Giuliani: Witnesses contradict Cohen on Russia meeting

Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani said the president did not know beforehand about a 2016 meeting between his campaign and Russians, as the president’s former attorney is reportedly ready to tell prosecutors.

Giuliani said those who were allegedly present when Trump learned about the meeting also deny he knew about it. The meeting has become a central focus of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether anyone within Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia’s inter to interfere in meddling in the last U.S. presidential election.

“It’s just flat-out untrue,” Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, said on “Fox News Sunday.”

CNN reported on July 26 that Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, is prepared to tell federal investigators that then-candidate Trump knew and approved of the Trump Tower meeting where a Russian lawyer with links to the Kremlin was expected to deliver damaging information about Democrat Hillary Clinton.

The meeting was attended by the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., as well as Paul Manafort, the former chairman of Trump’s presidential campaign, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Giuliani said Cohen has claimed those present when Trump was informed about the meeting included Trump Jr., Kushner and others.

In a separate interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Giuliani said he’s aware of “something like 183 unique conversations on tape” from Cohen. Trump is on one tape discussing a possible payment to Karen McDougal, who said she had an affair with Trump, and there are another “11 or 12 others” in which Trump is discussed, Giuliani said.