is evil. Yes, he makes the worst worse. And for those traits his supporters apparently admire him. But we should not forget that the Southern District of New York is less praiseworthy of Cohen- as he has failed to fully cooperate with them. So praise should be guarded at best- and a broader concern should arise- what is Cohen not disclosing because he wasn't asked? Because he won't let himself be asked by the Southern District attorneys? And how does this relate to crimes pre and post election?
1
"Only following orders" Where have we heard that before?
He'll have 3 years to think about it!
....Former FEC Commissioner Hans Von Spakovsky debunked the argument that President Donald Trump broke campaign finance laws by paying women he allegedly had affairs with prior to becoming president.
Despite the guilty plea, Spakovsky said that Trump should not be worried because it would have to be a “campaign-related expense” for the contribution break any campaign finance laws.
The only other time the Justice Department TRIED to say payments like these were campaign-related expenses was when John Edwards' donations went to the Edwards’ campaign and actually paid his mistress.
A jury ruled that Edwards’ donations were not a campaign-related expense...
Spakovsky went on to say that Trump has nothing to worry about and that the U.S. attorney’s office is being “overly aggressive” in their pursuit of the matter.
https://dailycaller.com/2018/12/12/coven-trump-campaign-finance-spakovsky/
One wonders how many more Michael Cohens there are out there; just as crooked, just as immoral, but maybe just a little smarter at hiding their greed and just a little less starry-eyed. If he hadn't become entangled with Trump, he might have continued ripping off the taxpayer and his clients until he retired -with zero repercussions.
Living in an alternative reality is particularly dangerous when a serial liar comes to believe his own lies. Thus Trump may think he has been cleared by Mr. Mueller, "thank you," because there is no smocking gun even as the noose tightens. While Giuliani's babble can safely be ignored, one wonders what Flood and other more serious lawyers on ghe White House team are telling the president and his children. Doubtless it's not that any of them will be Scott Free.
1
America is bigger,better and more enduring than Trump and his band of enablers. This was a very good day for America. And there are brighter days ahead as the stench of Trump begins to recede.
@Milton Lewis That stench will take years to eradicate. Trump, and his GOP enablers and cheerleaders, have soiled politics and government more than Nixon could have done.
Michael Cohen asserts that somewhere along the way he lost his moral compass by acting as a fixer. The bigger question is has the fixee ever had a moral compass?
It's difficult for me to accept the amount of damage that these small time crooks have done.
But his supporters do it with ease.
Michael Cohen claims Donald Trump led him to darkness - that was Trump’s personal life.
But look at the characters Trump has led into our lives as citizens. And this is our country, not his personal business. We all suffer. We could hardly say they represent light!
Jared Kushner, counsel to president, friend of Saudi Prince who orders decapitation and dismemberment of a United States journalist.
Michael Flynn, disgrace to military and armed services.
Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education, decimation of public schools.
Scott Pruitt, EPA, unprotection of our environment.
Ryan Zinke, Interior, destruction of our public lands and wildlife.
Tom Price, HHS, ripping us off in the name of a healthy country.
Ben Carson, Housing, who allows mentally ill to live in slime, and orders himself $31,000 tables.
Where Donald Trump goeth, corruption, greed, and selfish interests goeth. The United States of America since January, 2017.
2
I find it astonishing that while Michael Cohen gets jail time for this, whatshisface gets to stay in the WH and carry on with his days. I've read all of the articles that explain why a sitting President cannot be indicted, the whole thing about how that would take too much time away from carrying on the duties of the Presidency makes no sense in this case because (1) he tweets and golfs and has plenty of 'executive time' to spare (2) the Presidency was acquired fraudulently in the first place!
All that to say - if Cohen deserves jail time, Individual 1 must be in the cell next door.
Indict, impeach, turn the page, please.
1
I am fascinated that no one seems to even mention the fact that our sitting president is perfectly fine with being a serial adulterer. His wife was still recovering from the birth our their son while he was in bed with other women. Once upon a time this would be a problem for a sitting president, but that America is long gone.
1
Michael Cohen has only “seen the light” because he has gotten caught in the act. His moral compass seems to have been non-existent until he came under fire- then it magically awakened. I feel sympathy for his family.
Am I the only one in America that saw Cohen, servant of the USSR, destroyer of the Ukraine, maker of illegal Millions, walk into court with a woman, presumably his daughter, who was on a CRUTCH while wearing HIGH HEELS. Did you see how bravely and gentlemanly he held on to her? Did the crutch save him that 4th year in Jail? Was this just another liar's ploy for sympathy? Maybe he should have fireman's carry her in, it might have gotten him another year off the sentence for ripping off you, me and the American people. Am I the only person that saw that?
@Robert Briggs
Moving sight, no? I was only surprised to see he used her instead of his wheelchair-bound, Holocaust-survivor father. It couldn’t possibly have been less pathetic.
This was a good day for American democracy indeed, and it was a moment in which the justice system actually worked.
What many of us are wondering is , how long will it take for the Republicans in the Senate to understand that they have made a terrible investment by making Donald Trump the face of the Republican Party ? While Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, and Orrin Hatch are not from New York and don’t know or at least admit that Donald Trump has been running a criminal enterprise for decades , they are about to discover that they have hitched their collective wagons to a sinking ship. Many of us are curious to know how long it will take for them to admit it publicly. How long are they willing to look stupid for the sake of saving face ? Stay tuned…
1
Has anyone actually read the Cohen Sentencing Memos? 3 years prison term for lying under oath? A life sentence was in order, not a measly 3 years. And where is the IRS team to go through his tax evasion? Crime sure pays.
Cohen, an attorney and businessman, committed four distinct federal crimes over a period of several years. He was motivated to do so by personal greed, and repeatedly used his power and influence for deceptive ends. Now he seeks extraordinary leniency
–
a sentence of no jail time
–
based principally on his rose-colored view of the seriousness of the crimes; his claims to a sympathetic personal history; and his provision of certain information to law enforcement. But the crimes committed by Cohen were more serious than his submission allows and were marked by a pattern of deception that permeated his professional life (and was evidently hidden from the friends and family members who wrote on his behalf)
https://www.axios.com/michael-cohen-mueller-investigation-sentencing-memo-d664b3a5-81ff-413a-ba3a-024d8cda1815.html
He wants to protect his family he says. I've seen him with his son in a photograph or two, but not his daughter. But he took her arm and propelled her into the courtroom, as a show of family I guess, that needed Mr. Cohen at home. She used a crutch, reminding me of Tiny Tim from the DIcken's tale, and it seemed that Mr. Cohen was using his own daughter as a prop.
Given the complicity of the GOP's congressional failure, can enough of the senate be found guilty of being co-conspirators?
It will come out eventually that they have overtly suppressed information, blatantly failed to perform duties to a level that qualifies as obstruction of justice, and have been as fast and loose with facts as Cohen himself.
Can we go after enough of GOP congress from this mountain of manure, especially the Senate to break the GOP's back?
Inquiring people want to know. Meanwhile, All The President's Men is streaming on AmazonPrime with no extra charge.
When this nightmare of Trump is over, we will, as Americans, have to do some serious introspection. Ultimately, we are the ones who let it happen. We believed the lies and didn't care enough when he mocked, was vulgar, insulted allies, profited from the office or President, when he put his family in positions they were never qualified to hold. We knew they we all lying. What was it about this truly corrupt, vile individual that appealed to so many Americans? It exposed a susceptibility in America to follow strongmen, cheering to fascist slogans like "enemy of the people." So many willingly joined the Trump "cult" (Cohen's word.) If they had also been asked to drink Kool Aide for Donald Trump, clearly many would have. The fault is not in our stars...But in ourselves.
414
@Wanda
And...because we as a culture have not been curious enough about psychology -- what drives drive us, how we're not all the independent cowboy thinkers we think we are.
So we turn to TV, and its hypnotic sounds and colorful characters, and go numb to the dangers of not studying human nature. Watching it perform, but not thinking about what the overarching message is. Qui bono?
We must become introspective and value wisdom and humanity again. Not just be attracted by the loudest noise.
42
@Wanda
I agree somewhat with your sentiment, but those of us in the northeast and the far west certainly understood Trump was a conman, a pathological liar, an unhinged narcissist, a serial bankrupt and a total failure as a businessman. Ninety percent of Manhattanites who voted, voted for Clinton. And Trump did lose the national vote by some 3,000,000, a result that would have made Clinton president in any other democracy. My point is that those who "knew" him could not be conned by him. Yes, unfortunately there are always lemmings in a society, ignorant, pathetic know-nothings who will glom onto anything that scratches their itch. There is nothing that will persuade them otherwise.
119
@Wanda
NO. Stop right there. There were plenty of us who not only knew what Donald Trump was about, but we tried to warn the rest of the country.
Not only did they not listen, but they accused us of being non-Americans.
And in addition to that there was the usual Republican bag of tricks like voter suppression, gerrymandering, lies of voter fraud, the Electoral College -- look at what's happening in Wisconsin and North Carolina if you don't think that's true.
Those who fell into the Trump trap have only themselves to blame.
The rest of us have to live with it.
148
In late 2018 we now have our own version of John Dean who was Richard Nixon's personal lawyer and who recounted his story in Blind Ambition. Michael Cohen eventually admitted his guilt and is going to jail for it. Donald Trump is still the POTUS and no one in the Republican Party believes that this "smoking gun" should destroy their leader. It's the pathetic truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
4
At his sentencing hearing Michael Cohen talked about his need to return to his “moral compass”.
“Prosecutors have made a persuasive case that the moral compass of Mr. Cohen, who also pleaded guilty to tax evasion and bank fraud, didn’t locate true north until he was caught and his home, office and hotel room were raided by the F.B.I.”
Boy, I love that sentence.
441
@Clyde Bartel Yeah, amongst other things, he cheated on his taxes "bigly," which had nothing to do with Trump.
14
@rena
Trump has probably cheated "bigly" on his taxes as well.
Why else hasn't he still made those returns public?
25
@Clyde Bartel yes, and this one, too:
... “he acted in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1" — that’s President Individual-1 to you — this is even more evidence they believe Mr. Trump conspired to commit a felony."
15
As a firm believer in personal growth, and repentance and redemption as in the Jewish tradition of teshuvah, I must give credit to Michael Cohen, who has chosen that path rather than the one of Paul Manafort and Donald Trump, to cast off the shadow and, as you say, come "into the light." There's an important moral lesson for all of us here that echoes St. Paul on the road to Damascus to the Buddha's encounter with Angulimala and the very message of Christmas such as depicted in "A Christmas Carol" that those who have committed sins (aka crimes) can show the character to own up to them, repent, repay their social debts, and be renewed or resurrected or enlightened in this life. So, I give Michael Cohen credit for showing the growth and integrity to go down this path through the shadows and into the light. He and the nation will be better off for it as we work through the national darkness that has descended upon all of us.
5
@Paul Wortman....seriously? Do you really think this guy has repented? He is a pragmatic, cruel selfish, and cynical person who saw and took the best way out for himself given the circumstances! Like a child.Seeing this drama unfold thru the lens of outdated religious platitudes is beside the point.
@A & R We all make choices in life. Cynical denial is a defense that rationalizes the choices of the Paul Manaforts and Donald Trumps. The is a moral choice, not a "religious platitude," that Michael Cohen has made, and it's the right one.
Sounds like an ineffective, spineless lawyer who did not know how to say"no" and "you can't" to a client and explain in words that the client could understand why "no" and "can't" were his response to his client's wishes or instructions. Add to that weakness failure to pay attention to and understand the federal election laws and you've got a real problem in these circumstances. Evading federal taxes and lying to banks in connection with obtaining a loan are garden variety crimes: who doesn't know that doing this is unlawful? A practicing lawyer? And the guy is still a member of the bar? Disgraceful. "Moral compass" is not at issue here. Failure to obey the law and adhere to the rules concerning professional conduct is.
What Trump, a married non-lawyer receiving advice on applicable law in his situation from counsel (if he got any) -- that is, about the alleged female peccadilloes and covering them up through payoffs -- and ignoring it (if advice on these issues was actually given, which seems doubtful here) had the understanding necessary to support a finding that he had criminal intent when triggering all this is another matter entirely.
19
@Percy41 What is pertinent is whether he intended to "do the deed" - which he clearly did. He doesn't need to have intended to break the law. That being said, it's pretty clear that he knew he was breaking the law. Recall that a few months ago, he "knew nothing" about the payments, and told the press that they'd have to "ask Michael Cohen" if they wanted to know anything about the payments.
20
@rena For criminal law purposes, what is required to show mens rea here is a little more complicated than that. What Trump said to press people about knowing about the payments after they were discovered doesn't mean anything in this context.
1
@Percy41 Man, you're dancing as fast as you can with this stuff. You sound like you're in front of a judge. Looks like a duck, walks like a duck...QUACK.
12
Well, Christmas is upon us, and now, after the deluge, can we hope for a return to human decency and the knowledge that the unindicted co-conspirator will get his due as well? We all need a little gift.
5
Did someone just serve us coffee? Are people waking up to the fact that Trump will go down in history as an inept common criminal who bullied his way to the top? However embarrassing it may be for the US to have been overtaken by a gang of louts, a judicial day of reckoning for all of the guilty will go a long way towards our collective healing.
9
So apparently Individual-Justice just might, after all, prevail.
The blindfold thing, you know. S/he stands there with the scales and decides which is heavier, and what that means.
Perhaps the USA is not quite out of the match yet. Down for the count, though.
And just watch Trump and friends walk away from all of this as they laugh all the way to the bank; such a travesty being perpetrated against the rule of law and endorsed by half of the electorate. And how does that leave the other half? Depressed, hopeless and resigned to the fact that our "founding fathers" actually set up a mechanism that protects the executive branch from prosecution of crimes during their time in office. And that dirty lie far surpasses the daily lies of our president.
3
Yes, "blind loyalty" and more than a whiff of greed.
1
What are we waiting for? When does Trump do the perp walk? I am tired of waiting for something that has been so obvious. Do the walk, Donald!
1
Mr. Cohen did not have a deal to cooperate and did not blame the FBI for tricking him for his crimes and got three.
Mr Flynn had a deal to cooperate but blamed the FBI for his misdeeds, he should get thirty (until he apologizes to the FBI and shows public contrition.) Treason used to be capital offense.
Spilling the beans to Mueller is not enough. Colluding with hostile foreign powers was treason. This former military officer is no run of the mill traitor, he also betrayed the military oath he took in front of the United States Flag, the state flag, the military branch flag:
"I, Michael Flynn, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."
What's next Mr. Flynn will you blame God?
8
With so many skeletons in his closet 45th should not running for US President. What for? Public service?? US citizens does not want public service from person like Donald Trump with that many dirty deeds, as said by Michael Cohen. Now he will how wrong it was to run for election in 2016. That too at age 70
Sorry for you Donald Trump. Resign & go back to Trump Tower. Life will be much more easier. You don't have to explain anything to 320 million US citizens.
Trump has led us all into the darkness. America is now the land of baby cages and pollution, of tariff wars and border walls, of racism and sexism, a nation that has no friends or allies, led by a lying bully who is a likely felon whose behavior is a model for others who previously restrained their “inner Trump”. Mr. Cohen’s shame is shared by many Americans. Cohen, after admitting his guilt and receiving his sentence said he was finally free. When can the rest of us say the same?
549
@DO5
When we actively fight back, en masse, roaring and supporting and volunteering against that tide. No more hand wringing; hands need to WORK for change.
38
@DO5
What do you mean "has lead"? -- He's still leading us into darkness.
22
@DO5 agree totally. He saw "American carnage" in his inaugural speech and here we are. His carnage is everywhere: in the shambles of Congressional non-hearings, in the rubber stamping of unqualified judges, cabinet heads, all self-dealing and uninterested in the public good. The values upon which our country is based have been debased. No longer a beacon of hope, we separate children from parents seeking asylum and tell them to get the hell out of our broken country. This is Donald Trump's America now.
7
Lets wait on possible indictments & even impeachment until after Robert Mueller concludes his Russia probe. Having said that Trump will never serve one day in jail. This is a progressive fantasy. There's zero chance of this happening. Lets put aside the DOJ internal policy against indicting a sitting president. It will never survive a court test...and it will be litigated. But suppose I'm wrong and Trump is indicted. Then he will definitely be re-elected. Assuming the Democrats go with their plan to run on a progressive platform then this will energize the GOP base like never before. They won't care whether Trump wins but they will do everything possible to make sure Democrats and more importantly liberals lose. What progressives & their co-dependents will never understand is that far left mobilizes it's opponents to an even greater degree. Anti-left” will always win most places in this country but especially in swing states like Ohio & Florida. There is no progressive majority in America & never will be. The numbers are simply not there. And there certainly is no progressive Electoral College coalition in America that could get to the needed 270 votes. This point can't be emphasized enough: almost every progressive candidate in whom Democrats invested tremendous time, money, & emotional energy—Beto O’Rourke, Andrew Gillum , Stacey Abrams who all ran against weak GOP candidates— lost. Let Trump leave on his own accord. That's what's best for America.
24
@Bill Brown Trump is so strongly disliked by a majority of US citizens that to believe if he is indicted or impeached and survives a Senate vote he will be reelected is a pure Trumpian fantasy. That fantasy is based on the fact that Clinton's popularity increased after his impeachment, ignoring the fact that he was popular before and that most Americans were disgusted with the prurience and zealotry of the Starr's report and the hypocrisy of Republican's persecutors. Mueller's report will be a sober, serious report that in no way will resemble Starr's. Clinton's lying to prosecutors about a tawdry sexual encounter is small potatoes compared to the level of Trump's fraudulence and greed. It involves a lot more than sexual affairs, that will be crystal clear after Mueller issues his report. Republicans may rally around Trump to save his Presidency but most of the people will not.
88
@Bill Brown None of us know for a fact whether or not Trump will serve a day in jail. What we do know is that he will never ever gain the recognition and admiration he literally craves. His base is shrinking and it was never even close to the majority to begin with. Nor will it ever be. For this progressive the knowledge that history will reveal Trump for the fraud he is, is more than enough to make me a very happy liberal.
58
@serban The best of all possible scenarios for the country would be for Trump to resign, Pence issue a pardon for all crimes and then Donald fade into history. If this becomes about Trump doing jail time then it will divide the country further if that's possible. We need to heal as a nation. We will accomplish nothing if we're at each other's throats again. Need to look at the big picture.
6
Who among us would refuse $500,000 to cover up for his boss?This is raw Capitalism, & small potatoes as to what goes on in the inner circles.
As Jesus said, let him without sin throw the first stone.
1
@Joe Blow. I wouldn't. The inner circles you're talking about here are corrupt and would cover up for Trump even for a pittance, because they think he brings them power and celebrity. Which he does, because so many stupid Americans let him.
As for Jesus, he is dead and gone, but even he'd be knocking heads together at this point. Don't forget what he did to the Temple - he'd do it here, too.
1
@Joe Blow Maybe Jesus would? most of us would. does your religion not teach basic ethics. ?
@A & R
My Bible is full of treachery, & deceit, It's part of human nature.
Michael Cohen reveled in his role as Trump’s “attack dog” attorney- snarling at the press and anyone else nipping at his master’s heels. Now he wears the permanent “hangdog” look of contrition, real or feigned, that we have come to know so well from those burned by their association with Trump.
Now, if only we could hope that in the near future at least some of the the voters who put this criminal and destructive president in office might feel some pangs of contrition -I’m not holding my breath.
149
Throughout his life DT has never had to answer to anyone, except Daddy. He was born and raised as scion of a private enterprise. It allowed him unfettered self absorption and cultivated his flamboyant narcissism.
CEO’s of private companies that have converted to one that is publicly traded often lament how much more challenging and frustrating it is to deal with their new boss, the Board of Directors.
What DT doesn’t seem to understand is that the United States is a vast publicly owned organization and we, the People, are all members of the new BoD, and the new boss he must answer to.
3
lest my american friends start climbing their moral high horses do not forget that no one has seen any jail time for 2008 crash or any other time. just a few low level minions that got in the way. welcome to the american dream where you have to be asleep to believe it.
4
If it wasn’t apparent before this conviction then it should be now. Mr. Trump has no moral conviction to the truth. If he did once he’ll always be capable or doing it. He perpetrated on every single America citizen a intentional act of distortion. I would consider that high crimes and misdemeanors.
6
Steal a US presidency, get 3 years.
Steal a pack of lifesavers? get 3 years, or is it 5, or 10?
Thank you for cooperating Cohen. You had to cooperate, so you did. No redeeming qualities. Glad you cooperated. Apparently you could have divulged more. No sympathy.
7
interesting characterization- darkness v. light. I suggest chaos v. reason might be more appropriate. The religious right supports a womanizing hypocrite. Conservatives dutifully follow a leader aligned with Communists and brutal dictators. Political leaders previously committed to preserving democracy attack its institutions. These incredible and unbelievable reversals have produced Cohen, Bannon, Manafort and Trump. We need to look inward to find the cause of this chaos and remedy it before it is too late.
9
My sincere hope is that this is like Jenga, and as the blocks of corruption are pulled out one by one, the tower and the president will come tumbling down.
6
Cohen says he doesn’t want history to remember him as a villain. Very well. We’ll remember him as a thug. His tearful courtroom apology was woefully inadequate. Not a word for all the journalists he threatened. Throw away the key.
3
@maitena. It all depends on how he lives his life when he gets out. I suppose the book he writes in jail will keep him in $$$ for a while and he won't have to bow down to anybody for a while.
How does a man go morally bankrupt by association with don trump? First, slowly.. then, all of a sudden. Every day, when he wakes up in the wh or at the golf course, he’s an attack on every principle I’ve ever felt had value for how to conduct ones’ life. My Mother used to say that sooner or later everyone gets what they deserve... I fervently hope that she was right.
3
Cohen got three, the American public got four, and trump's family got life.
4
So let me get this straight it is a felony and jail sentence for Cohen but for the person who directed him and paid the money it is a private transaction?
I’m not sure even Fox can come with the logic behind this?
6
I don't understand how Mr. Cohen (as you report in the editorial) was earning 75 thousand dollars a year and owned at least one condo in a Trump building. This was at the beginning of his career but it seems odd.
1
Then, are our laws and institutions so ineffective and toothless that despite all the facts and your enthusiasm for the institutions in this article, the snake is still thriving under our beds?
2
There have been some dark days in the recent past, and there are darker days still ahead. But Mueller's methodical investigation is starting to shine light on the darkness. The world is seeing that in this country the rule of law still holds. And, this is a good thing.
The President is claiming that Cohen is a liar. Does anyone believe Trump?
7
Trump conducted his entire life on the fringes, with corrupt intent every step of the way. He didn’t think he would win, so he continued with his business. This was his way of developing another career. It was supposed to be a tv station or network where he could fleece his viewers. None of this was supposed to come out. Trump couldn’t bury this.
Cohen should have been thrown in jail years ago. His sorrow isn’t that he did those things, but that he was caught. He should have been disbarred decades ago. But, Trump only gives us the best, right?
199
There is nothing inherently illegal about paying babes to keep their mouths shut about affairs of 12 years ago. The issue is whether the money can be considered money that was spent to advance Trump's election chances, which is limited to $2,700 per person, or was it for something else.
There is a genuine issue here. If Trump makes a campaign speech and buys a $5,000 suit to wear to that speech and spends $10,000 for private air transportation is that a violation of campaign finance laws? It is money spent to advance his election chances. No one ever accused Trump of spending campaign funds. The monies in question came out of Trump's own pocket. It seems to me that the real victim here was Melania. That said, when she married Trump he was a flamboyant celebrity TV star and ostensibly she knew what she was getting
Cohen included this Trump business into his plea to satisfy Mueller and prosecutors who allowed him to cut a deal for leniency in connection with his real crimes, to wit, income tax evasion; and making false statements to banks to fraudulently secure loans.
1
@MIKEinNYC, except that Trump laundered the payments through Cohen's bank account and then cooked the Trump Organization books to hide the nature of the reimbursement. Sure looks like he knew he was committing a crime. And the National Enquirer admission yesterday makes it clear why these payments were made. Trump conspired to commit a felony -- you just cool with a criminal president?
1
@Mark
It's normal for lawyers to lay out money on behalf of clients and get reimbursed later.
1
The problem isn‘t Donald and his merry band of thieves.
The problem is a large swath of Americans left behind by decades of neglect and disdain by employers, politicians and policies.
If these people aren‘t addressed with proper jobs, healthcare, education and hope for a decent future, the next Donald will be just a matter of time.
Bad times breed extremists...
2
@Eric Ewald. Not if we can get enough people to wake up and see that the people they are voting for are treating them as patsies. People who voted for Trump cut their own throats, and now they are stuck because they can't admit they made a mistake. They'd rather bleed to death and take the rest of us with them. Anybody who bought Trump's lines during the election deserves to be out of a job and probably hasn't had proper education to begin with.
After 18 months of continuous investigation still waiting for the "Russian collusion" connection. Lots of bad behavior for sure but where's the beef?
1
@baba ganoush
My guess is that it's still on the grill, not quite ready to be served.
2
@baba ganoush just wait.
@baba ganoush. Mueller is methodical. No rush to judgment here, just hard work and ultimately the justice that comes with doing the job well. Whatever the result ends up being, Mueller and his crew are being careful and have caught a lot of smelly fish in the net. This is no witch hunt. This is careful investigation.
2
Yeah, sorry, but attorneys don't get to do that. He is the fiduciary, the one with ethical duties and legal training. Attorneys don't get to say, my client led me astray.
So many things disturb me about what has gone on in this "investigation." First, we can't have targeted attempts to find crimes against presidents, rather than investigations of actual crimes. This was commented on by the judge all through the Manafort trial and was made very obvious throughout all the plea deals. It was wrong with Clinton, it is wrong with Trump and bad for the country. The childish glee of those who feel we will get revenge for "lock her up," is very Trumpian and does not justify it.
Second, taking money for silence about sex is revolting. It is sad that there is so little recognition of the depravity of this behavior, but such is the power of partisanship. I don't know about you, but if someone asked me to keep quiet about sex, whatever I decided, I wouldn't ask for or accept money for it. Ycch. But, those lucky ladies and poor lost lawyer/convicted liar Cohen would be the witnesses in any trial.
Last, the campaign laws are way too vague and self- contradictory. I am not sure, but I don't think there was precedent that this was a crime. To the contrary - doesn't congress regularly pay off their victims/accusers? But, people reflexively lie and prosecutors use this damnable "lying to the feds" law to force people to plea to crimes they otherwise wouldn't.
I don't see impeachment.
I am waiting for the shoe to drop on Mr. Cohen’s only other client. It is surprising how quiet the press has been on this story. The Fox and Friends take on it should be interesting.
2
The noose tightens around Trump...how will he react? I wonder what the Republicans in the Senate and House, who do nothing, and are therefore complicit in Trump's obstruction, are thinking? Will they see the light before its too late?
1
Yes, Cohen's conviction was a bravura performance for American justice and rule of law. But their "resilience" and "majesty" will not be evident until the blatantly criminal Donald Trump is impeached, removed from office, fined and jailed.
8
Trump would not have won the election without his signature orange hair, perfectly combed over. It is a fact that Trump made payments to his hair stylist using his personal funds and not campaign funds. Because the payments were “for the principal purpose of influencing the election” Trump violated campaign finance laws. Prosecutors in Manhattan need raid the stylist's home and business, recover any orange dye, and dust the bottles for Trump's prints.
The Editorial Board has said that the judge said that this crime is more important than tax evasion and bank fraud. Time is of the essence.
Cohen strikes me as a small man with a short fuse, self educated in the arts of subservience to people with power, money and opportunity. Listening to his taped phone call with Trump made him sound like a toady little leach, while listening to his taped phone call threatening another person in Trump's behalf left little room for imagination or sympathy. Cohen seems guilty of so much more.
And now, let's proceed to the main event.
216
Trump will be removed from office only when the billionaire Oligarchs running the GOP advise their Congressional minions to dump him.
If these folks decide Trump is not electable in 2020, they’ll take action earlier and make clear to Trump that resignation with a Pence pardon is his least painful option.
Otherwise, Trump will run again, and the Oligarchy will pump up their brainwashing machine to drive their lemmings to the polls. But Trump’s second term will be short-lived and his carefully groomed VP will take over to more smoothly pave the road to a bilious billionaire take-over.
11
Mr. Cohen tells a sad tale and Mr. Cohen is a sad tale.
Mr. Cohen led a corrupt life from early on and it was not just civil white-collar crimes of tax evasion and fraud; he threatened people with harm.
It was Mr. Cohen's lowlife behavior/tactics that caught the attention of Donald Trump and it was Donald Trump's life of sleaze that attracted him to Mr. Cohen. They knew who and what each other were - lowlifes.
Mr. Cohen fit right in with the life of the sleazy real-estate TV celebrity and he became one of Trump's "dirty deeds." Our nation's dignity has been soiled and all of us have been harmed by Mr. Cohen, "in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1."
It would be a mistake to believe Mr. Cohen's contrition is anything beyond self-serving. It would also be a mistake to believe "American justice and rule of law have recalled Michael Cohen to the path of light." In the first place, Mr. Cohen could not be "recalled" to a moral path because he had never known one. Secondly, we don't know that Mr. Cohen is, even now, on a path of light; we only know he is cooperating with law enforcement because he was facing a longer prison sentence.
What American justice and rule of law succeeded in doing was to bring Mr. Cohen to account for his "dirty deed" life, and that is what we want American justice and rule of law (read Mr. Mueller) to do to Donald "dirty deed" Trump. We want to wash Trump from the fabric of our nation and have its dignity and majesty restored.
184
@JABarry
beautifully said.
9
@JABarry Thank you JA - concise and wise counsel. Merry Christmas.
6
@Gordon Jones
Complete fumigation needed at White House.
7
Here are my doubts: Had every single individual who voted for Trump in 2016 know of these hush money payments, would that have mattered to them at all? Trump's mistake was trying to cover all this up, when he probably didn't have to.
5
One of the more ironic things about this crime(s) (and Trick Dicky's 46 years ago) is the fact that Individual-1 didn't have to buy anyone's silence. His base, to include those pure and righteous white evangelicals and many, many white women, had already decided they didn't care what sins DJT had committed. Stormy and Karen's revelations would not have put the slightest of dents in their support. And sadly, I don't believe anything that comes out in Mueller's final findings will either.
5
Assuming Trump actually makes it to the 2020 campaign, one thing's for sure: whatever Democrat wins the nomination will have Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal sitting front row at every single Presidential debate, preferably screaming at him.
2
Screaming at him because of their consensual relationship and one night stand? Screaming at him because they accepted money to stay quiet? Or, in the case of Macdougal, screaming at him because he ended up breaking off the affair? Perhaps you are conflating these women with those who Trump brought to the Hillary debate....you know, the women who were allegedly sexually assaulted.
Better call Saul.
This entire enterprise is characterized by people who value money and power above all else and who lack basic honesty, truth and morality.
8
Well, we've certainly found the new campaign song for 2020. I hope AC/DC approves.
2
@AG - Yeah, their lyrics are pretty prescient…
"If you got a lady and you want her gone
But you ain't got the guts.
She keeps naggin' at you night and day
Enough to drive you nuts.
Pick up the phone, leave her alone
It's time you made a stand
For a fee, I'm happy to be
Your back door man hey.
Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap
Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap
Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap
Concrete shoes, cyanide, TNT
(Done dirt cheap)
Neck ties, contracts, high voltage
(Done dirt cheap)…"
Michael Cohen may have participated in a “veritable smorgasbord” of crimes, but I will wager that when the entire story unfolds, as it will, Donald Trump will have orchestrated a bacchanalia of illegal activity.
The payments to women were not simple private transactions. Listen to the tape between Cohen and Trump. Don McGahn, the Trump campaign lawyer, was an FEC commissioner. Note that to the best of our knowledge, he was not consulted on these payments. As far as we know, he did not okay them. This suggests that both Cohen and Donald knew these were illegal in the context of a campaign.
Donald claiming to want to shield his family from hurt over an extramarital affair is another one of his distortions. Donald didn’t want to suffer the consequences is a more likely explanation. Being the roue is a part of his brand; Melania is wife number three and presumably, acquainted with his romantic history. He didn’t want the voters to know he was a cheater and he wanted to present a family tableau on the campaign trail. Lies for all.
There is a long history of criminal behavior here and the campaign shenanigans are merely the way in.
2
He seems to have a nice family. I have things go well for them throughout the coming days.
1
Make that:
I hope things go well for them throughout the coming days.
1
Three years hardly seems enough for Mr. Cohen. These crimes were committed not because he needed the money to survive but simply for greed. I don't believe anybody saw any light here.
Not to excuse any crime, but there are so many people in prison serving longer sentences for less serious crimes.
It seems white collar crime is treated with leniency even though these crimes often do a lot of damage to large numbers of people.
18
@Richard Fried The criminal justice system is unbelievably unfair to the poor and minorities.
People who find truth and virtue after they are caught fail to appreciate the true love of virtue is not done for the benefit of another's eyes but for your own. We can say this for Trump, he at least does not pretend to be a man who respects the truth. He is honest in that at least - cold comfort to your Nation.
5
When you fully cooperate with prosecutors and still do 3 years, you've been a very bad person.
Every time I read one of these stories I am disgusted by the thought that there are so many others like this that will never be caught. Had Trump never been elected as president, Cohen would still be making an unscrupulous fortune without ever paying the price.
Hopefully, at least Trump and all of his co-conspirators will all be locked up for as long as possible. That would go a long way toward healing this country from our pessimism.
9
I cannot understand how normal, nice people who would never think of breaking the law or associating with seamy people can accept Trump and overlook the kind of man he is. I cannot understand why otherwise kind and generous people are willing to have a man who is essentially a criminal, surrounded by other criminals, become their president. How is it that my neighbors, who are lovely people, continue to defend Trump? I have asked them to explain, but they give rote answers that aren't truly answers. I haven't seen any improvement in my life or financial situation over the past two years, and I doubt that my neighbors have, yet they make claims to some kind of nebulous "great economy." What are they talking about? Why do otherwise lovely people accept behavior from their president that they would not from their grandchildren--lying and bullying among them? I cannot understand the hold he has on them, but I hope that the revelations from Cohen and others will start to loosen their attachment.
27
@Ms. Pea I too wonder how people I know, people who are well educated, thoughtful, and generous, can continue to champion Mr. Trump and his associates. The only conclusion I can come to is that once lied to and led astray, they cannot admit a basic error in judgement. Nothing else can explain it in my mind.
6
Two words- Fox News.
@Kathleen
I think it's more basic (and base) than that.
By appealing to American "patriotism", which in every sense is more like nationalism -- along with a hint of bigotry and white supremacy, Trump has found his base.
1
Will Cohen's conviction change anything in President Trump's behavior ? Probably not, a conscience doesn't appear to be a part of Trump's constitution. Impeachment ? With a Republican senate, goes nowhere. So what we have is a history lesson for the naive (like me): just follow the behavior of the Republican party from even before the primaries through the electoral process, especially those seeking the presidency. I have learned those seeking office will do just about anything to achieve it, and the higher the office the more despicable the act. Also, I once thought the vast majority of Americans were kind and generous, the political events since 2016 have altered that statement so as to remove the word "vast".
6
"American justice and rule of law have recalled Michael Cohen to the path of light, and it was a fine thing, on Wednesday, to witness their resilience, and be reminded of their majesty."
Not so fast, Editorial Board. While Mr. Cohen's convictions and sentence are indeed a "fine thing", the result is majestic in just the same way the weekend sport fisherman documents his catch by photographing a fish held closer to the camera than the angler.
When the Big Fish is hauled aboard, gutted and served up, then the law can be deemed majestic and resilient. Time to reset the hooks and start back trolling the seas. To steal from the Discovery Channel, this is truly a "Dangerous Catch".
11
Yes, Michael Cohen may have been brought legally to the 'light' and the slammer, but the real question is, will the rest of his cohorts in crime including Trump will inhabit that same pent house, a federal or state prison. Will Justice be blind or let the powerful off the hook?
5
“There have been some dark days in America in recent months, days when its astonished citizens have had reason to wonder whether its institutions and even its ideals — the Congress, the electoral process, the notion that honesty matters — had become too brittle to withstand what could seem like relentless assault.”
The relentless assault is unprecedented and will continue. It is monstrous. Nevertheless, if our institutions are worthy of survival, they must hold up. If that which has taken hundreds of years to build can be brought down by one evil man in 2-4 short years, even with all the rampant cowardice and greed he has shoring him up, I would argue that it was a pipe dream and not fit to survive. I am not yet convinced that isn’t true. Just more hopeful now, maybe.
6
Two points that are not receiving due notice:
1) According to the Articles of Impeachment lodged against President Nixon, acquiescing in false testimony to Congress is an impeachable offense. President Trump’s lawyers say his sworn version of the hush-money payments squares with Michael Cohen’s second, truthful account. So Trump necessarily knew that Cohen had perjured himself from the moment he learned the substance of Cohen’s Congressional testimony; and from that moment, he has acquiesced in Cohen’s perjury – an ongoing impeachable offense.
2) What voters were kept from learning was not only that Trump had engaged in additional affairs but that Trump had illegally paid hush money to keep voters in the dark. Trump’s record of philandering was clearly not enough to sink his candidacy, but knowledge of his felonious behavior could well have swayed the election.
8
Like it or not lawyers, politicians, police, priests and reporters are all just people, some good some bad. What is also true is that the best of us don't surround ourselves with the worst.
Trump's personal failings are mirrored by his choice of associates. At the very beginning there was Roy Cohn. From there a trail of individuals devoid of integrity, decency or morals followed. Trump did not make those people forsake "darkness for light". He simply provided them with the opportunity to act on their worst instincts.
8
Cohen's apologized to his family and friends, the court, and the American people as a body. Has he yet made public - or private - apologies to the journalists, women and business owners he intimidated and threatened on behalf of "the darkness" he chose to represent?
His limited apologies lead to stipulated forgiveness (as his sentence illustrates). Were Michael Cohen whisked away to D.C., would his Come to Lightness moment have come?
1
It's always interesting to watch or hear about people expressing regrets to the point of weeping when found guilty in the courts. But what most are really weeping about is the fact they've been caught and their penalties are life changing. His riches to rags outcome is why he regrets straying from his phony moral compass. But know this. Trump's voters will look the other way on this campaign finance violation. They will rationalize why it was OK to pay these women to keep them quiet. They will say things like Hillary and her e-mails were never fully investigated or the Clinton's uranium investments have been washed over. It will be interesting to see what our legislature does.
16
Yes, well... I can't be too sorry for the guy.
I heard what he said to that reporter when he had money and power. And now, for all the fanfare, he did not make a proper deal with the prosecutor because it would have required him to tell absolutely all, and he won't do that.
Good news that he's located a small shred of his conscience. But three years is not that long a time, and it looks to me like his contrition is limited.
15
The “Mr. Trump brought into darkness” is an anti-advocacy of the satanic dramatization. I have not known the wide range of self-defense, which can reach the biblical. Though, I ask myself. *If* I were in such a position, would not I have been drawn to it, especially if not sudden but gradual as if being in natural progressions? The phenomenon as it is, can be said as the territory of money and power. There, evasions could be normality. Now, my questions: How many layers exist in that terrain? How thoroughly can the legality cut into it by passing through the conflicting interests of all other powers? The answers are expected to arrive at, are they not, or not at all?
Trump can lamely categorize the "transaction" any way he chooses ("“a simple private transaction") but the law says different. And while he seemingly continues to think he's above the law, I suspect he'll soon see that he's not. I have the Champagne chilled and ready for that day.
54
I hope the next president pardons Cohen.
Not because he's a great guy. Not because he might move go on to the noble pursuit of justice for others wronged by the Trump administration after his release. Not because he has a young family. And certainly not because he deserves it.
It's because I'm practical.
Our prisons are over-crowded — literally bursting at the seams — and the space could be better used to house worse criminals for a much, much longer time.
The Trumps.
51
@KJ - This is the type of crime that needs to be prosecuted. There is plenty of room for all of them if we change the drug laws.
48
@KJ I'm glad to hear that you're not swayed by his pretty speech. After all, he's a lawyer - that 's what they do.
He'll go to a minimum security camp. They're not the ones that are busting at the seams. It's still a punishment, believe me. There's no privacy, the food is lousy and the boredom will make 3 years seem like 10.
But don't worry ... there's plenty of room for the royal family.
5
@Michael Roberts
Forget changing the drug laws -- we need to change the Senate!
3
Guided by his conscience Michael Cohen, the former Trump attorney, could come out of the darkness to light with the helping hand of the law, could it hold some lesson for Trump who still gropes in the darkness refusing to respect the law?
6
This entire “investigation” is essentially a counter-attack by the governing elite to negate Trump's election. Like similar strategies in France, Sweden, etc. it has little chance of long-term success. The two parties’ establishments need to think about the real reasons Trump was elected and address them or the country will continue to decline.
3
@Mike Livingston. The rule of law is the only thing that holds back the jungle. Yes, both parties need to address the inequalities of our society even under the law. But, cancelling all the rules of civilization is not a playbook for success. Decline is a relative term.
57
@Mike Livingston - You put "investigation" in quotes as though they haven't proved a thing. Pointing to other problems that need addressed doesn't negate the positive results of this prosecutor doing a great job of proving serious crimes.
28
@Mike Livingston
I work with ex-FBI folks who are slightly right of center. And we all agree this is not a left/right issue. Its a fight for the rule of law. The sooner you understand this the sooner we can unite as Americans and rid our body politic of the corruption we've allowed to happen.
14
Well, not really to "the path of light" since he is still speaking of "HIS dirty deeds." Nothing of what Mr. Cohen said seems to indicate that he has truly seen the light and accepted responsibility deep in his soul (assuming he has one).
10
Michael Cohen's lawyer insisted his client had the "misfortune" of being Trump’s personal lawyer, business partner and all-around fixer for more than a decade.
Cohen’s “blind loyalty” to Trump wasn’t rewarded with a top job at the White House when his master was elected. No wonder he no longer wanted to “take a bullet” for Trump and “cover up his dirty deeds.”
Cohen’s three-year prison sentence sends the message that Trump's business dealings alone – even without evidence of collusion with Russia – could present a greater legal threat to Trump, who has acknowledged the payments to two women weeks before the election, although he called them a private transaction unrelated to his campaign. Nevertheless it is a chargeable crime.
Now Trump’s business empire is under scrutiny, and his long-time accountant is co-operating with investigators. There's no telling where Robert Mueller's Russia probe will end up, but Trump can’t escape the gathering legal clouds over him.
20
All very interesting. Carry on, Mr. Mueller. But let the rest of us concentrate on finding and supporting a really good candidate and getting people out to vote in 2020.
68
Yep Trump is a dishonest corrupt racist. He's a national disgrace. The NYTs, though, lost their minds with his election and has carried on a shockingly dishonest effort to get Trump. Their entire effort to claim that Russia could somehow throw the 2016 to Trump is beyond just wrong its the fact that the NYTs keeps circling back trying to find some way to make the charge stick. The NYTs wields tremendous power and with that comes great responsibility which the NYTs has failed to balance. Trump will be President until 2020.
8
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is usually a duck. Anyone who does a non-partisan analysis of the vast number of Trump family, Trump associates, and Trump campaign figures who have had secretive interactions with the Kremlin, Putin-associated oligarchs, and Russian organized crime figures, can come away with only one conclusion: that the man sitting in the Oval Office has committed high crimes and misdemeanors suitable for impeachment and may be found to have committed treason when the investigation is complete. Watergate pales in comparison. And to those who try to excuse it away with the canard that “every country, including ours, interfere in other countries’ elections,” please note that this is the first and only time in US history that a candidate may have accepted such “help” or even solicited it, obtaining the highest office in the land by fraud and disloyalty to our nation and its national security.
288
@J. Many good points. But, impeachment is pointless without the votes to convict in the Senate. The correct strategy for now is to bring everything to light (Thanks NYT!) and to ensure that all who are complicit are firmly fastened to the sinking ship (McConnell, Ryan, no doubt others).
108
@Mr Jones I don't agree that impeachment is pointless. We have a very corrupt president and a Congress which has abandoned the Constitution in order to defend that corrupt president at all costs. I hear pundits saying that "impeachment is political". No, it is not. The GOP made it political when it abused the constitutional provision to get Bill Clinton. Impeachment is in the US Constitution for good reason, to protect the country from a corrupt and criminal president, which Trump most certainly is. It is important to use that provision properly, which in Trump's case would be the case. It is important for the historic record to how that at least one portion of Congress and the American people did not allow a corrupt and criminal president go unchallenged, which to not impeach would be the case. Impeaching Trump is to be on the right side of history and a show that he has not succeeded entirely in dismantling our democracy. If Republicans wish to continue to be on the wrong side of history and continue backing a toxic, corrupt, inept, and criminal president...the very thing the Founders made the impeachment provision for, they have the power to make that historically bad decision. That does not mean others should not make the correct decision and go forward with an indictment for the record.
7
That’s right. This President led all his followers away from the light. Why have most Republican Senators been so delighted to follow a man so obviously corrupt in every way? Historians will be puzzling over the psychology of Trumps followers just as they have puzzled over those of other demagogues within living history. The question is is this the beginning of the end of the destruction being wrought on the country and the world, or is it just the end of the beginning. It is time for Americans to be great again.
148
@Thistime [Why have most Republican Senators been so delighted to follow a man so obviously corrupt in every way?] Simple, people will do anything to stay in power. These GOP senators sold their souls fully knowing who and what Trump is. And they would do it again in a heartbeat. When the GOP fully came onboard from Pence to McConnell. Trump's response was simply thus, "Welcome to the dark side."
2
Histrionic in part but there was more than a whiff of true remorse in Mr Cohen’s statement prior to sentencing. Will we ever glimpse anything similarly, believably human from Trump? I’ve got a deal on an East River bridge if you think so.
44
@Steve H No, you'll never see Mr. Trump the adult crying tears of regret because he likely thinks before he undertakes his actions. Nor will you see Mr. Trump handing HIS daughter a kleenex to dry her eyes as she is used as a pawn to lighten her father's sentence. Cohen admitted to crimes, Trump hasn't and won't. Trump is serving our country, Cohen was serving himself, and helping himself to more than he was entitled, truth be told... Two different types of men, not cut from the same cloth, nor responding by selling out others to save one's own hide. I hope we never hear of the turncoat lawyer's name again, that he reconciles himself to God and comes out with his head hanging low, done with the public spotlight. That's the time for the children to step up and support their father, not as showpieces at the sentencing hearing. Will they be returning the money they took for their father's now reputed "work"?
The power of Trump’s delusions about himself is mighty stubborn.
@Steve H: Definitely not.
There is a least a small measure of satisfaction in the outcome of the prosecution of Mr. Cohen. It is immensely unsatisfying that we don't yet know what admissible evidence Mr. Mueller and his crack team have to support the allegations against Individual 1, also know as our President, in the recently filed sentencing memorandum. For the present, I suppose that the best we can do is to enjoy the prospect of delayed gratification, knowing that it would be very unlike Mr. Mueller to expose to public view allegations that he doesn't have nailed down with clear and admissible evidence that our President illegally directed Mr. Cohen to engage in illegal acts.
13
I think we are all getting a PHD level education on how a proper criminal investigation is run. Mr. Mueller has very carefully and deligently worked for 18 months and has been carefully rolling out indictments with some early convictions and adding the eloquent "speaking indictment" to elaborate and effectively enter his reporting into the court records (where the criminal cabal run by Individual 1) can't get at it or block it. Brilliant!
With all the redacted information in the court filings from Mr. Muellers team and the SDNY the next few months will continue to expand the investigation and the Democrats will start to add their layers. Going to be quite the ride, for sure!
119
@Dennis
Personally I think when all is said and done, Mr. Mueller will have overseen the most extensive investigation in the history of the United States - and the most far reaching with the most dire consequences to the principals of it.
Having said that, I still doubt there will be enough (if any) republican Senators to convict (Mr. hatch essentially extolled their sentiment when he said he did not care) regardless of the evidence. There might be charges for after the president's term, but that will be another matter altogether.
I think ultimately what will be the silver lining will be the push to update the 25th Amendment, so that the cost for treasonous activities be far greater.
55
@FunkyIrishman
The other possibility is that the GOP stains itself so deeply that it is relegated to a 29% of the polling population and the majority can get on with the undoing of gerrymandered districts.
46
"Mr. hatch essentially extolled their sentiment when he said he did not care"
Yes, and this is alarming, not to mention disgusting.
My only hope is that they will have to think twice before they excuse evidence of money laundering for the Russian mob.
The Republicans have become absolutely corrupt and craven.
2
In a year or so, or maybe sooner, we'll find the tell-it-all memoir by Michael Cohen. And after that, expect a movie. But maybe we'll have to wait until Trump loses the 2020 election. Hopefully.
11
@Karen P. I hope they have a scene where Mr. Cohen takes leave of us under a tree scattering his pieces of gold to the wind, belatedly realizing he threw in with the wrong crowd...
Wasn’t he really sentenced for tax evasion and fraudulently documented loan applications for his taxi business?
5
No. He wasn't. One reason he didn't seek greater protection during his cooperation was that he refused to speak about ALL possible previous crimes. Those would've included tax evasion and activities related to his can business.
Read the sentencing documents and the article. You'll be surprised what you could learn.
22
@Robert Duran
No. Read the sentencing documents.
1
@Robert Duran Shhhh... if the American people think that Trump's mistresses are at the root of all this, maybe we will continue to bankroll Mueller's "work" here. Just a little bit longer, just a little more linger, maybe Comey and Mueller and all the boys who served in the intelligence services under Obama/Clinton will NEVER have to leave Washington and admit their working days are done. One day, the young people will inherit this government, but not until the older folk have had their fill, which doesn't look like it is coming any time soon.
I appreciate that Cohen's cooperation with the special prosecutor has helped to expose how DJT manipulated the American people. But I am conflicted about whether his sentence might be too lenient. The Trump presidency has already done tremendous harm to our democracy. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that it could prove fatal if congressional republicans continue to turn a blind eye to the president's 'alleged' crimes. In that context, 3 years of jail time for Cohen seems like an unfairly light sentence. I'm sentenced to at least 4 to 8 years of a Trump presidency and I didn't have anything to do with this farce. In a restorative judicial system, Cohen should serve a jail sentence consistent with the sentence the rest of the American people are serving: 4 to 8 years depending on the length of the Trump presidency. And if the Trump presidency leads to the demise of our democracy, he should get locked up for life.
In that vein, when do Americans who are victims of this crime get to give personal impact statements?
79
Unfortunately, the issue isn't what magnitude of punishment for Cohen (and Flynn, Manafort, Papadopalous, Gates, the indicted Russians, and the entire Trump family) is sufficient to constitute payment for their crimes.
The issue is that NO magnitude of punishment can ever bring sufficient restitution to America for the ways these people have diminished our country. Short of restoring our international reputation, institutions, civil discourse, environment, etc., etc., to the way they were before Trump began his hateful, divisive campaign, there can be no such thing as justice.
197
@D Price You're only now coming to the realization that America has outspent her powers, after we rearranged the Middle East -- artificially with our power picks -- and killed hundreds of thousands of civilians for simply being in the way of our military testing out their new weapons? You have a strange sense of "justice", friend. God help you.
1
@D Price. This is an important point. They could give Cohen a thousand lifetimes in jail and it wouldn't make a dent in what he and his ilk has done to our country.
1
@Midway
Agreed. The most egregious injustice of the 21st century (so far) is the failure of the United States to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the arbitrary, capricious and fraudulent aggression that has killed so many, maimed more, displaced even more and wasted trillions of dollars for destruction.
2
Republicans couldn’t care less, yet. Trump’s downfall with the electorate may not be his campaign financing crimes, but the increasingly obvious exposure to Russian extortion he created by keeping secrets about his dealings over there, and lying in public about it. I can’t imagine but the most fanatical of followers of his personality cult would remain loyal through that, which a Democrat presidential candidate should highlight easily; and that prospect should be enough for Republicans to make sure he’s not their candidate in 2020. So prosecutors..,be ready to indict Trump before the statute of limitations runs.
32
@Benjamin#BuildTheWall
#LockHerUp
You're right: we care more about securing our borders and the long-term solvency of Social Security than we do over who consentually diddled whom, and who only took money for it when she had a story to sell... Silly women, don't sleep with men if you don't like them, and don't take the money either immediately or belatedly, if offered. This, however, is not a national crime, or the women who serviced former presidents in the Oval Office, and the WH swimming pool, would have been called to account for their behavior already too. We're not a nation of Puritans anymore -- the Dems taught us that.
@Benjamin
I don't know what you're smoking, but isn't it painfully obvious by now that 35-40 pct of Americans are totally willing to kneel down before their great leader and swallow whatever he spews?
No amount of evidence will ever make these people change their minds.
2
It is said that when you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water, the frog will hop right out. But if you put that same frog in a pot of water and then slowly raise the heat, the frog will stay in and perish in the boiling water. By having these accusations come out, one after another, people are becoming inured, thinking that his actions must 'not be all that terrible'. And trump will help them believe that with is obfuscations. And some members of the Senate as well - like Senator Hatch's, "I don't care."
Worse - we're not in '74 when some members of The Congress and The Senate still had morals and values. Neither the Reps nor the Dems will seek impeachment. They'll find all kinds of justifications for their inaction. The Reps will say what's the big deal? The Dems will say that it's just not politically expedient to do so now.
Vidal, Chomsky and others have been saying for years that there is very little substantial difference between the Dems and the Reps in the modern era of the 'great American Democracy.' Does anybody need any further proof of that now?
As a Canadian I've been to the US scores of times. I've never met an American that I didn't like. Then again, I never really hobnobbed with members of congress or senators.
Take back your country. But be ready to wrest if from their hands - they won't give it back to you willingly.
53
@Mike Bonnell said " Take back your country. But be ready to wrest if from their hands - they won't give it back to you willingly.
---
Oh, we are. The Clintons and Bushes are trying, via the recent funerals, to make a comeback, it seems. (Who misses the wasps and the whitebread country folk? Not I, said the American taxpayer...) But establishment Washington, and the entertainment media, are focusing their firepower on Trump because they still cannot understand the power the voters give him, and the values he represents to us. We're not going to burn down the country, but we are going to chase out those who would sell out our country, with flaming pitchforks. Don't come back, establishment Washington. It's no place for young people until we have the stalls mucked out and the elders put out to pasture. They haven't served the country well, and their days are numbered.
1
@Midway
A shame to feed into the "bad old people" myth. Plenty of them got bloody heads during the Civil Rights and anti-war movements. For every Boomer who was chasing a McMansion, there were just as many or more passionately fighting for YOUR future. Not winning against our corporate overlords isn't the same as not trying.
I have "elder" friends who are more ferociously interested in saving our country than you credit them for. A lot of white heads at local protests, though some can't travel to the big ones that get the TV coverage.
1
@Mike Bonnell: There are plenty of Democrats who would like to impeach Trump by the end of January, but it would be a foolish move. For starters, an impeachment would give us Pence as president - with the power and motivation to pardon the Trump mob. We don't want that to happen. Second, Trump still has his supporters, and if they see the Democrats as a lynch mob, it will be even more divisive than the recent past. If (when?) Mueller's investigation produces irrefutable evidence - so convincing that even Trump's most deplorable acolytes will be swayed - then we can proceed to impeachment AND conviction. The former without the latter would be tantamount to a not guilty verdict, and that would be a real shame, and perhaps lead to Trump's reelection.
Obviously, I don't know what cards Mueller is holding, but I suspect that he's got a Royal Flush and just wants to up the size of the pot. Trump's hands will be more or less tied with the Democrats in control in the House, and he will operate under a serious cloud, no matter what he attempts. The Republican enablers who continue to tie their fates to the President will be significantly tarnished if Mueller's hand is as strong as I suspect, and that will hurt them badly in 2020.
The darkness of this night will make the light of dawn that much brighter. I'm optimistic for the long term.
1
This was a good day for white collar justice. I'll feel better about the majesty of the law when a convict like Michael Cohen - who went out of his way to subvert truth, justice, and the rule of law - gets a prison sentence comparable to the treatment trump and his ilk mete out to honest asylum-seekers.
27
Martha,
I agree. However, our prior history of white collar crime prosection doesn't bode well for thinking that Trump will ultimately be legally held to account for his crimes.
The record of effective pursuit of such crime is spotty. Not a single backing executive was imprisoned for their actions that brought on the financial crisis of 2008-2009.
This administration has cut back on the score and intensity of investigative efforts to address wrongdoing in financial services, student lending fraud, and environmental violations.
While Cohen's sentence offers a glint of optimism for our rightful expectations of "justice," Trump and his minions have shown that, so far, no line is to far to cross. It pains me to read each day how it's "hard to say" if his actions are enough to justify prosecution or impeachment.
I'm sure there are good people in the Justice Department and in state law enforcement who are willing and capable of chasing down the bad guys. I'm far from certain, however, that we have the political will to demand that they do so. Only when that happens can we breathe a sigh of relief that our legal system is working as it should.
14
Three years for helping to undermine our democracy?! And look what has happened in two years. I fear it will be another two long years before this house of cards comes crashing down. I think about the thousands of poor people of color who are in jail (without even being convicted of a crime!) as we speak. The wheels of justice are sooo rusty...but I guess very slowly and eventually they turn toward justice?
38
A heck of a lot more is going to have to happen besides Michael Cohen's conviction to revive my faith in America's institutions. And I don't think I'm alone.
24
Sure, prosecutors will be able to demonstrate this is a crime and those who see the evidence will be bound to convict in a court of law. Even the MAGA juror could not ignore evidence in front of her during the Manfort trial. And she stated how desperately she wanted to dismiss all charges.
But when republicans like Hatch state in no uncertain terms that "you can make anything a crime under the current laws" and other Republicans agree adding variations of their own then this conviction means absolutely nothing. Except of course to the ever hang-dog expressed Mr. Cohen. To him it means jail.
There cannot be an impeachment unless Republicans can state this president committed a crime. And no matter what is found none of it will be considered a crime by Republicans. None. Of. It.
10
The stakes for the 2020 election and the fate for Democracy in America were just raised to unprecedented levels; I expect the voter suppression and election manipulation by the Republican party to reach both breadth and depths never seen before in the US. Let's face it: Trump knows that, by hook or by crook, he must be re-elected in 2020, as only the presidency itself is now saving him from joining Cohen in Federal Prison. Even this Trump-appointed prosecutor and court made it very clear that Michael Cohen was clearly only part of a criminal conspiracy, however, for now, only Michael Cohen could be convicted. Unwritten and unspoken, but very clearly implied in the indictment and verdict is the reason: the other person in question can currently not be prosecuted due to that person being the President of these United States.
12
@Pete in Downtown
An honestly elected President of the United States of America, friend. Aren't you glad that Hillary Clinton couldn't use her internationally gained wealth to subvert the majority of the voters in the majority of the states to overcome our votes and buy her way in? I am. Power to the People! (ALL the people, even those living in "flyover". Enjoy your wealth, but not everything is for sale out here.)
All these things we know about trump and the sleaze that surrounds him and follows him wherever he goes, and still, we - the citizens of this once-great country - have to put up with two more years of constant erosion of our democracy, our honor, our standing in the world. Cohen gets a vacation from the tantrums and the lies and the lashing out - we don't.
34
Lie down with dogs, but now that Mr. Coen has gotten back up and knows where all the bodies are buried. he represents the greatest single threat to his old boss. His attorney has said that he will testify before the House in January, and that should be some must see TV.
25
@James Mazzarella Testifying in January? IN orange prison garb, I hope. Say, when does Cohen get taken into custody to start serving the time for his admitted crimes? Soon, I hope...
Michael Cohen was a greedy, sketchy lawyer who was unscrupulous with clients and who more-than pushed the limits of legality; but such lawyers are a dime a dozen.
What we can't lose sight of, though, is that presidents should be held to higher standards than the Michael Cohens of the world.
37
@NM -- The president led Michael Cohen into darkness. How long will it be before the president's party and base finally wake up to his deception?
1
@NM
As a retired attorney, I take offense with your characterization of attorneys. The vast majority of lawyers are honest, respect the law, treat their clients with respect, and exhibit the type of integrity expected from an officer of the Court.
Vast generalizations about a particular profession are dangerous. Stick with complaining about particular individuals, not their profession.
What if I dismissed you because you live in New York? I bet that has never happened before!
3
Mr. Cohen deserves his fate. He was a snake of an attorney and human being, as corrupt and greedy as they come. Ironically, whether it be remorse or expediency, his role is now that of a flawed, albeit inadvertent hero, to use that word loosely. His “dirty deeds” have miraculously morphed into a redemption of justice and ethics. But this new, more democratic paradigm has little to do with Cohen’s atonement and conscience re past misdeeds. Rather, it has everything to do with a still very much alive system of law and order. For this we must be grateful and most supportive. Ultimately, however, the root of the evil which we have endured for two years must be dug up from this nation’s sacred ground. Donald Trump must meet his fate. And I now believe that he will.
16
Cohen lived a life of arrogant crime. His life then unraveled.
Reading his statement to the court, it seems he has indeed come to recognize that what he did was wrong. He is going to spend time in jail, away from his family. He will forever be labeled for the crimes he has committed.
Can the rest of us now bury the hatchet? Can we give him the benefit of the doubt regarding redemption that we ask for other prisoners? He is accepting responsibility. He is going to jail. He has said he is committed to leading a better life.
Cohen was forced to face the truth and look inwards. May we all do the same as we are tempted by vengeance and anger. May we find forgiveness in our hearts for Mr. Cohen, as we would for any other person convicted of a crime.
13
"...this is even more evidence they believe Mr. Trump conspired to commit a felony."
Yet, Mr. Trump has not been indicted, and what's worse, he is leading the country that is supposed to be a "country of laws."
I don't feel sorry for Mr. Cohen but I do feel sorry for our country and will continue to feel so, until the country's institutions that still "have some life in them yet" come fully alive and throw the book at the man who occupies the White House, in part because of "his dirty deeds."
21
It was a good day for the rule of law, but not because it “recalled Michael Cohen to the path of light.” As the SDNY prosecutors have said, Cohen is not a cooperator, because he won’t spill all the beans - on himself and about everyone who he knows committed crimes. His Russian mob connections have been in the news, and as this editorial implies, it’s easy to imagine these “shady characters” having infiltrated and obtained sway over the Trump Organization. If Cohen knows about those things, as it seems he would, he hasn’t told us, or the court. Judge Pauley rightly didn’t take much time off his sentence. Real cooperators don’t get to pick and choose who to cooperate on and about what.
What Cohen admitted to is plenty bad - 5 years bad if his sentence had not been mitigated by his half-hearted cooperation. Just imagine how bad what he’s withholding is.
14
I read Cohen's apology statement. Compared to other such statements we've seen from public figures over the years, it's rather better.
3
Who can show bring the GOP and its base into the light? That's the question. We need the criminal removed from the presidency. I'm afraid their aren't 20 brave GOP senators willing to face reality to remove him, though that would be the truly patriotic thing for them to do.
16
One of the most disgusting behaviors Cohen as and was brought to light, was of his image as an enforcer. A guy called in to leverage and muscle an otherwise innocent person, who by the Constitution, was guaranteed the same rights as Cohen and whomever he worked for, but wanted them to see his way.
This reeks of mafia techniques, is so against the American principal, and is just plain wrong, that it irritated a large number of Americans who did not feel they were above the law, of special privilege, and that it was wrong.
Yet, Cohen relished the self-proclaimed moniker and used it so often that even now, it is usually one of the three or so adjectives used to highlight Cohen's existence.
If nothing else, the idea that someone can give undue privilege and attention to another US citizen over us little folks, is now diminished in some way is worth all of this.
18
Birds of a feather
Cohen and Trump were made for one another. It would be unjust if Trump did not meat the same fate as his 'fixer'. No one is above the law.
20
All of the experienced real estate lawyers and Russian business negotiations experts in NYC - and Trump hires a "sleazy" $75,000 a year lawyer he liked because he protected the Trump name on the side of an apartment building? And he had him reach out to Moscow - with what knowledge? And even this guy turns on Trump?
And now that Cohen had been sentenced, it's no wonder Potted Plant Pence is catatonic - he's one of the only other people left who has been there since the election end he is scared out of his wits. If he leaves now to save himself, Trump won't pardon him-and if he stays and keeps his mouth glued shut, he just might end up President.
16
A wise man builds his house on a rock -- on truth, on fidelity, on justice, on compassion, on love. The rain will come because it always does. The floods. The winds. They will beat on that house but it will not fall. Because it is founded on a rock.
A foolish man builds his house on sand -- on lies, on infidelity, on injustice, on division, on hatred. But when the rains, the floods, and the winds come and beat on that house, it will fall and great will be its fall.
This parable resonates centuries later and great will be his fall and those who have chosen to cast their lots with him.
18
President Trump, for all his self-proclaimed billions and interest in hiring only "the very best people," hires an attorney who graduated from the worst law school in America, and employs him for years. Talk about begging the question.
President Trump hired Mr. Cohen precisely because of his willingness to engage in illegal, unethical, and immoral activity, while never wavering in his loyalty. The President certainly didn't hire him for his incredible legal mind and deep understanding of jurisprudence. Mr. Cohen walked his "path of darkness" long before it converged with President Trump's own dark path.
36
It is very clear that Cohen was on the dark side even without Trump. Cohen was greedy and stole millions according to prosecutors. Trump did not make him do that. He cohabited with Trump for selfish reasons. For Cohen the present media narrative is a good for the purpose of building for leniency because we will clinch on anything that helps a justifiable end, which is to bring down this president. Trumps is amoral, and I would be surprised if Trump has not used nefarious means in his past business practices.
1
What I'm finding astounding is that we are all in this in between place, where a man is going to prison for 3 years for something the President of the United States instructed him to do, and the President remains free. Now Trump can claim it was just a personal, private thing that ought to be beyond the law. But the fact is Cohen is going to prison. Trump has ridiculed and disparaged Cohen, who in the case of the hush money, only did what Trump told him to do. The fact is that Trump disparaged him because he told law enforcement the truth about what he had done for Trump. Trump claims betrayal because Cohen stopped trying to cover up the crime. We are stuck with this until somebody moves to do something about Trump's side of this crime.
19
I would be a lot happier if the DoJ didn’t refer to the POTUS as Individual -1 and had the guts to break from its nonsensical policy of not indicting a sitting president - especially one who committed a felony wholly related to his presidential campaign for the express purpose of tilting the scales.
Trump also repeatedly waved around Podesta’s stolen emails and for months the media shrugged - focusing on the content and associated politics - rather than the fact that a candidate for the US presidency was essentially using stolen goods to again, tilt the scales.
When is this country - its media, institutions, citizens - going to come to terms with the fact that our president is a criminal and must be finally held accountable?
These small victories and baby steps are getting tedious. Enough is enough. Indict the man.
26
Next: What Southern District prosecutors want to know, and what Cohen is still concealing. What could be worse than three years in jail?
One sincerely hopes that the judges involved sentence those "road to Damascus" dudes Cohen and Flynn more in line with what they would have done had they not been caught rather than their sudden discovery of honor.
6
The "darkness" was Cohen's foolishness in thinking he wouldn't get caught. It is three years overdue for Americans who know better to stop pretending Trump is not fundamentally a symptom.
2
The real issue is Trump and the trump campaigns coordination with the Russians to influence the election.
Add these sexual indiscretions to the hundreds of others that had no impact on trump’s voters.
"most important, paying hush money to two women who said they slept with his ex-boss"
Yet the crimes for which Cohen is going to prison is not the hush money payments, but for tax evasion. If the hush money payments were the only thing he did wrong he would not be going to jail. Copping to the hush money payment was simply an attempt by Cohen to obtain leniency, and allow this attempt by political enemies of Trump to attack him.
2
@jaco
Incorrect. He was sentenced for campaign-finance violations and for lying to Congress, in addition to tax evasion.
8
@jaco
Wrong. Read the sentencing statement. The Judge clearly believed that one of Michael Cohen's most egregious crimes was lying to Congress.
2
Donald Trump, his current attorneys, his advisers and his political followers are belittling the plea and sentencing of Michael Cohen by characterizing Cohen as a practiced liar, a nasty bully, a man who exaggerated his importance to the Trump organization and a failure who had to be given millions by an older man.
Cohen is now so desperate, they claim, he will say anything to avoid his fate.
That depiction of Michael Cohen, of course, and his desperation, are a very accurate assessment of who Donald Trump was and still is.
Besides the irony of the comparison, all of the criticism of Michael Cohen may be true. It doesn’t change the fact that Cohen has evidence of felonies committed by Donald Trump, which is now corroborated.
Some of that corroboration, amazingly, came from Trump himself in his rambling comments to the press.
You can call Michael Cohen a snitch or a whistleblower or a reformed person. It doesn’t matter, because juries are easily prepared to believe that the testimony against a criminal defendant is never going to come from a co-conspirator who is a little angel.
Donald Trump, for all of the tough talk, is scared.
8
Oh, really. Now the US criminal "justice" system, with hundreds of thousands jailed for their poverty or skin color, and zero charged for destroying the US economy in 2008, thanks to their skin color, is redeemed after a political trial?
Please. The only way an American - I do not include the statistically negligible 1% - can receive fair justice is by immigrating north, say to Canada or Norway. Like any other global migrant.
A Chinese national has a better chance at justice than an American, except for the 1-perecenters.
2
As Michael Cohen came out of the court house with his young children walking beside him , the thing came to my mind was, sacrificing his family for trump ?
Some of the television interviews Cohen did being rude and arrogant comes to my mind. He insulted journalists constantly which will haunt him for three years .
Hopefully Cohen’s partner in crime will be taken out of the office by then.
9
@B.Sharp Those were his children, young adults, but not young children. That would imply they were still "at home", like eight and under. His children weren't present for his crimes, though they benefitted financially from them. Leave the children out of it already. They gain him no sympathy points. Plenty of Cohens still out there, no reason they can't blend in...
1
@Midway
I stand corrected.
1
Whatever money was paid to whomever to keep a saucy allegation and the media circus that would have followed in check made no difference. After all, the Billy Bush clip didn’t do Trump in either.
To call the whole thing a campaign finance violation is spurious.
Interesting. Someone should have said something before the election.
2
@Jamie Wouldn't have changed my vote, friend. Did you think you were electing a boyfriend/husband, or a strong national leader? No stories here about the Secret Service having to pick up the discarded towels and kleenex after the boss was finished in the workplace with his dalliances. That's what matters.
You think people weren’t?
Interesting that a dalliance in the Oval Office bothers you more than conspiring with a foreign power to steal the election. I guess different strokes for different folks.
2
this article is good and well but it means absolutely nothing until mitch mcConnell says it does. nothing.
3
As I listened to legal analysts on cable news tonight I was puzzled. I heard them say that if not for his tax evasion conviction Cohen might not have served any time for his other offenses and that if he cooperates fully from this point on, he stands a good chance of not serving the full 3 year sentence. Hard to believe that Judge Pauley would have not imposed prison time for Cohen's bank fraud, lying to Congress, and aiding and abetting a cover-up of adultery which kept voters in the dark in the 2016 election. Regardless of Cohen's future cooperation with prosecutors, reducing his three year sentence would be a travesty and send a message that if you're going to evade paying taxes, you better engage in other criminal acts so you can negotiate your term of imprisonment.
3
The times they are a changing! We hope! The Blue Wave, Nancy and Chuck rode into Dodge and laid down the law; and a bad agent flipped. Now, the Senate is stirring, and a justice reform bill may be passed. A withdrawal from the horror of Yemen may be passed. But McConnell has probably not learned his lesson: he may be playing for time. Come on, Democrats: a united front!
8
Michael Cohen got some measure of what he deserved.
But the Justice Department won't indict a sitting present. So in what sense is the president NOT above the law? I don't get it.
10
@mac
Three years is nowhere near the measure of what he deserves when you think of all his complicity in defrauding the American public -- chances are he won't even sit out the full term.
And as long as Trump is in the Oval Office and not where he should rightfully be, he's STILL holding himself above the law...at least for now.
1
Apart from Cohen's apparent remorse, Trump truly believes there to be nothing wrong with any of this behavior. He famously said avoiding taxes made him smart, or that he could shoot someone on Fifth Ave. and nothing would happen, or that if a campaign rally participant roughed up a protestor he would pay the legal fees. He has lived his life this way for decades. Time's up.
18
If Trump wasn't President , he would be heading to jail.
Think about that for a moment!
28
Such a pity Mario Puzo is no longer with us. He could have captured the sweep of this epic saga of crime, betrayal and lust for power.
12
You won't see any tears in my eye for Cohen. I don't know if he got what he deserved, but at least he got a real prison sentence. The idea that Cohen saw the light is ridiculous. He was finally scared to death, that's all. You can see it in his face. Hats off to the Mueller team. They were able to appear even-handed in their assessment of Cohen while letting the court do the heavy lifting of getting a conviction. I can't wait to see what they do next.
9
"Judge William Pauley agreed to recommend that Cohen serve his 36-month prison sentence at FCI Otisville, about 70 miles northwest of New York City. FCI Otisville has sometimes been viewed as a preferable prison option for inmates convicted of white-collar crimes. In 2009, Forbes named it one of "America's 10 cushiest prisons." - CNN
Only the Best Prisons for Trump's "Best People"
Somehow I doubt the rest of the crew on the Pirate Ship Trump find that a comforting thought.
13
At the time of the federal raid, Mr. Cohen & his family were staying at the Regency hotel while their apartment was being renovated. Rooms there run around $600 night. Knowing that, it is hard to feel sorry for Mr. Cohen.
8
Like many here, it’s hard to have sympathy with Cohen. But it does sound harsh that someone gets serious jail time for failing to disclose hush money because its purpose was to help win the election. Sounds like a fairly technical definition of campaign contributions.
2
@David There is nothing "technical" about the enforcement of punishment for campaign law violations.
Was it a "technical" violation that Russia interfered in our general election by only disclosing the embarrassing private communications of the democratic campaign, even though they had also hacked the republicans? Was the manipulation of social media to strategically target vulnerable populations also "technical"?
It's bad enough that the majority of voters must swim upstream to defeat GOP gerrymandering and the antiquated electoral college, but must we also give free reign to foreign intervention and domestic bribery?
18
@David; He was convicted of much more than non-disclosure of hush money. The dollar amount exceeded the legal limit for an individual and it was not a bookkeeping error but purposeful fraud. Additionally, he was guilty of tax evasion and lying to congress regarding Russian contacts. He was fortunate to receive three years.
1
Similar to the investigation of Russian attempts to influence our elections, and any possible collusion, it is almost impossible to prove that these actions had any real effects on the outcome.
And it seems that, to Trump and a lot of his chosen ones and a lot of the 63 million who voted for him, their defense is "no harm, no foul".
How things have degraded in three years.
16
@jhanzel Elections in a democracy are sacred. Any elected official who has cheated the voters by corrupt means to change the outcome of an election, even if the outcome was not changed by that corruption, has harmed the foundation of trust in the process of electing our representatives upon which the Republic rests.
65
@jhanzel
"Similar to the investigation of Russian attempts to influence our elections, and any possible collusion, it is almost impossible to prove that these actions had any real effects on the outcome."
What? ... Trump's in the White House isn't he, and with less the majority of votes.
Ever stop to wonder how he got there? Or have you somehow managed to overlook the Facebook hearings, the long history of Republican voter suppression, its gerrymandering of Electoral Districts, FOX news, and the recent findings of the Mueller investigation?
Or maybe the names Paul Manafort, Mike Flynn, Roger Stone and Michael Cohen simply draw a complete blank? -- Forget the 63 million who voted for Trump.
There has been harm done.
18
"In pleading for mercy, Mr. Cohen told the judge a sad tale of a starry-eyed man led astray by “a blind loyalty to this man that led me to choose a path of darkness over light.”"
We know about less than a handful of what services Michael Cohen rendered to Donald Trump and his extended family. We can imagine, now with a conviction and a prison sentence, that those are not the only criminal acts Mr. Cohen perpetrated either on his own or at the behest of Mr. Trump and his associates.
Mr. Cohen wanted to become a business titan and he learned the ropes at the knee of his client, allowing himself to be roped into corruption. Note the language used: allowed himself.
As a lawyer, Mr. Cohen was licensed as a person who *knows* what is right and what is wrong.
What he did at his sentencing is sing the crocodile's song to a judge who has probably seen and heard it all.
This part of the Mueller investigation forms a triangle, with Cohen, Pecker, and Trump's money man. Alan Weisselberg. Will he be charged with anything at the end of his cooperation? Of the three, what Weisselberg knows and has done is far greater than the sum of Cohen and Pecker.
Stay tuned. We're not there yet.
---
Things Trump Did While You Weren’t Looking https://wp.me/p2KJ3H-2ZW
93
@Rima Regas
You have as much chance of successfully impeaching the President as you do California fixing its roads. Perhaps even less because a Pizza Company actually is fixing pot holes in California!
Keep an eye on the Flynn Case! The special council and the FBI seem to be in trouble! That said your “case” against the President could go up in smoke!
@Rima Regas
You've been listening to too much Alex Jones, even Fox analysts have changed their tune.
2
Every aspect of this has a root and branch in Russia. Lets not forget that which made the current dilemma possible. How much of this affair wouldn’t have happened absent their interference? Most of it I’ll posit. Humility and self blame should be set aside so the blame can be correctly placed... at Russia’s doorstep.
No one proposes that we are perfect. Just that our weaknesses and fears are very exploitable, and have been. They are very very good at that.
34
In my evaluation as a former federal fraud and public corruption prosecutor (and a long-time trial attorney): there is an immense amount of evidence that Trump and his business associates (in and out of his organization) have operated what in significant part is and has been a criminal enterprise for decades (its operations and its profits enabled by false statements, concealed transactions, patterns of fraud, tax evasion, and on and on). It is almost certain that a full examination of Trump's dealings would warrant an extensive criminal RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) enterprise indictment of his organization and of Trump as an individual defendant.
There is a good argument to be made that it is a failing of our justice system (both the Manhattan DA and the SDNY USAO) that Trump has been able to operate without full investigation and criminal charges for decades, and it is only when the national spotlight has been on Trump that the criminal extent of his modus operandi has come to light. Put simply: this is a heartening moment when we see our nation's laws being enforced, but it is also a sad indictment of the general laxness of the application of our laws to the financial and political elite. To me, the broader story (having seen it up close while in DOJ's Public Integrity Section) is that the upper echelon insiders in our society are routinely getting away with actions that if committed by a common citizen would lead to criminal charges.
1011
@William M. Palmer, Esq. There is no escape now for the criminal justice system now that we know so much about how the Trump organization worked, especially given the information about the Russian money and other tainted money sources which he and his family used to finance its business, and his association with Michael Cohen and other criminals. At this point the criminal justice system must either act to bring charges against the Trump organization or to provide transparency as to its reasons for not doing so, just to restore faith in the ability of our country to provide justice.
80
@William M. Palmer, Esq.
They’d of gotten away with it if the spotlight of presidential politics hadn’t driven them out of the shadows.
They behaved as they did because they rightly reckoned they could get away with it. White collar crime too seldom ends in jail time.
66
@William M. Palmer, Esq.
And our Senate now has a tepid and inadequate criminal justice bill headed for passage that is supposed to help protect "a common citizen" when sent to prison.
The hypocritical tragedy of inadequacies and unfairness in our so-called "justice system" has been obvious since the nation began. And still there are serious debates about whether or not a president can be indicted, prosecuted, curbed from criminality while in office. To some of our common citizens, the situation is devoid of common sense. (Where's Tom Paine when we need him?)
Doug Giebel, Big Sandy, Montana
64
Donald Trump spent his whole life in New York City.
New Yorkers knew about him for a lifetime before the 2016 election.
Notwithstanding the obvious fact that New York City is a Democratic stronghold, New York City residents have voted for Republican Mayors Rudy Guiliani and Michael Bloomberg in the recent past.
New York City voters voted 81% for Hillary and 19% for Donald because, as New Yorker Michael Bloomberg plainly said in 2016:
“Trump said he wants to run the nation like he’s run his business. God help us. I’m a New Yorker, and New Yorkers know a con when we see one.”
Time to remove the Imposter-In-Chief from the Oval Office.
1065
@Socrates
Not only did we all know about Donald Trump and what he would ultimately wind up doing in the Oval Office if elected -- we tried to warn the rest of America during his presidential campaign.
They didn't listen.
284
@N. Smith-Sadly the worst is on it's way when Trump crashes the economy.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-tax-cuts-putting-america-203051912.html
34
@Socrates I’ve spent a good time of my life as a New Yorker including the 1970’s when Trump was a media darling. I have frequently described him as that creepy guy at the disco that you tried to get away from. That’s the way everyone felt about him. And an additional point. How in the world can he be so cavalier about the environment? He has to remember, as I do, the way New York used to smell. The smog and the poisonous rivers. Unless his dementia has blocked alll that out.
42
Yes, it's comforting to know that "law and order" sometimes means that white-collar criminals see the inside of a jail, but in proportion to the magnitude of white-collar crimes that will never be investigated let alone brought to trial, Mr. Cohen's conviction is cold comfort. Cohen is a small player with the bad luck to work for one of the many big players who will never be caught because their money buys them protection at many levels. I hope I am wrong, but what Americans will probably learn, again, is that the big player in this case, like all big players, will not only escape justice but make himself and his family richer while Mr. Cohen is sitting in jail. His former boss has the best protection of all: 53 loyal Republican senators and a vice-president just in case.
203
@abigail49
Aye, why do you think that there are so many within the cabal of ''powers that be'' (especially republicans) that are extolling the virtue of coming together now? As if that the country is somehow wanting it and it is best for them.
It was the same after the illegal wars in Iraq (and those that should have been convicted for war crimes), as it is now.
Democrats are going to show (at least I hope THIS time) that they can effectively govern for all of the people AND hold those accountable that broke any laws - wherever it may lead, which might lead right up to the White House.
We shall see...
79
@FunkyIrishman
If you believe that the 2019 version of Chuck and Nancy is going to “Goveren” at all, let alone “goveren for all” I have an “investment opportunity” in a Bridge near NYC that defenately will interest you!
Trump may have led Cohen into darkness but that doesn't explain away his tax evasion. Even if Cohen now opens up fully and cooperates with SDNY and Mueller, it would be a travesty for his prison time to be reduced. It would send a message that a tax evasion conviction is negotiable.
52
@nzierler Tax evasion in the worst cases does not even lead to conviction. Think of all the tax havens, "fiscal paradises", as the French call them.
6
Mueller has my admiration. With each indictment and conviction the circle closes in on Donny J - a crass evil force. Step by step. This is the first one that names him explicitly. The next several should be more and more interesting. I am deeply upset to see what has happened and am deeply glad to see the honorable and honest gain ground. We still have a long way to go, but this is a major plus that good may yet succeed.
216
Even Donald Trump's hairdo is in a tizzy these days, with front combing, side to side combing, front to back, back to front. Essentially a perfect mirror of the Conniver in Chief.
His lies, fabrications and exaggerations are now the stuff of infamy, documented into the thousands since he took office.
Donny Deutsch spoke today on MSNBC, saying that Trump was well known as the lowest of the low in the New York real estate game. It is no coincidence that New Yorkers, well acquainted with The Donald, overwhelming did not vote for him, and do not approve of him.
343
It is interesting that the most fervent Trump supporters don’t consider that the people who knew him best, New Yorkers and voters from New Jersey overwhelming voted for Hilary Clinton.
31
@Tim B
It's also no coincidence that he doesn't like coming back to his own hometown.
13
@Tim B
Why didn't Donny Deutsch and everyone else who "knew" about DJT in NYC speak up sooner? Like, the day after DJT famously rode down his escalator to announce his candidacy? Could Donny et al. have nipped DJT in the bud?
6
This is important (especially for Cohen) but not enough for Trump's supporters to take it seriously. They will shrug it off as irrelevant financial dealing. They will turn only on unmistakable evidence of treason by Trump. This is to be expected next month shortly after the new Democrat-majority House is sworn in. Also, the differences in sentencing between Cohen and Manafort will be a teaching moment for Trump associates who have not yet come clean.
69
@JerryV I believe most Trump associates are unteachable. People either possess a moral compass and good character or do not.
15
The Trump Family all seem to fit in with a description of a small time mob family with many in the organization trying to sound like mob guys.
With Trump himself reputedly hanging out with some of these characters or at least running into them as his father Fred dealt with some of them, left their mark on a future president.
126
@JT FLORIDA
Felix Sater (Sheferovsky), of Trump Soho, is a "mob guy".
Michael Cohen's uncle, Morton Levine, better known as Dr. Morty, was the private physician for the Lucchese crime family. He let Michael drive his Bentley when he was young.
If Cohen agreed to explain to prosecutors every crime he ever witnessed, he'd end up dying of natural causes in the deposition chair.
4
Cohen, like Flynn, Manafort, and the rest, found out that they were not "really family" and therefore were expendable.
The real question is whether they will eventually get the Teflon Don otherwise known as Individual 1.
129
Michale Cohen was not charged or convicted of paying hush money; that is not a crime. He was charged with "causing" a corporation to make an illegal campaign contribution and of making a personal campaign contribution that exceeded the $2,700 limit on contributions by individuals.
Whether the hush money actually constituted campaign contributions is a mater of dispute. President Trump's legal team contends they were not campaign contributions. The Federal Election Commission, which has jurisdiction over campaign finance violations, apparent agree with Trump's lawyers. It has known about the hush money payments since November 2016, when the Wall Street Journal broke the story, and has taken no action.
Cohen agreed to plead guilty to illegal campaign contributions in exchange for a light sentence for his more serious crimes, tax evasion and bank fraud. They had nothing to do with Donald Trump or the 2026 election.
10
@William Case. Whether or not these payments constitute illegal campaign contributions, you conveniently neglected to mention the efforts to cover up and or conceal the nature of these transactions, which several legal experts claim constitutes fraud among other possible crimes. You also didn’t mention about how Individual 1 continuously lied to the American citizenry about his knowledge about these payments and/or whether they occurred until he recently admitted they did.
101
@William Case
(1) Paying hush money is not a crime - Falsehood.
(2) You say: He agreed to plead guilty to illegal contributions; this had nothing to do with Donald Trump. This is falsehood you are spreading.
The illegal contributions involve AMI - got immunity; and the Trump Organization which reimbursed Cohen - no immunity. All the grown Trump children are on the hook - signed reimbursed checks.
17
@William Case the person who told him to support this cause was Donald Trump, aka Individual-1.
This is just the first parlay, what's to come is the treasure trove of evidence from the Cohen raid last spring which most likely contains fine detail of Russian maneuvering in and around Donald Trump's financial empire. For paper trail Trump's accountant, business manager, is cooperating for immunity.
Mueller a spider into prey that remains alive even as its guts swell into a growing belly.
6
According to this opinion piece, Cohen started buying condos in Trump's buildings and was already living in Trump Tower while making $75,000 a year. Isn't it fishy that Cohen could buy a condo that sold for millions, plus other Trump properties, on 75,000 a year?
378
An NYC private practice lawyer making $75,000 a year and living in Trump Tower seems doubtful. Sounds like a pattern of unreported income and tax liberties that eventually caught up to MC.
43
@Linda
No, it isn't fishy. He was making big money in the NY Taxi business thanks to helpful funding from his wife's father.
8
@Linda Yeah, I was also wondering about that! And I also want to know why the Southern District of NY can't pursue that line of criminal activity from Cohen's past. Why do they need his cooperation for that?
9
Michael Cohen is a consigliere who thought he was a gangster. Unfortunately for him, real gangsters always set things up so someone else takes the fall in case the cops come knocking. As an amateur hoodlum, Cohen thought he could trust his boss to protect him. Didn't happen. Donny J., the Don of the Trump syndicate, dumped him like a hot potato. So he turned state's evidence, well sort of, to stay out of the slammer. That didn't happen either.
So now we have his boss, Donny J. as an unindicted co conspirator in a federal felony. But that is only what has happened so far. The feds have a treasure trove of evidence gleaned from Cohen's records and files including recordings of conversations with Donny J.
Not to mention "Eliot Ness" Mueller who has mountains of evidence and testimony that has yet to be revealed that very well may concern money laundering, conspiring with a foreign power to alter an election, selling out American interests for private gain, which would be called treason if Donny J. was a Democrat, and lots of other good stuff that hasn't surfaced yet.
Why did all of this happen? Money. What drew Cohen to Donny J.? Money. Why did Donny J. do all of these illegal things? Money.
So why did Donny J. run for president? Worst mistake of his life. If he just maintained his syndicate, he could have reaped more riches. Instead, his ego pushed him out of the shadows, and into the light. That ego will do him in. Fitting, yes?
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@Bruce Rozenblit@BrianSteffen@Jane K@Socrates
To all, if Mueller had the goods he wouldn't be pushing campaign finance charges. Dershowitz, who had been a Dem. legal icon, says they are akin to prosecutorial " jay walking., "
Andy McCarthy, a former U.S. prosecutor - I believe in the SDONY, said that campaign finance crimes have a high threshold for intent. Furthermore, if Trump would have made the payments even had there not been a campaign, which I believe is the case, it would not be a violation due to the law of "dual choices." Finally, McCarthy indicates that often the DOJ chooses not to prosecute these crimes -levies a fine.
Speaking of fines, the Obama campaign in 2008 payed the FEC at the time the largest fine, $375 thousand, for numerous violations. They included accepting donations from 1,300 donars during the last two weeks of campaign who had already donated their max. allowed by law. They also incorrectly dated another $85 million in donations. Finally, the FEC charged them with not returning the $1.8 million in excessive donations within 60 days as required by law. Apparently, Obama and Holder decided the FEC rather than the DOJ should handle the fine - since it then was a civil violation rather than a crime like the Cohen payments.
I found it interesting this public disclosure occurred in April, 2013 - 5 years after the violations and several months after Obama began his 2nd term.
Lastly, if Mueller had the goods he wouldn't be squeezing Jerome Corsi. Who?
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@Bruce Rozenblit
If you don't mind me adding a bit here. I believe that at some point Individual 1 learned early on in his planning to run that if he became President he could not be prosecuted while in office. This type of blankit immunity from his past, present and for sure future crimes must have really fired up his ego! Just a thought of a possibility.
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@Bruce Rozenblit
Beautifully put!
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And yet no Republican in the House or Senate will call Trump to account for this. To them, winning elections, no matter how tainted, is preferable to a functioning democracy.
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And to add insult to injury, Orrin Hatch has stated quite plainly he doesn’t care about Trump’s implication in breaking the law because, “he’s doing a good job as president”.
But then today, Senator Hatch has the gall to give a farewell speech saying he thinks the Senate needs to return to regular order?
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@Jane K-Hatch, of sanctimonious acclaim, has gladly accepted the most lobbyists' cash of all the Senators. Ever a Trumpster, he rushed Kavanaugh's confirmation and filed an amicus brief in the Gamble case on the Supreme Court docket. If the Gamble v. United States' Supreme Court case goes forward--the separate sovereigns doctrine could be overturned and put Trump in a position to pardon people who commit federal crimes and keep states from being able to pursue prosecution.
https://www.npr.org/2018/10/02/653492150/is-8-enough-the-consequences-of-the-supreme-court-starting-one-justice-down
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamble_v._United_States
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@Jane K: The waxworks from the Kavanaugh hearings (Chuck Grassley, Orrin Hatch, Lindsey Graham, John Cornyn) all need removal from the Senate.
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Thank you special counsel, Robert Mueller, Team Mueller and the United States Department of Justice for restoring some law and order and personal responsibility to the United States of America, which unindicted, co-conspirator Individual #1 has done his amoral best to evade, dodge and avoid his entire despicable life.
America deserves to know whether or not their President is a crook, and each day we find out a little bit more about how much of a crook he is.
And the Republican Congress, which used to pretend to be the 'law and order' party, is an accessory after the fact for these crimes for failing to lift an eye about them....(not to mention the GOP's criminal voter file purges and voter suppression ID laws that criminally violated millions of Americans' civil rights that illegitimately catapulted our Felon-In-Chief into office).
If you like law and order, America, the Republicans officially don't give a damn about it.
Yet another of many good reasons to sweep out every Grand Old Phony in 2020 and create a giant blue wave of democracy, progress and law order.
We know Individual #1 likes orange hair; let's hope he likes his matching orange jumpsuit.
Lock him up !
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@Socrates
Yes another great summary of Trump and his oh so terrible presidency. And yet some 45% of the voters would re-elect him? The troubles might be with our friends and neighbors who are in this 45% messy pile. To them Mueller and the law don't matter. That is what is truly disturbing.
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@Socrates
Sadly, we will be stuck with the decisions and consequent repercussions this criminal makes. I think we should be able to void every decision he’s made if he is convicted for so much as one crime.
And yes, the Republicans who support him are accessories after the fact and should also spend time in jail. Lock them up!!!!!
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@Socrates
The judge in the Flynn case seems to be looking into exactly how much “law and order” the special council and his “merry band of Democrat Partisans” (inside the FBI and out!) actually employed in the Flynn interview! (Vs the Clinton interviews!) You might want to “wait one” before touting a “Blue Wave of Democracy”!
As we progress through all of the pleadings of guilty, the indictments and the sentencing, we must keep in mind that all of these people (right up to the top) made the calculation of worth against the price of getting caught.
The ultimate of course, is that gaining the Presidency (and the massive amounts of emoluments to follow) was and is ultimately worth it to these people.
The sentencing (so far) has been a few weeks here and there, probation and now a few years. The ones (again so far) have made millions upon millions. so what is ultimately a thousand days behind bars ? (and most likely at a club fed)
For the Presidency, there are no do overs, because there is only the 25th or impeachment/conviction. It does not matter to the principle, nor the backers/foreign actors, because the spoils of victory have been incalculable.
We might get to a point that republicans grow a backbone and accept what the Mueller inquiry comes back with, and we might even have a little bit of Democracy restored, but the damage has been done, that may take generations to overcome, let alone fix.
Trillions of dollars are the least we will be paying ...
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@FunkyIrishman-Indeed. Here's one estimate of the tab and it's not taking into account the cost of the tariffs.:
The Trump tax cuts are putting America in a hole
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-tax-cuts-putting-america-203051912.html
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@FunkyIrishman, the failure to impeach or impose other consequences means that future Presidents can commit theses same acts also without consequence. This was one of the chief reasons why Bush II needed to be impeached. Torturing of prisoners is now at the whim of the President -- who can say otherwise since Bush II did it with impunity? Using outright lies to launch a foreign war? Now perfectly okee-dokey. Assassinating American citizens with no due process (Obama) is also fine. And after DJT has left the scene, in the absence of Congressional (or judicial) action, future Presidents can tweet obstruction of justice 'til the cows come home, obfuscate the truth beyond recognition, hire his/her entire family, collude with a foreign enemy, and carry on his personal business affairs while openly leveraging his political power. This is why it's imperative that Trump be removed from office well before inauguration day in 2021.
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@Ann
Thanks, as always, for your great links and keeping me (and all of us) informed.
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And after learning their president committed a felony - an actual documented felony or felonies, with witnesses and evidence, during the election for the purposes of swaying said election- what will Trump supporters have to say? What will they think?
I'd be fascinated by the psychological aspect of all this if I weren't tired of thinking this might finally be the day these people see the light.
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@JLC
Trumpers are the same MacArthur geniuses that tend to enjoy 18th century coal, deny science, deny evolution, enjoy religious fantasy and think yesterday is coming back to a theater near them.
They don't to tune in to the real world.
Anytime they see a light, they switch it off.
You can't reach most of the cultists.....but some of the independents and a few sane Republicans will start to withdraw their support of the Criminal-In-Chief.
That's progress.
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@Socrates Gallup has Trump's approval rating among Republicans at 89%. That’s not just the neanderthals. It’s mind-boggling.
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@JLC -- "But, but Clinton!" Bill or Hillary, Lewinsky or Uranium One. Trumpistas always fall back on the "whataboutism" argument. I really don't understand this - apparently we are to ignore Trumps crimes because Bill and Hillary never did time.
I guess my Mom was wrong when she told me that "Just because John Smith robs a gas station, it's not OK for you to rob a gas station." All this time I've been working, when I could have been enjoying a crime-filled life of impunity, like Trump. The real irony of it is Mom is one of those Trumpistas... sigh.
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