Trump’s former personal attorney Cohen wraps up congressional testimony

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen testified before Congress again on Wednesday, a week after accusing his exboss of being a racist, a conman and a cheat in scathing public remarks.

Cohen’s day-long appearance before the House Intelligence Committee Thursday was held behind closed doors.

It was the fourth and final scheduled interview with a congressional panel for Trump’s longtime lawyer and general fixer.

Cohen made brief remarks to reporters following his testimony.

“I believe that all of the members were satisfied with the statements and the responses that I gave to them,” the 52-year-old New Yorker said.

Cohen, who arrived for the hearing toting suitcases full of documents, said he was prepared to provide any additional information the committee members may need as they investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether any members of the Trump campaign coordinated with Moscow.

Representative Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Cohen had fully cooperated ‘despite the not so thinly veiled threats emanating from the President and his allies’.

Without giving details, Schiff said Cohen had ‘provided important testimony and materials relevant to the core of our probe and that will allow us to advance our investigation substantially’.

Cohen testified in closed session before the House Intelligence Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee last week and in public before the House Oversight and Reform Committee.

Cohen, who is to report to prison on May 6 to begin a three-year sentence for fraud, tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions and lying to Congress, expressed regret at the open hearing for his years of devoted service to Trump and accused him of engaging in illegal activity. — AFP