Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, has pleaded guilty to eight felony charges including tax evasion and campaign finance violations stemming from payments during the 2016 presidential campaign to women who claim they had an extramarital affair with the president.
During a court appearance in Manhattan on Tuesday, Mr Cohen told the judge that he was aware of what he was doing before pleading guilty to the charges, shocking those in attendance by admitting that he worked "at the direction of candidate" Trump to attempt to silence Karen McDougal — a former Playboy playmate who has claimed she had an affair with Mr Trump — in 2016, and worked "with and at the direction of the same candidate" to deliver a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to silence her own claims of an affair.
Mr Cohen did not specifically use his former boss' name while pleading guilty, but he was employed by Mr Trump — then a presidential candidate — at the time of the payments.
Mr Cohen is known for his previously close relationship with Mr Trump, and has repeatedly been described as his "fixer" for difficult matters. That proximity means Mr Cohen could potentially create substantial legal headaches for Mr Trump, whose 2016 presidential campaign is being investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller for any potential cooperation with Russian election meddling.
The guilty pleas came just minutes apart from the first jury convictions of Mr Mueller's investigation, when former campaign chairman Paul Manafort was convicted on eight charges of bank or tax fraud at a federal courthouse in Virginia. Those chargers were not directly related to the president.
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Michael Cohen has allegedly reached a plea deal in his financial fraud investigation, the Associated Press reported. Donald Trump's former personal lawyer is reportedly expected to plead guilty to campaign finance fraud charges related to paying multiple women throughout the 2016 election, along with bank fraud and tax evasion charges.
It remains unclear whether or not Mr Cohen has agreed to cooperate with investigators in addition to pleading guilty.
As news reports indicate Michael Cohen has allegedly surrendered to the FBI ahead of an expected Tuesday afternoon court appearance, the president’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, is facing a potential verdict in his own fraud case. The jury is currently in its fourth day of deliberations, and has been sending notes to the judge with specific questions, including one which read, “Your Honor, if we could not come to a consensus on a single count, how should we fill in the jury verdict form for that count?”
Catch up with The Independent’s coverage of the Manafort trial here.
Reports are swirling ahead of Michael Cohen’s expected 4:00 p.m. court appearance in New York about the details surrounding a plea deal the president’s former personal lawyer has allegedly reached with prosecutors.
The Wall Street Journal has reported the alleged agreement does not include wording requiring Mr Cohen to cooperate with ongoing investigations, though he still may choose to do so.
Michael Cohen has arrived at New York’s Southern District court to allegedly plead guilty to charges related to campaign finance violations, tax fraud and bank fraud.
At the heart of Mr Cohen’s fraud investigation were payments he made to multiple women during the 2016 presidential campaign trail who claimed to have affairs with Donald Trump, as well as more than $20m in loans taken out for the lawyer and his family, the New York Times reported Sunday night.
Reporters at the courthouse have said Michael Cohen arrived through a side entrance typically used by people in custody, though he is not currently detained. Mr Cohen was reportedly present with his attorney, Guy Petrillo.
Michael Cohen, the president's former longtime personal lawyer and "fixer," has accepted a plea deal with federal prosecutors in New York.
Mr Cohen’s plea deal is pursuant to eight different counts, according to his attorney, Guy Petrillo. Mr Cohen reportedly told the judge that he had a glass of Gienlivet 12 on the rocks last night, though he's sober and aware of what he’s doing inside of the courtroom.
Michael Cohen has accepted a plea deal related to five counts of tax evasion between 2012 and 2016, providing a false statement to a financial institution between February 2015 and April 2016, a willful cause on an unlawful corporate contribution between June 2016 and October 2016 and another excessive campaign contribution on 27 October 2016.
In total, the president’s former personal lawyer has accepted a plea deal to eight different counts of fraud and campaign finance violations, putting Donald Trump closer to a crime officially committed during his presidential campaign than ever before.
Michael Cohen now faces up to 65 years in jail after reaching a plea deal with federal prosecutors related to eight counts of campaign finance violations and fraud.
Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer shook his head as the judge read the penalties he faced, reporters in the courtroom on Tuesday afternoon noted.
Michael Cohen admit to working “at direction of the candidate” when he collaborated with the National Enquirer to silence Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who claimed to have an affair with Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election.
Mr Cohen also admit he worked “with and at direction of the same candidate” in providing a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels during the campaign.
Mr Trump has previously claimed to be unaware of the payments.
Michael Cohen’s court appearance ended on Tuesday when the president’s former personal lawyer left the courtroom on $500,000 bond. His sentencing is set for 12 December, where he faces a maximum of 65 years for all eight counts of campaign finance violations, tax evasion and fraud.
Meanwhile, a jury in Alexandria, Virginia found Mr Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort guilty on eight of the 18 tax and bank fraud charges he faced. The judge declared a mistrial on the remaining counts after the jury indicated it was unable to reach a consensus.
Catch up with The Independent’s coverage of the Manafort trial here.
In an unforgettable day for Donald Trump’s presidency, Michael Cohen has reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors related to eight counts of tax evasion, campaign finance violations and fraud. The president’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, was also found guilty on eight counts of bank and tax fraud, within minutes of news breaking surround Mr Cohen.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump was departing the White House for a rally minutes after both announcements were made. He ignored shouted questions from reporters and boarded Air Force One shortly after.
He then said that the guilty pleas of Mr Cohen helped his client's case and that he plans on using the admission from the lawyer to push forward with Daniels' case agains the president.
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