If the Russia investigation went quiet in the run up to the midterm elections, it’s not quiet now. On Thursday morning, the focus turned back to former Trump attorney Michael Cohen. ABC News is reporting that Cohen is making a surprise appearance in federal court, where he will plead guilty to lying to Congress. Cohen had a previous plea deal with federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York which apparently complicated efforts to make a broader agreement with the special counsel’s office. However, after more than 70 hours of testimony before prosecutors and Mueller’s team, it appears that Cohen has reached an arrangement that satisfies both sides.
His previous agreement with federal prosecutor included testimony related to payments made to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, payments that appear to be felony violations of federal campaign law. Questioning by Mueller has focused directly on Trump’s ties to Russia, including attempts by Trump to reach business agreements in Moscow. Cohen will testify that Trump continued efforts to reach business agreements in Russia well after he had begun his presidential campaign, and even past the point where he was the Republican nominee. Previously, Cohen had testified to Congress that efforts by Trump to reach a real estate deal in Moscow ended by January of 2016.
It’s also expected that Cohen’s testimony will relate to obstruction of justice by Trump, which is expected to be connected to the Trump Tower meeting between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives.
Last week, Donald Trump finally submitted long-delayed written responses to questions sent his way by special counsel Robert Mueller. Sources have indicated that Trump once again insisted in those responses that he did not know of the meeting until it appeared in the news. Following those submissions, Mueller’s team was back in court to accuse Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort of continuing to lie to investigators, putting him in breach of a plea deal.
And now Cohen is in court to make a plea that appears to be related to these same questions. Manafort gives his testimony. Trump submits his answers. Cohen reaches a plea deal. How it all fits together isn’t yet clear … but it all fits together in some way, and we’re going to find out.
Thursday, Nov 29, 2018 · 2:42:28 PM +00:00
·
Mark Sumner
Much of Cohen’s testimony appears to be related to a deal under negotiation with Trump’s Russian partners, Emin and Aras Agalarov. It’s worth noting that the same people were behind two other major items on the Trump-Russia agenda:
- Emin Agalarov also arranged the Trump Tower meeting.
- The Agalarovs arranged Trump’s itinerary during the infamous Moscow visit that appears in the Steele Dossier