Michael Cohen sentencing: Trump's former lawyer attacks president's 'dirty deeds' as judge hands him three years in prison

Cohen given jail term over tax fraud and hush money payments to two women who have alleged affairs with president

Donald Trump denies involvement in Moscow project claiming Michael Cohen 'lying'

Michael Cohen has warned that he has more to say about what he called the “dirty deeds” of Donald Trump as the president's former lawyer and fixer was sentenced to three years in prison for facilitating payments to two women who allege affairs with Mr Trump.

Cohen was sentenced to 36 months for tax fraud and his role in the payment of hush money to adult actress Stormy Daniels and former playboy model Karen McDougal who said they had affairs with Mr Trump before the 2016 presidential election. The judge in a district court in New York also handed Cohen an extra two months for lying to Congress about a proposed Trump Tower project in Russia. Cohen had pleaded guilty to the charges.

The payments have implicated Mr Trump directly in criminal conduct according to a court filing from prosecutors last week, which said that Cohen was working in co-ordination with the president.

Cohen's adviser Lanny Davis, who was his attorney for the case, said after the sentencing that Cohen will disclose more information concerning Mr Trump, once Robert Mueller wraps up his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election and possible collusion with Trump campaign officials.

“At the appropriate time, after Mr Mueller completes his investigation and issues his final report, I look forward to assisting Michael to state publicly all he knows about Mr Trump – and that includes any appropriate congressional committee interested in the search for truth and the difference between facts and lies,” Mr Davis said in a statement.

“Mr Trump's repeated lies cannot contradict stubborn facts,” Mr Davis added.

Cohen is due to surrender and begin his sentence on 6 March, 2019. He must also forfeit $500,000, restitute $1.4m, and pay a $50,000 fine.

US District Judge William H Pauley III said Cohen deserved a harsh punishment for crimes including tax evasion, lying to Congress and arranging illicit payments to silence women who posed a risk to Trump's presidential campaign. Those payments have directly implicated the president in criminal.

“While Mr. Cohen pledges to help in further investigations that is not something the court can consider now,” the judge added.

The sentencing capped a stunning about-face for Cohen who had previously said he would “take a bullet” for the president.

In an emotional statement to court which included tears, Cohen described his disillusionment with Trump and that he had committed his crimes out of “blind loyalty” to the president.

“I have been living in a personal and mental incarceration ever since the day that I accepted the offer to work for a real estate mogul whose business acumen that I deeply admired,” Cohen said. “I know now, in fact, there is little to be admired.”

“It was my own weakness and a blind loyalty to this man that led me to choose a path of darkness over light,” Cohen said. “I felt it was my duty to cover up his own dirty deeds,” referring to Mr Trump.

To follow events as they happened please read our live blog below.

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[12 December 2018 18:54 · Chris Stevenson]

Just to reiterate the background to those payments:

​Federal prosecutors in New York charged that Cohen, just before the November 2016 election, paid adult film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 and helped arrange a $150,000 payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal so the women would keep quiet about their past relationships with Trump, who is married. Trump denies having the affairs.

[12 December 2018 19:06 · Chris Stevenson]

Away from the courtroom, the first political ratings for 2020 election races in the House of Representatives have been released by the Cook Report.

They show 20 toss-up races, 16 of which are currently held by Democrats.

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[12 December 2018 19:13 · Chris Stevenson]

Talking about the Democrats, billionaire Democrat donor Tom Steyer has apparently been putting out anonymous LinkIn adverts looking for potential aides to assist with a 2020 presidential run

[12 December 2018 19:24 · Chris Stevenson]

Cohen and is family were clearly emotional during his hearing:

Cohen, 52, walked into court with his wife, son and daughter amid a crowd of photographers and reporters. His 23-year-old daughter, Samantha, and 19-year-old son, Jake, both wept silently in the courtroom, the son wiping his eyes with his jacket sleeve. After being sentenced, Cohen walked over to his daughter and kissed her head.

Cohen's father, Maurice Cohen, who showed little emotion during the hearing, later told reporters: "My heart is ripped."

[12 December 2018 19:46 · Chris Stevenson]

Here is a look at what today's decision may mean for Mr Trump:

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[12 December 2018 20:12 · Chris Stevenson]

Here is report report on the sentencing today and the fact that Cohen's legal team say he is not done cooperating.

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[12 December 2018 20:30 · Chris Stevenson]

With that we are closing our live coverage for today. Thanks for reading.