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
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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.
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Cathy Monroe, 43, who works in finance is waiting near the courthouse for the sentencing hearing to end.She says she doesn’t live far away and wanted to see “a bit of history” calling the Russia probe the “biggest thing to hit the presidency since the Lewinsky scandal”.She adds the cold may force her to leave though.
Could the president be impeached based on Cohen's conviction?
Donald Trump says he isn't worried about being impeached, according to an interview with Reuters.
“I’m not concerned, no. I think that the people would revolt if that happened,” Mr Trump said. He also defended Mr Cohen's payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal.
However, the revelations about Cohen and the Trump presidential campaign have opened the doors to question the extent of Mr Trump's involvement in illegal activity. Whether these activities are impeachable defenses, or whether they may result in jail time post-presidency, is to be seen, NBC explains.
Republican governor Mike Huckabee has tweeted that Mr Cohen switched to the democratic party because as "an admitted felon," he may feel "more at home w/ the Dems."
Guy Petrillo, Mr Cohen's attorney, has called the Mueller probe the most important "since the days of Watergate," according to Newsweek. Petrillo lauded Mr Cohen for standing up to "the most powerful person in our country" in order to cooperate with the Mueller probe.
No joy getting any of the lawyers entering the building to talk about the case - but there have been a couple of TVs being wheeled in.
Not entirely sure what for.
First mike checks happening on the impromptu press stand outside as we wait for the verdict and for Mr Cohen’s lawyers to reappear
Michael Cohen’s attorney has been giving mitigation, saying that when Cohen came forward to help the investigation, "He knew the president might shut down the investigation."
Guy Petrillo is speaking on behalf of Cohen. He says the defendant's mother and father, his inlaws, his wife, kids and a cousin are there to support him.
Petrillo said Cohen's action "stands in profound contrast to the decision of some others not to cooperate".
An eye-opening choice of phrase when Petrillo said: "Mr Cohen had the misfortune to be counsel to the president."
The Special Counsel's Office prosecutor said that Cohen has provided "credible" and "valuable information".
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