Trump Tweets: "So interesting that bad lawyer Michael Cohen, who sadly will not be testifying before Congress, is using the lawyer of Crooked Hillary Clinton to represent him - Gee, how did that happen?"
Dream on Donald. And how presidential to use the word "Gee." Presidential that is, if you are president of the 8th grade student body.
Michael Cohen will indeed testify before Congress. And how ironic that a president who has told over 8,000 lies since taking office tells the nation not to believe Cohen because he has lied in the past.
Do you see the wall Mr. President? No, not the one you promised Mexico would pay for. The one that is closing in around you.
And as for those steel slats you love to promote, they will be on your cell door once you no longer can hide behind the presidency to keep you out of jail, which is most certainly where you belong.
1
Senate Intelligence Committee, the oxymoron of the year.
Consider this, Cohen and his family appear to need protection because of what he ha to tell us about the president of the united states.
What was Cohen thinking, oh I'll show Trump, I'll testify, oh wait maybe not. Like congress and the democrats will just say, yeah Cohen, your right, lets just forget the whole thing. Nope, I say, subpoena him, and make him take the 5th, or speak out.
Time for the House to subpoena Cohen and have his testimony in public. Going public protects Cohen because the information is public. "Threatening" an investigation of Cohen's father in law, no matter how much people refer to it as Mafia speak, is no death threat. Now if Trump had told Guiliani to have Cohen "dropped" off in Staten Island and not to forget the cannoli--that would be different
1
Good! Senate Republicans will finally find out their President has been lying through his teeth to them.
Bravo.
Let the games begin.
Where is Barbara Jordan?
1
So now we are supposed to believe him this time. Oh the webs we weave.
Mr. Cohen has the saddest face in America. Enough, already! He has a family, and looks exhausted. Enough, already!
For decades, Trump has consistently stiffed contractors & used moblike intimidation tactics to avoid having to pay them what he owes. He will go to great lengths to intimidate anyone who he fears could expose his wrongdoing. There is no pretense of integrity, human decency, ethics or morality to this sleazeball; all he cares about is "winning," & any collateral damage incurred along the way is acceptable.
Those who understand Trump's personality & modus operandi instantly recognize that the intimidation of Cohen by Trump & his surrogates fits a longstanding pattern of behavior. This is a classic example of witness tampering & obstruction of justice. Cohen must be forced to tell his story to Congress before he begins his prison sentence in March. Both the House & Senate committees should subpoena him to prevent further cover-up of Trump's criminal activity.
Trump shows his contempt for democracy & the rule of law every day. His enablers in Congress & the media are his partners in crime. The only thing preventing Trump from being removed from office is the blind partisan loyalty of GOP sycophants such as McConnell & Graham. Will any Republican in power ever show a grain of integrity? Let the hearings be held in public so that the American people have a chance to judge for themselves how badly Trump has corrupted our entire system of government.
3
In this article, Trump and his sidekick faux attorney continue to dig their own demise with their past tense utterances. In 2020, their own goose will be cooked, by and for the PEOPLE!!!!
So Michael Cohen, Trump's personal lawyer for 12 years, is a bad lawyer ? I thought Trump said he only hired the best people.
31
From President Trump's standpoint, one advantage in hiring an unethical lying attorney willing to do whatever you ask (even if those actions are illegal), is that if the attorney is caught, Mr. Trump can say "He's nothing but an unethical lying attorney. How can you trust him?" Not to belabor the obvious, but that rather misses the real point, which is how can we trust a man who hires that kind of attorney?
What will it take to cleanse us from this national filth? Does anyone else feel the need to take a loooong hot shower?
10
I, for one, admire Michael Cohen for taking responsibility for the grave errors of his life, and attempting to make amends.
This stands in great contract to Paul Manafort, who attempted to play the prosecutors for fools by playing both sides. Kudos to the Judge who demanded more.
At risk to his own life and family, Michael Cohen is attempting to repair the world from the enormous corruption he witnessed in Trump and Putin and their ilk.
If he is successful in excising the cancer currently gripping the world, he may succeed in stopping the oil cartel's (Russia, Saudi Arabia, Koch Brothers, Iran, etc.) terrorism that is bent on destroying the planet for short-term gain.
The global gangsters are in power much like the 1930s and 1940s, but the same result cannot be allowed to take place.
If he fully repents and pulls back the curtain on the seamy dark corruption in the world, he should be spared any jail time at all and he and his family should be protected.
Telling the entire truth to the world for tikkun olam is worth more to the globe than any time spent in a cell.
15
Hmm. I wonder if the GOP will make it a closed door hearing and then claim there's no need for further testimony and give Trump cover. Just kidding. I'm pretty sure that's what they'll try to do.
5
@Jordan
In this congress, it's not even up to them.
I'm afraid I believe the closed-door Senate committee subpoena might be contrary to the aims of truth, accountability, and justice which some of us still hold dear. Unhappily the Senate is still firmly in Republican hands. The Senate Republicans have made it an emphasis to protect the wellbeing of our democracy and nation. Mr. McConnell and the Senate Republicans are, if anything, protecting Trump more than they ever have. McConnell, for example, is by all accounts scared to death that the Trump base will vote him out. Mr. Graham, for his part, has said that if Trump goes down then that is the end of their party. I am certain that they will work very hard to paint Cohen as a liar. I believe they intend to supersede the public House Cohen hearings, or prevent the public House hearings from happening at all.
6
@Robert I must agree with you after witnessing the sham hearings for Brett Kavanaugh and the faux spectacle Lindsay Graham displayed during the SCOTUS confirmation hearings. I fear that the only motive of the republican Senate members is to paint any truth that Mr. Cohen divulges as a lie to save their posh positions. We the People need to see and hear exactly what we pay for in all its ugliness.
1
@Andy
Thank you for your reply. There was a typo in my comment. I meant to say:
"The Senate Republicans have NOT made it an emphasis to protect the wellbeing of our democracy and nation."
"
1
Cynical analysis suggests the Republican controlled Senate Committee subpoenaed Cohen to learn what he told Mueller, in those 70 hours of testimony, so they can start the spin works on faux news and save their golden tax cuts goose.
That goose in the oval office needs to be protected; more tax cuts were promised. Threats? Already being spun.
6
It really is puzzling. How did a multi-billionaire, stable genius, master negotiator choose a and retain such a 'bad lawyer' as Michael Cohen?
And then choose Rudy Gulliani to rescue him?
5
Re:
Democrats in charge of the House Oversight and Intelligence committees have signaled in recent days that they may follow suit and issue subpoenas of their own, despite acknowledging Mr. Cohen’s safety concerns.
This accommodation to his concerns about his family's safety is not part of the job description for belonging to the House Oversight and Reform Committee. When your witnesses beg off with such concerns, you acknowledge this, but you then go ahead and subpoena them if they choose not to do what they had agreed to do. Otherwise you
simply hand over your authority and power to the threatener, in this event, individual #1 no doubt.
This is not yet the way this country normally functions. The Senate seems to realize this, but I don't see why there was
any confusion about this in the House.
Democrats need to get in front of this. Republicans are likely going to try and protect Trump and discredit Cohen. Write your reps! Get the democrats in their ASAP!
2
"...Mr. Davis accused Mr. Trump’s current personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, of witness tampering for recent comments he made about Mr. Cohen’s father-in-law, suggesting he might have ties to organized crime."
Without a doubt, MANY people in the current apocalyptic scenario have ties to organized crime! Can anyone think of a name, a really HUGE name, who might have ties to Michael Cohen?
4
If Cohen was such a "bad lawyer", it begs the question why Trump kept him around so long.
3
The President will soon join Cohen in jail and be "locked up." Or at least, he should be. Individual 1 is a co-conspirator with Cohen, as well as a chronic obstructor of justice and an engager in treasonous activities with a hostile foreign power. But remember, America, that the problem is not the president, but rather Republicans and especially conservatives, who feed and protect the treasonous criminal serving as their leader.
2
I surmise that Republicans in the Senate want two things from Cohen's closed door testimony: further admission of and examples of Cohen's lies; a deeper understanding of what Cohen has revealed to the FBI so they can better manage (read: manipulate public opinion with respect to...) the investigation. They might even be able to press for more specifics on Russian interference because the doors are closed.
7
Cohen, make no bones about it, is a sleaze. That stipulated, he is hardly being alarmist worrying about the safety of his wife, children and extended family from physical, emotional and financial harm at the hands of Donald Trump, Rudolf Giuliani and company. Considering what is at stake, it would not be unreasonable to request, and be granted, witness safety protection.
It's a sad state of affairs when it must be said that the physical safety of young women from retributive acts at the behest of the President of the United State are a legitimate concern.
47
The father in law and family could easily be deported to the country of origin, Ukraine, while Cohen is incarcerated. That is real, that is easily done. No DOJ, State, or DHS.
Did Cohen play into Trump's hands? Did the President "threaten" his family to force the testimony to a closed hearing with the GOP controlled Senate to protect public disclosure? The subpoena appeared faster than you could say "Nancy Pelosi." The timing of the subpoena just hours before the Senate voting on the Government shut-down and the Border Wall has diluted the news coverage on the Cohen subpoena.
12
In order to heal our country, we will need full disclosure. Just as in the Watergate hearings, we all deserve to hear Cohen's full, open and finally honest testimony.
Cohen has plead guilty and been sentenced to prison for his crime, whilst his partner in crime (Individual-1) is not even being charged or censured for witness tampering in plain sight. Mr. Cohen deserves to be heard. We deserve to hear the Truth, at last.
17
Not too surprising that Cohen bailed on testifying, given the current power of the White House/Kremlin mafia forces on the other side. They let him know that his family would suffer, so what else could he do but bail? Now we'll see if a Senate subpoena makes any difference to him. He's already going to do time, so what does he care? The prison sentence for violating the subpoena will be viewed as the lesser of two evils.
10
The simplest explanation is probably right: Trump threatened his family, so Cohen basically, nudge-nudge, wink-wink, effectively begged to be subpoened so it’s not his fault that he testifies.
2
By allowing Cohen to appear before the house dems subcommitte behind close doors, once again Trump has won. Because there is so much that the American people need to hear and see. As the Watergate hearings were conducted in public, Cohen's appearance before Congress should be IN PUBLIC. Let the sunshine disinfect the Trump lies and bring forth the truth. Just reading Trump's tweets about Cohen should tell us all to demand the public viewing of the Cohen testimony before the House.
11
He is subpoenaed by the Senate.
1
Cohen is being called to testify behind the closed doors of the Republican led Senate. Should that also be public?
1
Let me get this straight. Trump is concerned that the investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server was insufficient, yet he is blocking an investigation into his daughter's use of a private email server to carry out state business. And Trump finds it scandalous that the father of the lawyer he hired might have a connection to organized crime, yet Trump’s business partner, Felix Sater, the man who was coordinating the Moscow Tower with Cohen, is a felon convicted of organized criminal activity prior to being hired by the Trump Organization. Unlike the hype Trump likes to spin about himself, this may very well be among the most hypocritical criticism to come out of the White House before or since he became a temporary resident of the place.
40
Dear House Oversight Committee and House Intelligence Committee: Please subpoena him. Put it on the front pages that a sitting president not only attempted, but succeeded, to intimidate a congressional witness.
This is its own article of impeachment.
27
Still don’t see the real purpose of the senate inquiries. Both parties will ask stupid partisan questions that have little to know value. Never understood the benefits of the senate committees when it is dependent on which side is in charge. Doesn’t really seem that they are interested in crimes and wrong doings.
Everyone should be patient and wait on Mueller’s final product. He knows 10x more than any senate committee knows and doesn’t have the political bias that these committees have. There are much more important tasks the senate and congress can be working on ... high Rx costs, education, haven’t heard one mention of education over the last two years, etc.
3
Try to visualize in your mind ANY one of our former presidents--Democrat or Republican--traveling the country to have large rallies where they chant to lock up the president's former political challenger.
You can't imagine any of them doing it, can you? That's because it is unspeakable. But that's what our current president does.
30
At least Cohen is keeping the Mueller investigation in the news, as Trump is using the shutdown to keep it out of the press. He is a past master at self publicity, and now he is hiding from the truth.
5
I do not see how delaying his testimony protects his family. It would seem best to do it and get it out of the way. It is then out there and folks will make of it what they will. Delaying testimony just keeps the heat on and the pressure builds. I see his refusal as a legal move to gain sympathy. I find it difficult to be sympathetic to Cohen, but then I go...Cohen, trump, Cohen, trump and I am squarely on Cohen's side. I am anxious to hear what he has to say. Subpoena him...today!
46
@Jack Frederickthe problem is that he has nothing to say and that is why he is backing out.
@Jack Frederick
Among other things, he might be waiting for the marshalls service and other protection aspects of the Justice Dept. to be working in non-shutdown conditions.
4
@Doris Keyes A consigliere always has something to say. He may not want to say it, look at what happened to Whitey Bulger. The Mafia is brutal and on appearance individual-1ties to Russian hierarchy may be the reason.
1
That he will be subpoenaed by Dem-run House committees is predictable. That he's been subpoenaed by a Rep-run Senate committee is a surprising development. I'm going to temper my optimism and not say that it's also a very good sign.
9
The Senate is still majority Republican; Cohen is bad news for Trump and his enablers. I can understand why the several Dem committees would want to hear from Cohen, but I’m not clever or devious enough to guess what the Republican Senate’s goals are....to make Cohen return to his first assertions?
I’m concerned about his family and this piece doesn’t ease my concerns; having the Dems say they understand Cohen’s fears for his family is like saying nothing...maybe worse.
3
@citizen vox
Democrats see this as an opportunity to blame Trump for hiring a fixer who, rather than keep Trump within the law, instead used his position to enrich himself.
Republicans are looking for the truth. Cohen has told so many different stories, Republicans in the Senate want to look him in the eye and try to determine whether anything he says is meaningful.
When Cohen told multiple stories under oath, he became guilty of perjury. What the truth is irrelevant. There is no way to tell if he was lying then or is lying now.
Whatever he is saying today is designed to result in the lowest possible sentence from Mueller. That is likely to be whatever is most damaging to Trump. It is not evidence that could be used against Trump in a criminal or impeachment proceeding.
@ebmem
"Republicans are looking for the truth."
What behavior have the Republicans exhibited that makes you think they are interested in the truth?
Was it keeping Comey's private letter to oversight chairmen secret and secure?
Was it not running to the White House with testimony so they could get a lead on refuting it?
Was it a complete investigation of allegations of teenage sexual assault against a SCOTUS nominee?
Was it fulfilling their Constitutional mandate and honoring their oaths of office to fully vet and hold hearings for a valid presidential nominee?
Really...Where is the record of truth-seeking you posit?
I've yet to see them place nation above party (and I'm 62 years old!). They're complicit in the destruction of our institutions of government and deserve to be rejected by voters. November 2020 is coming.
4
If investigators have physical evidence that refutes what Cohen says (bank records, etc.) then it is easy to tell when he lies. So any investigating the dems do is slanted, but the eebubs are noble and pure? Quite a skewed viewpoint.
2
It is not far fetched to believe that Michael Cohen is now playing both Congress. and the American public, for fools. He may very well be using the pretext of being intimidated by Giuliani and Trump merely to avoid giving damaging testimony to the House Committees. This way, he can both blame Trump, and simultaneously provide cover for his former employer. Something to think about as we peel through the myriad layers of the Trump-Cohen relationship.
14
@alank
I can’t wrap my head around the idea that Cohen wants to provide cover for Trump
The Republicans subpoena Cohen to take the spotlight on the shutdown. The Democrats hold off on a subpoena to keep the focus on the shutdown.
9
@Bruce. Except it’s not till February.
1
Consider this, Cohen and his family appear to need protection because of what he wants to tell us about the president of the united states.
53
@Aleutian Low
And Pelosi claims it would be unsafe for Congress to listen to the State of the Union address because of security concerns.
1
Why are the cable TV stations repeating Trumps and Rudy's slurs against Cohen's family members every 10 minutes. Just in case, viewers missed it the first 100 times? The poor man already has a target on his back, leave it alone. If there is anything to investigate (doubtful), the authorities will figure it out.
In the meantime, what would it take to persuade someone to disconnect Trump's TV access and unplug his tanning machine so that he might actually put in a couple of hours a day doing real work or, better yet, pitching in to help the Fed workers who aren't getting paid! Maybe convince utility companies to hold billing, negotiate with credit card companies not to charge late fees/interest, volunteer in a food kitchen. Just get out of the echo chamber and do some good for a change.
28
States can also help. Washington has proposed a rule that allows federal employees who have been designated essential to be eligible for unemployment assistance. They may be working but are not being paid. A variety of steps are being taken by various groups and agencies to ease the pain of the shutdown. These people have done nothing wrong and should not be punished.
8
@Judith Turpin This would be awful. Even though my son, a Coastie, isn't being paid while Trump's shutdown exists, I would not want to see Fed employees getting our state money. We have huge numbers of Fed employees in VA. Our economy is very adversely affected by Trump's shutdown. Trump's supporting states should be penalized if any states should. Virginia, a blue state, needs every cent we have for education, health, infrastructure, etc. We should not have to see our taxes be used for Trump's mistake.
4
I hope they ask him about these crazy threats. Maybe they happened and are a big deal. Maybe it was just lawyer posturing.
6
Why is Trump being allowed to comment on Cohen ?
That is intimidation toward a witness that may reveal information on Trump .
What is this government coming too ?
Someday people will see this use of pointing a finger at others to try and distract , this is so sad and has been used ever since Trump took office
Make so much noise , overload to hide .
Are people so naive that they swallow this stuff?
If Trump is innocent behave like a gentlemen and let the truth reveal itself . kids blame someone else when they get in the cookie jar but most grow out of it .....so Tiresome !
26
@T H What do you mean "What is this government coming too [sic] ?" There is no government. Trump shut it down, remember? There is the beginning of anarchy. Trump needs to fix this fast.
2
It’s unfortunate that we are all waiting with bated breath for a loser of Cohen’s magnitude and unreliability to testify. Does not bide well for the state of our democracy :/
6
@Muelling Things Over
Democracy has not been biding well since the russians fixed our 2016 election and Trump had been running the world in maddening circles!
3
Mr. Cohen succeded 1) in releasing himself from his commitment to testify voluntarily – now he will testify ‘involuntarily’ as he is subpoenaed, and 2) in curtailing what appears Mr. Trump’s attempts to intimidate Mr. Cohen to testify in the Congress – it won’t work as Mr. Cohen’s testimony will still take place.
In other words, this skirmish was won by Mr. Cohen & his lawyer against Mr. Trump & his lawyer. I think this trend should continue as Mr. Cohen’s skeletons are largely out while Mr. Trump’s are largely still in their closets.
But many US voters would like to see the caravan of the skeletons let by their creator, Mr. Trump himself, march to Mr. Mueller’s music towards the concrete walls of the state/federal prisons.
This would help Mr. Trump to finally get the version of the Wall he truly deserves, and it would not matter whether it is a ‘beautiful’ concrete or simply a steel bar wall.
23
I think that the decision of Cohen and his lawyer Lanny Davis to delay his testimony is tactical. The tweets and statements that they cite as intimidation were made some time ago. Why didn't Cohen complain then? This tactic gives him credibility and sympathy. And, that he must appear under subpoena because he fears for his family's safety, with leaders in Congress promising to protect him, further solidifies his credibility. Personally, I think this is a very funny performance.
6
Senators Burr and Warner are the two men with the most power over Trump's coming trial in the Senate. Their investigation is the one that is crucial. If they find clear and convincing evidence (or it is passed to them by Mueller's investigation) that Trump is a Russian agent, they can convince enough Senators to vote for conviction and removal. Even if the Trump administration obstructs justice by a refusal to release the Mueller Report, the Justice Department cannot refuse to release information to Congress for an impeachment trial. If they attempt it they would create more suspicion and fail anyway, since the release of information would be then be compelled and it would be even more damaging.
10
Is there such a thing as intelligence at the Senate?
Decorum, ethics, civility...these things have already been dismissed as cumbersome to party objectives.
Intelligent people wouldn't have let this happen.
7
Cohen’s testimony is critical in the pursuit of truth about Trump and his Administration/organization/campaign and criminal life. It is quite apparent that Trump has threatened him and that is very much against the law so far in this nation. For a proported president to have done so is absolutely inexcusable and should be a high crime.
The Democratic House is correct in subpoenaing Cohen, but they must also guarantee the safety of his family against any harm from Trump’s coercion and hold Trump personally responsible for such to the full extent of the law.
It has sadly become obvious that Trump has absolutely no respect for the law, nor do his Republican sycophants. THIS IS AN ISSUE OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY at the highest level of government - ALL the facts must be exposed and prosecuted. Should Trump’s Republicans obstruct any further, I would wholeheartedly support prosecuting them for obstruction. They too are not above the law.
20
The argument of Trump reminds me of my days at elementary school. When called by the teacher to explain my mischief, and I said 'the others do it too', the teacher always replied: 'when the others jump in the canal, do you jump too?', to which I had no answer.
Trump is quite desperate to sink this low. It reminds me of street fights of feuding petty criminals in the bad part of town.
Of course, in American business, trying to crush your competitor has often been common.
Fortunately, Pelosi succeeded in making Trump seem much less strong.
Every day brings new surprises. It is fascinating to see this all happening. In both the US and the UK the institutions that sustain democracy seem in collapse. Numerous important issues are ignored. How this all ends?
11
It's a GOP committee. Expect no public report. Nothing. It's already been two years. Guess how long it will be before 2020? Four years without a Senate report on Trump's collusion with the Kremlin. When will the House issue a subpoena? Why are they waiting?
21
It warms my heart - always learning more about Trump's immorality - his mafia-like-tough-guy vindictiveness would make a great film if it were not the fact that this 'hood' is the President of the USA. One can feel sorry for the hapless Mr. Cohen - used and abused by an expert then discarded in the trash heap that was labeled 'the swamp'. I wish him the courage he will need to 'spill the beans' in spite of the threats to his family. This could not happen anywhere else in the Western world - this is 3rd world history.
11
Since New York State is investigating Trump and Cohen has been questioned by the NY AG regarding Trump, Trump's intimidation of Cohen should be a crime in New York. New York is not prevented by the Federal Justice Dept. from indicting Mr. Trump while he is 'president'. I'm hoping!
30
Good grief, all this stuff is impossible to follow without one's eyes glazing over. Time to wrap it up. Mueller, it will be two years in May, more than enough time to submit a report. Democrats, time to get off the impeachment bus and focus on the 2020 election.
4
It’s amazing how some people can walk and chew gum at the same time. You do realize the last few special counsels lasted four years or more, right?
Personally, I’d prefer we vote the con man out, but if Trump is a criminal, he should be held accountable.
9
In answer to all the calls for ALL hearings to be open, a lot more can be said that is of legal or classified status behind closed doors.
Not everything should, or legally can be, totally open and transparent.
And remember it is the GOP run Senate that wants this information, which is likely to be of damage both to Cohen but more significantly President Trump.
6
My guess is this is what Cohen’s counsel anticipated all along. By backing out on the grounds of intimidation, Cohen has shoved his thumb in Trump’s eye; and now he can go ahead and testify under compulsion of a subpoena, subject to any available objections to the questioning, including applicable privilege or Constitutional protections.
This is standard operating procedure in discovery, whether you’re seeking documents or testimony. An informal request for production is usually met with ‘send us a subpoena and we’ll respond accordingly.’ This is surely not unexpected or out of the ordinary.
72
The goal of the special counsel investigation is to provide Congress with information so that they can provide oversight. Congress has to begin conducting oversight hearings in public, just as they were during Watergate.
It's important that the American people know what's going on with regards to this investigation. Keeping people in dark is only making things worse.
61
There is no reason now for Representative Cummings's Oversight Committee not to itself issue a subpoena for the same date on which it previously requested Cohen to voluntarily appear. With his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee expected to be made in a closed session, there is an even more compelling reason for securing public testimony by Cohen before House Oversight. In the past, one would think that Oversight provided adequate protection to witnesses, and their families, from any threats and intimidation sources, here being Trump and Giuliani.
33
Senate Intel Committee less dangerous for T than for Cohen and it is the reverse for House Oversight and Reform Committee. So that is a missed leadership point for Red v Blue.
5
Things are getting curiouser and curiouser. It seems odd that a Clinton crony would be representing Cohen. I believe Cohen is the fire wall between the House and Senate committees and Clinton’s private server and the thousands of emails she deleted. Now the wall has a leak in it. I still have no idea what he would know, but the Committee wants to find out. Even more intriguing is that the Senate subpoena comes right after Cohen backs off from testifying before the House Committee, and Elijah Cummings doesn’t even subpoena him in response. Don’t the Democrats want to penetrate that wall, or do they already know what’s behind it?
12
@Edward
Look at the list of clients Cohen’s attorney has represented over the years. He’s a fixer. Cohen knows about fixers. That’s why he hired him.
Your theory about Clinton’s emails is worthy of a baseless Trump tweet designed for maximum distraction. Well done.
137
Edward,
Donald Trump himself was a big supporter of Bill Clinton and has even donated to his campaign in the past.
Attorneys work for clients in both political parties.
And the House committees said they too will subpoena Cohen.
26
Something really smells fishy here. It's all in the timing. One day, Cohen and his lawyer disinvite themselves from the very public House testimony. The next day the Republican controlled Senate issues a subpoena for a "closed door" testimony?!
I smell something very fishy going on here - Getting a softball testimony on the record to then forestall all other testimony that might occur in public?
Something stinks here. Trump has got protectors among his Senate enabler class and it is obviously, as per recent events especially, very damaging to our country.
73
“testimony that would later prove to have contained falsehoods”
“Mr. Cohen also made false statements to the House Intelligence Committee”
“Since his guilty plea in late November for lying to Congress”
“so he can correct his false testimony”
Hardly what one would describe as a reliable witness.
6
@Mike Edwards. President Trump = Hardly what anybody would describe as a reliable president.
17
@Mike Edwards
Veracity wise Cohen is trumps master by a mile but you keep believing him. Even when his lawyer tells you to your face that trump will commit perjury if he testifies. It's a head scratcher.
2
Why did the House (controlled now by Democrats) merely "invite" Cohen to testify, while the Senate (still controlled by McConnell and Republicans) gets to "subpoena" him and get under-oath testimony?
The Republican-controlled Senate has a well-documented history of whitewashing Trump's abuses of office and possible criminal actions for the last few years. There will be no truth gotten -- or even sought -- by them!
Why doesn't the House start holding hearings with subpoenas and testimony under oath? Wasn't that one thing we voted for in 2018?
Or has Trump (again) succeeded in taking the focus off this issue with his government shutdown and wall nonsense!
107
What's the use of this?
"Mr. Cohen’s return to the Senate Intelligence Committee will almost certainly be behind closed doors. The panel has conducted a wide-ranging investigation of Russia’s election interference campaign, and possible ties to the Trump campaign, for roughly two years now largely out of the public eye."
OUR Senate is controlled by Koch brothers and other International Mafia operatives. The only thing they will do is obstruct justice.
Democracy loving American Senators will leak what goes on "behind closed doors". How about a tape? WE THE PEOPLE are paying them. They work for US. I want to know what they are saying/doing.
NOW is the time to force the democracy-destroyers out of the dark halls of corruption.
93
Representatives Adam Schiff and Elijah Cummings are absolutely correct to subpoena Michael Cohen to correct his testimony from his last hearings. If he had told the truth, he wouldn’t have to return; however, he had to know over the decades how dangerous the criminal was that he had represented. Although I sympathize with him over the dangers that he and his family now face, it is only by telling the whole truth about his dealings with Donald J. trump, criminal enterprise and ties to Putin’s Kremlin, that he can save himself, his family, and his nation. There are many who will be behind bars when this is over, but Cohen has a chance of expiation. Tell the truth, Michael, and do it now.
135
But according to this story, the Senate subpoenaed him, not the House.
7
@fFinbar Schiff and Cummings have announced their intent to subpoena him a swell.
Trump and Giuliani have crossed the line and have engaged in witness tampering, intimidating a witness and in Trump's case, abusing the power of the presidency.
Davis is correct that Giuliani can and should be prosecuted and disbarred immediately. In Trump's case, impeachment proceedings should begin. There's more than enough evidence of high crimes and misdomeanors.
197
I doubt the GOP members of this committee will ask any questions that could cast Trump in a poor light, probably those inquiries will be structured to discredit Cohen wherever possible. That said, there are democratic members who will be asking questions and they should insure they are the right questions. Since it's all behind closed doors we can only hope some of the proceedings transcripts will be leaked. I've no doubt there will be serious criminality revealed on Trump's part, and equally no doubt nothing will be done about it. He's already committed perjury, witness tampering and who knows how many other crimes, in plain view, yet nobody seems to have what it takes to prosecute. I suspect that may soon change as the sheer volume of his offenses has turned the tide of public opinion and most view him with disfavor now. In short, we're tired of having an illiterate slob of a felon at the helm, and I think his party is getting the message. I also believe Cohen is 100% in his fear of reprisal or misdeeds on Trump's part, the man eats intimidation for breakfast.
46
The 4th of July 2018 was on a Wednesday. Which July 4th "weekend" is 45 asking us to remember?
18
How long is this monster going to remain in power?
How long before the GOP turns on him when they realize that he'll throw them under the bus to save his hide, too?
Witness intimidation, fraud, probable collusion with an enemy to win an election, lying so much that his lies have lies, extremely unpresidential behavior from the beginning and on and on and on.
It's nauseating and should be brought to an end. Now.
Wake up!!!
210
@Von Jones,
Well, there's always crowd-funding. Well, maybe. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Too many people would jump at the chance.
2
@Von Jones This is all happening because a supermajority of Republican voters are ok with it, because senators and congresspeople are afraid of being "primaried."
4
@Von Jones, you wrote "How long before the GOP turns on him when they realize that he'll throw them under the bus to save his hide, too?"
The obvious answer is they'll stick with him as long as a majority of Republican voters stick with Trump. It's arguable whether Trump will "throw the GOP under the bus," but it's not arguable that Trump voters will abandon the party if the party abandons Trump.
4
Do Trump and the Republicans realize that Hillary Clinton is a private citizen and not president. Trump is president and that’s the criminal we to deal with now.
67
Enough with the behind closed doors nonsense. Transparency is essentiall to a democracy. The American people have the right to know what’s happening. I don’t want to hear “wait for mueller “ one more time.
215
Trump and Giuliani are guilty of threatening Cohen and his family. If anything were to happen to Cohen or any of his family members, Trump and Giuliani would be the prime suspects. Cohen must really have substantial information and testimony to offer against Trump for them to conduct themselves in such a criminally liable manner.
62
I do not understand this move. Why would the Republican Senate want to investigate threats to Michael Cohen by the administration? Are they suffering from an attack of conscience?
4
It's for show and nothing else.
24
Might be to discredit him as a witness.
2
I wouldn't want anybody asking me about my father in law either.
3
I was hoping the blue wave wouldn’t fizzle.
5
I pray that he crumbles, and totally spills the beans on Trump (including Trump's recent threats to his family).
Someday, somehow, via somebody, we're going to hear the true, complete story(s) about Trump's criminal, dangerous, and unpatriotic behaviors!
53
@Paul-A
That story will make "War and Peace" look like a novella.
3
Good for them. Good for the country. Bad for Trump and Rudy G.
18