Mueller investigation - live: Michael Cohen gave information about Russian attempts to reach Trump campaign dating back to 2015
Robert Mueller says Cohen has cooperated with his investigation and so does not ask for any extra jail time
Your support helps us to tell the story
My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.
Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond
Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have asked a judge to sentence former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen to a “substantial term of imprisonment” for paying an adult film star hush money on the president's behalf and evading taxes.
Earlier in the day Mr Trump has attacked Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe, although Mr Mueller and his team asked for no extra prison time for Cohen for lying to federal investigators, citing Cohen's cooperation with his investigation.
New court documents are also expected flesh out the case against Mr Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort.
Mr Mueller’s team has accused Manafort of breaching a plea bargain agreement by lying to prosecutors – something Manafort has denied – and he has submitted information on those alleged lies.
Elsewhere, the former head of the FBI James Comey – a frequent target for attacks from Mr Trump – took part in a behind-closed-doors hearing with two congressional committees on decisions made by the Justice Department during the 2016 presidential election.
Follow live updates below
Please allow a moment for the liveblog to load
Aides on Capitol Hill are saying the House Judicial and Oversight committee’s closed-door testimony with James come is expected to last until 5pm.
That’s the deadline for Robert Mueller and prosecutors to release a memo detailing the cooperation of Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s longtime lawyer and personal fixer, with New York prosecutors.
The Special Counsel’s office is also expected to release an outline of Paul Manfort’s “crimes and lies” which ultimately forced the cancellation of his cooperation agreement with investigators.
George Papadopoulos, the former foreign policy aide to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, was released from prison this morning after serving 12 days for lying to the federal government about his contacts with the Russians.
Papadopoulos was the first Trump associate to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller and pleaded guilty to lying to investigators last year.
The FBI launched the Russia investigation after Papadopoulos bragged to Australia’s then-ambassador to the UK that Moscow could have dirt on Mr Trump's 2016 rival Hillary Clinton.
Papadopoulos received a 14-day sentence in September and was seen exiting a federal prison in Winsconsin Friday morning. He will now undergo 12 months of supervised release, and is required to serve 200 hours of community service within about one year, in addition to paying a $9,500 fine.
Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has hit back at Donald Trump Jr over a tweet mocking her.
She says that the tweet may be related to the focus on the Mueller inquiry today, and reminding him that her party will have the power to subpoena people to appear once the Democrats take over control of the House of Representatives in January.
The two top Democrats in Congress have urged caution about President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Justice, saying the nominee had sought to undercut the Special Counsel's Office probe into Russia and must pledge to make any findings from the investigation public.
Mr Trump has announced former US Attorney General William Barr as his pick to once again serve in the post.
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi called his nomination "deeply concerning," while Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Barr must allow the probe to continue unimpeded and make the findings available to lawmakers and the public.
President Donald Trump has blasted his former secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, in a sharply critical tweet one day after the nation's former top diplomat publicly recounted that the president had tried to do things in a way that violated the law.
"Mike Pompeo is doing a great job, I am very proud of him. His predecessor, Rex Tillerson, didn't have the mental capacity needed. He was dumb as a rock and I couldn't get rid of him fast enough. He was lazy as hell. Now it is a whole new ballgame, great spirit at State!"
As the Mueller probe continues, Republican voters are driving a push against a favourable opinion of the special counsel
Special counsel Robert Mueller's team has made clear to Paul Manafort's attorneys that they believe the former Trump campaign chair is lying to them about President Donald Trump, according to the President's attorney Rudy Giuliani.
"In the questioning of Manafort, they did tell them at the time that they believed he was lying about certain things related to us that he's not lying about," Mr Giuliani told CNN.
Both Mr Mueller's office and Paul Manafort's lawyers have declined to comment on those comments from Mr Giuliani.
On other matters, Donald Trump is expected to name the Army's top general, Mark Milley, as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to Reuters.
Mr Trump hinted earlier on Friday that he would be announcing new military leadership on Saturday when he attends the Army-Navy football game.
"It will have to do with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and succession," he said.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments