CROOK IN CHIEF: COHEN He’s set to tell Congress of Don’s crimes, lies, racism, cheating
Michael Cohen, the prisonbound ex-lawyer and personal fixer to President Trump, will provide lawmakers with evidence on Wednesday of crimes that his old boss has allegedly committed while in office and expose his hidden record of “lies, racism and cheating,” according to a person familiar with the matter.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Cohen’s long-awaited public testimony before the House Oversight Committee will in part focus on financial statements that allegedly show Trump has for years devalued his properties to reduce his tax rate — which is illegal.
The ex-Trump fixer is expected to turn over those records to lawmakers, according to the source.
To verify Cohen’s claims of devaluation, lawmakers would need to see Trump’s tax returns, which he has refused to release, making him the first President to do so in modern memory. Cohen’s allegations may set up a congressional clash with Trump over the long-sought returns.
Cohen, who worked as Trump’s personal lawyer and all-around cleanup man for about a decade, will also delve into the illegal hush payment he issued on the President’s behalf to porn star Stormy Daniels, who says she had sex with him in 2006, the source said.
Cohen, who is expected to start serving a three-year prison sentence on May 6, pleaded guilty to campaign finance crimes stemming from the pre-2016 election payoff. In his plea, Cohen directly implicated Trump in the wrongdoing, noting the President directed the payment and reimbursed him for it in 2017.
The source hinted Cohen will provide lawmakers with documentation relating to the Daniels payment as well, although the person did not specify the nature of the records.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders questioned why anyone would believe Cohen, considering he’s going behind bars for lying to Congress, among other crimes.
“Disgraced felon Michael Cohen is going to prison for lying to Congress and making other false statements. Sadly, he will go before Congress this week and we can expect more of the same,” Sanders said in a statement. “It’s laughable that
anyone would take a convicted liar like Cohen at his word, and pathetic to see him given yet another opportunity to spread his lies.”
In his Wednesday testimony, Cohen will also recount the President’s usage of racist language and proclivity for lying, according to the source.
“I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump’s illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience,” Cohen will say, Politico reported, citing prepared testimony it had obtained. “I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is.” Cohen adds: “He is a racist. He is a con man. He is a cheat.”
The allegations of racism will not include instances of Trump using the N-word, the source added.
Cohen has previously accused Trump of making racist remarks, including telling Vanity Fair in November that the President said African-Americans were “too stupid” to vote for him ahead of the 2016 election.
Moreover, Cohen will testify about what drove him to lie about a scuttled Trump Tower development in Moscow during the 2016 campaign, the source said.
Lanny Davis, Cohen’s lawyer, declined to comment.
Cohen, 52, arrived on Capitol Hill Tuesday morning to testify behind closed-doors before the Senate Intelligence Committee. He’s also set to testify confidentially before the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday.
The high-stakes oversight panel testimony on Wednesday will be the only grilling open to the public.
Cohen continues to cooperate with Robert Mueller, and his attorneys have previously said he won’t publicly divulge details pertaining to the special counsel inquiry, which is looking into possible collusion between Russians and Trump associates ahead of the 2016 election.
Trump, who arrived in Hanoi on Tuesday morning for his summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, had not publicly reacted to the news of Cohen’s planned testimony as of late Tuesday.