President Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen sued the Trump Organization on Thursday, citing its “failure to meet its indemnification obligations.”
The lawsuit argues the Trump Organization violated a contract starting in June 2018 to reimburse him for the expenses. Cohen, who is set to go to prison in May, says he wasn’t compensated for at least $1.9 million in attorneys’ fees and costs. He also claims his agreement covered another $1.9 million he is required to pay as part of his criminal sentencing stemming from actions done at the direction of the Trump Organization and its leaders.
“The Trump Organization agreed to indemnify Mr. Cohen and to pay attorneys’ fees and costs incurred by Mr. Cohen in connection with various matters arising from Mr. Cohen’s work with and on behalf of the Organization,” the complaint, filed in a state court in Manhattan, reads. “These matters included multiple congressional hearings, Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation, and others.”
Cohen, who once claimed he would take a “bullet” for Trump, appeared before the House Oversight Committee last week where he labeled Trump a “racist” and a “cheat.” He also has appeared before other congressional panels recently in private.
Cohen’s attorney Lanny Davis said Cohen has documentation to back up his accusations against the Trump Organization.
“Over the past week, Michael Cohen has proven with documents and facts that the President of the United States has lied and committed crimes,” Davis said in a statement. “Stubborn facts backed up by documents, such as signed criminal hush money checks, can’t be ignored – unless you are President Trump and his apologists. While I’m not involved in this lawsuit, rest assured, Michael Cohen has documents to prove the allegations in this complaint as well.”
In August, Cohen pleaded guilty to making campaign finance violations regarding hush-money payments made during the 2016 campaign to two women who claimed they were involved in affairs with Trump, who has denied the allegations. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for the crimes.
[WATCH: Michael Cohen testifies before House Oversight Committee]
Cohen also pleaded guilty in November to “knowingly and willfully” making “a materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statement and representation” to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees in 2017 regarding a Trump Tower deal in Moscow. The crimes led to a two-month sentence, which will be served concurrently with the prison time Cohen got for the campaign finance violations, and tax and bank fraud crimes.
Multiple congressional panels are investigating Trump and his dealings, along with special counsel Robert Mueller, who is examining whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin during the 2016 election and Russian interference.
