The likely next House Intelligence Committee chairman says his panel wants to hear from Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former fixer, one more time before he goes to prison.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., told CNN Wednesday the committee was “already in touch” with Cohen’s counsel about a possible appearance ahead of his March 6 deadline to report to authorities for his three-year sentence.
“We are very eager to have him come and testify. I was very pleased to see today that one of his lawyers issued a statement saying that he is more than willing to come and cooperate and share what he knows with us. And we certainly intend to take him up on that,” Schiff said.
But the California Democrat would not commit Wednesday to holding a prospective hearing with Cohen, 52, in an open session.
Schiff also said that the Justice Department ought to rethink its policy concerning whether a sitting president can be indicted and prosecuted given the alleged reference to potential wrongdoing by Trump in Cohen’s sentencing memo. Trump has not been indicted and denies any role in crimes of which Cohen has been convicted.
Cohen’s sentencing comes after he pleaded guilty in August to campaign finance violation, tax fraud, and bank fraud charges stemming from an investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York. It also reflects a guilty plea he entered in November for lying to Congress after the count was brought by special counsel Robert Mueller. He received 36 months for the first case and two months for the second, sentences which he will serve concurrently.
Aside from prison time, Trump’s longtime personal lawyer will additionally have to pay a forfeiture of $500,000, restitution of $1.4 million, and a fine of $50,000.
