Michael Cohen will publicly accuse President Trump of committing crimes while in office when he appears before Congress this week, according to reports of his planned testimony.
Trump’s longtime personal attorney and fixer is expected to describe the president’s “lies, racism, and cheating.” He has also signaled he will provide “evidence of criminal conduct since Mr. Trump became president,” apparently related to payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Cohen, 52, will testify publicly before the House Oversight & Reform Committee Wednesday and is speaking behind closed doors to the Senate Intelligence Committee today and the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday.
Trump’s attorneys have denied any wrongdoing by the president but his allies are bracing for a media frenzy around Cohen’s testimony.
A close associate of Trump for a decade, Cohen turned on the president after being swept up in criminal investigations. He’s now represented by Clinton ally Lanny Davis.
Cohen is expected to focus on Trump’s personal finances, including his financial statements, and could appear armed with documents. Trump has called any investigation by the special counsel into his personal finances a “red line.”
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee have blasted Cohen, saying that he “has pleaded guilty to crimes of deception and lies, including lying to Congress” and that he lacks any credibility.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, expressed his frustration that “[Democrats] are bringing a guy to testify in front of Congress who in two months is going to prison for lying to Congress.”
Cohen pleaded guilty in November 2018 to crimes including tax evasion and campaign finance violations, and he admitted to making false statements to Congress about the timing of a proposed Trump Tower project in Moscow that ultimately didn’t move forward. He reports for his three-year prison sentence on May 6.
Outlining a sweeping set of topics for Cohen, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., the committee chairman, said his Democrats would avoid Russia-related questions but ask about any improper payments made in the 2016 election, campaign finance, Trump’s conflicts of interest, the Trump Hotel in D.C., the Trump Foundation, and the Trump Organization.
The Senate Intelligence Committees and House Intelligence Committees are expected to speak with Cohen about potential Russian interference in the 2016 election and other classified matters.
