Trump lawyer: Family first
‘I am not a villain,’ he says, nor a ‘punching bag’
Michael Cohen, former lawyer and fixer for President Donald Trump, said he does not share Trump’s animosity toward special counsel Robert Mueller and does not dismiss the possibility of cooperating with the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Cohen tweeted a photo of himself with ABC News correspondent George Stephanopoulos on Sunday night, saying he had been interviewed offcamera.
“My silence is broken!” Cohen said in the tweet.
Stephanopoulos, who posted a story summarizing the conversation, said Cohen indicated a willingness to cooperate with Mueller, as well as with federal prosecutors in New York investigating Cohen for possible election law and financial crimes.
Cohen said his lawyer, Guy Petrillo, would provide guidance on those decisions.
“My wife, my daughter and my son have my first loyalty and always will,” Cohen said. “I put family and country first.”
In April, Trump tweeted that Michael was a businessman “who I have always liked & respected. Most people will flip if the government lets them out of trouble, even if it means lying or making up stories. Sorry, I don’t see Michael doing that despite the horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media!”
Stephanopoulos said he asked Cohen how he might respond if the president or his legal team tried to discredit him.
“I will not be a punching bag as part of anyone’s defense strategy,” Cohen said. “I am not a villain of this story, and I will not allow others to try to depict me that way.”
Mueller’s investigation into whether Russia had ties to the 2016 Trump campaign has resulted in charges against former national security adviser Michael Flynn and ex-campaign officials Paul Manafort and George Papadopoulos.
Federal investigators have been looking into Cohen’s business dealings, including payments to adult-film star Stormy Daniels and other women who claimed they had affairs with Trump.
In April, investigators raided Cohen’s home and office.
Since then, Trump’s personal lawyers, Cohen’s attorneys and federal officials have conducted a legal battle over access to millions of documents.
“I respect the prosecutors. I respect the process,” Cohen told Stephanopoulos. “I would not do or say anything that might be perceived as interfering with their professional review of the evidence and the facts.”