Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

As it happenedended1551311686

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

Clark Mindock
New York
Wednesday 27 February 2019 23:10 GMT
Comments
Michael Cohen says he cannot discuss that last contact he had with Trump, as it is being investigated by the Southern District of New York

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

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.

Independent Minds Q&A session on the Middle East, Trump, Syria and Isis

“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.

See below how we covered this story live

Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load

1551281557

Cohen now admits that he lied to Congress about Donald Trump's negotiations with Russia for a real estate project in Moscow.

He says Mr Trump did not tell him explicitly to lie, but that he knew from the president's behaviour that he wanted him to lie.

Clark Mindock27 February 2019 15:32
1551281609

"Mr Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations" during the campaign, Cohen said. He says Mr Trump then lied about it because he did not expect to win.

Clark Mindock27 February 2019 15:33
1551281647

Cohen says he has been "smeared as a rat" by Donald Trump in the past few years.

He now is trying to flip the script, noting that he has a family that he cares for.

Clark Mindock27 February 2019 15:34
1551281812

Cohen is now preparing to tell the committee about Donald Trump, from the perspective of a guy who has known him for over a decade.

Clark Mindock27 February 2019 15:36
1551281851

"Being around Mr Trump was intoxicating when you were in his presence," Cohen said of the president when he first began working for him.

He said that he towed the Trump line for over a decade, and said it overtook his life.

Clark Mindock27 February 2019 15:37
1551281890

"Mr Trump is an enigma. He is complicated. ... He is both good and bad. ... But the bad far outweighs the good. Since taking office he has become the worst version of himself," Cohen said.

Clark Mindock27 February 2019 15:38
1551282173

Cohen says that the president is a "racist".

Clark Mindock27 February 2019 15:42
1551282301

"Lying to the first lady is one of my biggest regrets because she is a kind, good person, and I respect her greatly," Cohen said of his lie to Melania Trump. He lied about knowing about an affair between the president and adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

Clark Mindock27 February 2019 15:45
1551282390

Clark Mindock27 February 2019 15:46
1551282436

Cohen is now saying that the president wrote personal cheques as hush money to keep Stormy Daniels quiet about their alleged affair.

Clark Mindock27 February 2019 15:47

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in