Jail is freedom for Trump fixer
Michael Cohen issued a stinging rebuke of Donald Trump, his former boss, as he was sentenced to three years in prison, insisting it had been his job to cover up the US president’s “dirty deeds”.
Cohen, who served as Trump’s lawyer and fixer for a decade, likened his sentencing on Wednesday to a moment of “freedom” as he was no longer bound by his relationship to his former employer.
The sentence hearing followed Cohen’s pleading guilty earlier in 2018 to four crimes – tax evasion, lying to a financial institution, lying to Congress and breaking campaign finance laws.
The last of those involved paying two women who claimed affairs with Trump – porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal – to stay quiet before the 2016 presidential election.
Cohen has claimed in court that Trump directed the payments, which Trump denied.
Trump has also suggested such payments would not amount to crimes.
Appearing in a New York federal court, Cohen appeared to fight back tears at times as he made his case for leniency, while his parents, children, wife and in-laws looked on.
“This may seem hard to believe but today is one of the most meaningful days of my life,” Cohen said.
“The irony is today is the day I get my freedom back.
“I have been leading a personal and mental incarceration ever since the fateful day that I accepted the offer to work for a famous real-estate mogul whose business acumen I greatly admired.”
He accepted full responsibility for his crimes, but added of Trump: “It was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds.”
Cohen was sentenced to three years in jail and ordered to pay close to $2m (R28.3m) in fines and other financial penalties.
He closed his eyes and shook his head as the sentence was read.