Cohen testimony: Trump’s ex-lawyer claims ‘criminal conspiracy’ and gives dire warning to Congress in public testimony
Cohen said he is worried that there will 'never be another peaceful transfer of power' if Mr Trump loses re-election in 2020
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Your support makes all the difference.Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s ex-lawyer, has given dramatic testimony before the House Oversight Committee, were he discussed a criminal conspiracy involving the president, his oldest son Donald Trump Jr, and the chief financial officer of the Trump Organisation, Allen Weisselberg — and then cast the president as an existential threat to American democracy.
During one particularly notable exchange, Cohen was asked by Democratic Representative Ro Khanna about a cheque making a payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, which he called a "smoking gun" that proves several individuals were involved in the conspiracy.
"Are you telling us, Mr Cohen, that the president directed transactions in conspiracy with Allen Weisselberg and his son, Donald Trump Jr, as part of a criminal conspiracy of financial fraud?" Mr Khanna asked in relation to the cheque. "Is that your testimony today?"
"Yes," Cohen said.
Cohen, who will serve a three year prison sentence starting in May, said during his testimony that he believes the US is at a critical juncture in its history. Mr Trump, a man who Cohen once said he would take a bullet for, is a threat to American democracy, he said.
"If he loses the [2020] election, I worry there would never be a peaceful transition of power," he said.
Throughout his hours-long testimony on Wednesday, Cohen said that he is remorseful for ever allowing himself to end up in Mr Trump's inner circle. Cohen, who worked as the president's private attorney for a decade said that he had caused considerable damage to his family and reputation — and repeatedly apologised even as Republicans questioned why they should believe his testimony given he pleaded guilty to lying to Congress once before already.
“I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr Trump’s illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience,” Cohen said.
Cohen also suggested that the president was aware that political consultant Roger Stone was in discussion with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange about the site’s access to stolen Democratic National Committee emails.
The president's former personal attorney said that he was in a room when Mr Stone told Mr Trump about the leaks, and that nobody made an effort to contact the FBI regarding those leaks.
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Cohen is expected to provide the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform with copies of two $35,000 checks he received from Mr Trump in 2017 as reimbursements for the $130,000 hush money payment he made to adult actress Stormy Daniels a few weeks before the 2016 presidential election.
The hush money payment was intended to keep Ms Daniels mum about an alleged affair she had with Mr Trump in 2006, an allegation the White House has repeatedly denied.
Cohen has arrived on Capitol Hill to give his public testimony against the president.
Per NBC News: "Cohen said he will provide the committee with a news article Trump wrote on and sent Cohen that reported on an auction of a portrait of Trump.
'Mr. Trump directed me to find a straw bidder to purchase a portrait of him that was being auctioned at an Art Hamptons Event,' Cohen wrote. 'The objective was to ensure that his portrait, which was going to be auctioned last, would go for the highest price of any portrait that afternoon. The portrait was purchased by the fake bidder for $60,000. Mr. Trump directed the Trump Foundation, which is supposed to be a charitable organization, to repay the fake bidder, despite keeping the art for himself.'"
Mr Trump tweeted about the $60,000 portrait in July 16, 2013:
Cohen is now sitting before the House Oversight Committee.
Republicans attempted to postpone the testimony, stating that they did not receive the president's former lawyer's had submitted planned testimony in the wrong way. Democrats rejected that effort.
Representative Elijah Cummings, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, is delivering his opening remarks.
He has stated that Cohen "admitted" to a litany of crimes, including lying to Congress to protect Donald Trump.
"Every one of us in this room has a duty to serve as an independent check on the executive branch. Ladies and gentlemen we are in search of the truth. The president has made many statements of his own and now the American people have a right ot hear the other side," Mr Cummings said.
Mr Cummings is laying out the gravity of the testimony we are about to hear.
He notes that the president repeatedly insisted that Donald Trump said he was not aware of a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, which Cohen has said is a lie.
Mr Cummings also notes that Cohen is prepared to testify on how much the Trump campaign knew about the Wikileaks dump of Hillary Clinton's campaign emails during the 2016 election.
"We will all have to make our own evaluation of the evidence and Mr Cohen's credibility. As he admits he has repeatedly lied in the past I agree with ranking member Jordan that this is an important factor we need to weigh, but we must weigh it and we must hear from him," Mr Cummings said.
Mr Cummings has threatened Cohen, saying that he will refer any false statements he might make during congressional testimony to the Department of Justice for prosecution.
But, he says the committee will not pull punches on the president.
"The days of this committee protecting the president at all costs are over. They're over," Mr Cummings said.
Representative Jim Jordan, the ranking member of the committee, tells Representative Elijah Cummings that this hearing cast a shadow over his entire tenure as chairman.
"Your chairmanship will always be identified with this hearing. And we all need to understand what this hearing is. This is the Michael Cohen hearing presented by Lanny Davis," Mr Jordan said, referencing Cohen's lawyer. He also noted that Cohen has already lied to Congress, and is about to go to prison in two months.
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