New threat to Trump after ex-lawyer’s guilty plea

DONALD Trump’s former lawyer and ‘fixer’ Michael Cohen has pleaded guilty to charges including campaign finance fraud, it was reported last night.

The charges stem from hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels and ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal. Both women claimed Mr Trump had affairs with them, which he denies.

It follows reports that Cohen had reached a plea bargain with prosecutors, where he agreed not to challenge any sentence from 46 to 63 months.

It raises the possibility that Cohen will aid special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible links between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

Mr Trump has denied any collusion and has called the Mueller investigation a witch hunt. Russia has also denied meddling in the election, but US intelligence agencies have since concluded that the Kremlin interfered.

The FBI raided Cohen’s home, office and hotel room in April as part of the probe. Investigators sought bank records, communications with the Trump campaign and information on payments to Miss Daniels and Miss McDougal. Cohen was part of Mr Trump’s inner circle for more than a decade, working as his lawyer and advising the President after the election.

But though he once said he would ‘take a bullet’ for Mr Trump, their relationship has deteriorated since the raid.

Cohen’s attorney Lanny Davis declined to comment last night.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that prosecutors were focused on more than £15 million in loans obtained by Cohen as part of the investigation into whether he committed bank and tax fraud.

Mr Mueller’s investigation, which began in May 2017, has resulted in the indictment of more than 30 people and five guilty pleas.

The President’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, is on trial in Virginia for 1 counts of financial crimes resulting from the probe.

‘Would take a bullet for him’