webfact Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 Trump ex-lawyer Cohen given three years in prison, blames 'blind loyalty' By Brendan Pierson, Nathan Layne and Karen Freifeld Michael Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trump's former attorney, exits the United States Court house after his sentencing, in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., December 12, 2018. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison on Wednesday for crimes including orchestrating hush payments to women in violation of campaign laws before the 2016 election and financial wrongdoing, posing potential legal and political risks to Trump. In the Manhattan courtroom, Cohen told U.S. District Judge William Pauley that "blind loyalty" led him to cover up for Trump's "dirty deeds." The sentence imposed by Pauley was a modest reduction from the four to five years recommended under federal guidelines but still highlighted the seriousness of the charges and possible implications for the president. The sentencing capped a stunning about-face by a lawyer who once said he would "take a bullet" for Trump. Cohen said in a guilty plea in August that he was directed by Trump to make hush money payments to two women - former Playboy model Karen McDougal and adult-film star Stormy Daniels - who said they had past sexual affairs with the president. Trump has denied the affairs and any involvement in the payments. In another potentially worrisome legal development for Trump, prosecutors announced that the publisher of the National Enquirer tabloid newspaper struck a deal with them to avoid charges over its role in paying hush money to McDougal, who said she had a relationship with the president in 2006 and 2007. As part of the deal, publisher American Media Inc (AMI) [AMRCM.UL] admitted that it made the $150,000 payment to McDougal "in concert" with Trump's presidential campaign and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Pauley sentenced Cohen to 36 months for the payments and to two months for Cohen's lies to Congress about a proposed Trump Tower project in Russia. The two terms will run simultaneously. The judge set March 6 for Cohen's voluntary surrender. As part of the sentence, the judge ordered Cohen to forfeit $500,000 and pay restitution of nearly $1.4 million. Pauley referred to Cohen's behaviour as a "smorgasbord of fraudulent conduct" marked by deception and "motivated by personal greed and ambition." Cohen, 52, walked into court with his wife, son and daughter amid a crowd of photographers and reporters. His 23-year-old daughter, Samantha, and 19-year-old son, Jake, both wept silently in the courtroom, the son wiping his eyes with his jacket sleeve. After being sentenced, Cohen walked over to his daughter and kissed her head. Cohen's father, Maurice Cohen, who showed little emotion during the hearing, later told reporters: "My heart is ripped." Cohen pleaded guilty in August to charges including tax evasion, bank fraud and campaign finance violations in a case brought by federal prosecutors in New York. Cohen was sentenced on a separate charge of lying to Congress brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russia's role in the 2016 election and possible coordination between Trump's campaign and Moscow. Cohen pleaded guilty to that charge last month. Prosecutors have said Cohen, just before the November 2016 election, paid Daniels $130,000 and helped arrange the $150,000 payment to McDougal so the women would keep quiet. Federal law requires that the contribution of "anything of value" to a campaign must be disclosed, and an individual donation cannot exceed $2,700. "It was my own weakness and a blind loyalty to this man that led me to choose a path of darkness over light," Cohen told the judge during the sentencing hearing, referring to Trump. "I felt it was my duty to cover up his own dirty deeds," Cohen added. The Mueller investigation represents a threat to Trump's presidency. Mueller, who also is examining whether the president has unlawfully sought to obstruct the probe, has secured guilty pleas from several former Trump aides including his former campaign chairman and national security adviser, and has brought charges against some Russian nationals and entities. 'MOST POWERFUL PERSON' "He came forward to offer evidence against the most powerful person in the country," one of Cohen's lawyers, Guy Petrillo, told the court on Wednesday, arguing for leniency. The judge, in remarks before handing down Cohen's sentence, said the lawyer committed two campaign finance crimes "on the eve" of the 2016 election with the "intent to influence the outcome of that election." "While Mr. Cohen pledges to help in further investigations that is not something the court can consider now," the judge added. Lawyer Lanny Davis, who has advised Cohen, praised Cohen for cooperating and said he would continue to do so. "At the appropriate time, after Mr. Mueller completes his investigation and issues his final report, I look forward to assisting Michael to state publicly all he knows about Mr. Trump - and that includes any appropriate congressional committee interested in the search for truth and the difference between facts and lies," Davis said in a statement. "Mr. Trump's repeated lies cannot contradict stubborn facts." Cohen is a former member of Trump's inner circle who in the past called himself the president's "fixer." After Cohen pleaded guilty to the Mueller charges on Nov. 29, Trump called his former lawyer a liar, "a weak person and not a very smart person." Michael Avenatti, Daniels' lawyer, attended the sentencing and told reporters outside the courthouse, "Michael Cohen is neither a hero nor a patriot. He lied for months about his conduct. ... Michael Cohen was sentenced today, President Trump is next." In an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, Trump denied the payments to the women were campaign contributions. "If it were, it's only civil, and even if it's only civil, there was no violation based on what we did," Trump said. Trump has denied any collusion with Russia and has accused Mueller's team of pressuring his former aides to lie about him, his campaign and his business dealings. Russia has denied U.S. allegations of interfering in the election to help Trump. In his guilty plea to Mueller's charge, Cohen admitted he lied to Congress about the timeline for discussions about plans for real estate businessman Trump's proposed skyscraper in Moscow. The project never went ahead. Cohen said in written testimony to two congressional committees that the talks ended in January 2016, before the first electoral contests to select the Republican presidential nominee, when they actually continued until June 2016 after Trump clinched the Republican nomination. (Reporting By Brendan Pierson and Nathan Layne in New York; Writing by Grant McCool; Editing by Will Dunham) -- © Copyright Reuters 2018-12-13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezzra Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 You lay with dogs don't be surprise if you wake up with flees, one day you're a high flying lawyer, the next a convicted crook.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quandow Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 I SERIOUSLY hope and pray all Trump supporters who have that same affliction ("blind loyalty") wake up before it's too late. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lungstib Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 Considering what is obvious about the US political system with regard to lobbying, political campaign donations, gerrymandering and denial of voting rights, this all seems par for the course and not particularly serious. And I say that as a man who seriously dislikes Trump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lannarebirth Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 1 minute ago, Lungstib said: Considering what is obvious about the US political system with regard to lobbying, political campaign donations, gerrymandering and denial of voting rights, this all seems par for the course and not particularly serious. And I say that as a man who seriously dislikes Trump. They have an office and budget in Congress charged with making these kinds of settlements and payouts. And that's for NON consensual sexual behaviour. And apparently it's all legal. Anyhow, I assume there's a lot more stuff coming because these kinds of ticcy tac charges are going to create more problems than they solve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neeray Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 "Queen - Another One Bites the Dust" The toxic atmosphere of associating with, or supporting, Trump will see many more "bite the dust" in months and years to come. I am always amazed at the poor judgement of the hard core Trump supporters. ("take a bullet", go to jail) Time to wake up and smell the roses (and repent). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keemapoot Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 20 minutes ago, lannarebirth said: They have an office and budget in Congress charged with making these kinds of settlements and payouts. And that's for NON consensual sexual behaviour. And apparently it's all legal. Anyhow, I assume there's a lot more stuff coming because these kinds of ticcy tac charges are going to create more problems than they solve. Yup, and reportedly much of the more stuff to come will come from Cohen himself. There might be some kickers for sentence reduction if he continues to cooperate: Quote Trump has repeatedly belittled Cohen, his onetime protector, but Cohen may have the last word, as he told the judge: "I will continue to cooperate with the government." https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/12/politics/trump-cohen-liar/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtls2005 Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thakkar Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 1 hour ago, webfact said: Trump denied the payments to the women were campaign contributions. "If it were, it's only civil, and even if it's only civil, there was no violation based on what we did," Trump’s gone from it didn’t happen to - I knew nothing about it if it did happen- to ask my top lawyer - to he’s horrible lying lawyer to “it’s only civil” and isn’t illegal, a private transaction. If so, why lie about it to begin with? Meanwhle Hillary is the real criminal and must be locked up, even after years of seperate investigations and hundreds (thousands?) of hours of congressional testimonies found nothing of consequence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riclag Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Talking with one of the hosts of “Fox & Friends,” a morning show that Trump frequently praises on his Twitter account, insisted that the hush money came from him personally, not from the campaign. “They came from me,” he said. “And I tweeted about it. But they did not come out of the campaign.” https://www.courthousenews.com/immunity-for-national-enquirer-publishing-exec-in-trump-probe/ No evidence of Russian interference ,no evidence that he violated campaign violations, the crock of spin the TDS'ers are cooking doesn't past the smell test Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtls2005 Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 In other news, trump shoots self in foot with a "smocking gun"...Does the Second Amendment protect the right to bear smocking guns? He's said to be in a bad mood given his "performance" on the Chuck & Nancy Show, the lack of a CoS, the Cohen sentence and the looming indictments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
attrayant Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 13 minutes ago, riclag said: Talking with one of the hosts of “Fox & Friends,” a morning show that Trump frequently praises on his Twitter account, insisted that the hush money came from him personally, not from the campaign. Therein lies the president. Which Trump should we believe? The one who says he didn't know anything about it, or the one who says he knew all about it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamypoko Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Mike, I'm really glad you did the right thing. A word of advice. You better check that tough guy tone outside the prison unless you can back it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riclag Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 1 minute ago, attrayant said: Therein lies the president. Which Trump should we believe? The one who says he didn't know anything about it, or the one who says he knew all about it? I gotta support the President of my country ,I have a loyalty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
attrayant Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Just now, riclag said: I gotta support the President of my country Why do you "gotta"? Don't support somebody based only on their title. Support them based on their honesty and integrity. And Trump has none. You sound just like the proverbial mother who covers for her ax-murdering son, no matter what. He's really a good boy, isn't he? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langsuan Man Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 1 hour ago, Boon Mee said: Yes, it appears that the Witch Hunt continues. You mean the hunt for indictments continues, the list so far: George Papadopoulos Paul Manafort Rick Gates Michael Flynn 13 Russian nationals and three Russian companies Richard Pinedo Alex van der Zwaan Konstantin Kilimnik 12 Russian GRU officers Michael Cohen Sam Patten source: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/20/17031772/mueller-indictments-grand-jury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keemapoot Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Just now, mamypoko said: Mike, I'm really glad you did the right thing. A word of advice. You better check that tough guy tone outside the prison unless you can back it up. he can keep the tough guy tone if he likes because he won't be socializing in the prison yard anyway. I highly doubt Cohen will be placed in Gen Pop, I suspect his lawyers will argue for protective custody due to the high probability that someone would try to take him out due to what he still knows. I imagine there are plenty of nefarious Trump supporters with the cash and intention to get that done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtls2005 Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 8 minutes ago, riclag said: I have a loyalty Just one? Why? You realize he's not a King, right (even though he claims he looked like one when he was younger)? I guess I'd prefer someone who is "loyal" to the oath they took to "...preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." That said, you're still in the minority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtls2005 Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Which witch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riclag Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 7 minutes ago, Langsuan Man said: You mean the hunt for indictments continues, the list so far: George Papadopoulos Paul Manafort Rick Gates Michael Flynn 13 Russian nationals and three Russian companies Richard Pinedo Alex van der Zwaan Konstantin Kilimnik 12 Russian GRU officers Michael Cohen Sam Patten source: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/20/17031772/mueller-indictments-grand-jury No evidence that suggests that the President is tied to interference or campaign violations! Witch Hunt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
attrayant Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 11 minutes ago, riclag said: I have a loyalty I find this particularly rich, coming just on the heels of Cohen's statement that it was blind loyalty that lead him to do stupid & illegal things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riclag Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 8 minutes ago, attrayant said: Why do you "gotta"? Don't support somebody based only on their title. Support them based on their honesty and integrity. And Trump has none. You sound just like the proverbial mother who covers for her ax-murdering son, no matter what. He's really a good boy, isn't he? I voted for the billionaire provocateur not a politician! Loyal to 2024 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtls2005 Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 4 minutes ago, riclag said: No evidence that suggests that the President is tied to interference or campaign violations! He's been named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the latter, already. You're like Curly in the boat, stop drilling already... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Troll posts and replies removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
attrayant Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 15 minutes ago, riclag said: I voted for the billionaire provocateur not a politician! Then you're getting exactly what you voted for: ineffective government, people thrown in jail and scandal after scandal. The office of the president needs a skilled, experienced politician - it's the reason we have politicians. Saying that politicians shouldn't be in government is like saying doctors shouldn't be in hospitals. Imagine having a burst appendix and being about to die, but when you get to the hospital you scream "I want a billionaire provocateur, not a skilled surgeon!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quandow Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 50 minutes ago, riclag said: No evidence of Russian interference, no evidence that he violated campaign violations That's humor, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quandow Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 27 minutes ago, riclag said: No evidence that suggests that the President is tied to interference or campaign violations! Witch Hunt! Again, you're kidding, right? Or are you just ignoring EVERY news outlet other than Faux Noise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
attrayant Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 That's right. Cohen was just sentenced to three years because there was no evidence he violated campaign finance law, apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Credo Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 52 minutes ago, riclag said: Talking with one of the hosts of “Fox & Friends,” a morning show that Trump frequently praises on his Twitter account, insisted that the hush money came from him personally, not from the campaign. “They came from me,” he said. “And I tweeted about it. But they did not come out of the campaign.” https://www.courthousenews.com/immunity-for-national-enquirer-publishing-exec-in-trump-probe/ No evidence of Russian interference ,no evidence that he violated campaign violations, the crock of spin the TDS'ers are cooking doesn't past the smell test Well, it appears that there is campaign funding violations for sure. Cohen has said the hush money was to meant to sway the election and his story is being backed up by the National Enquirer's, Pecker. Pecker has flipped on the issue of why money was paid and this directly implicates Trump because he directly instructed the payments be made. Here's some info from a source you might like: Fox News’ Judge Napolitano: We Now Know Trump ‘Committed a Felony’ https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/fox-news-judge-napolitano-we-now-know-trump-committed-a-felony/ar-BBQS7sv?ocid=ob-fb-enus-280&fbclid=IwAR3ZX-YAeZX548zBc30LThsSNqWq_uSdQJTuMKB_7piRciRgIh1nRpeeSvs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worgeordie Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 3 hours ago, webfact said: The judge set March 6 for Cohen's voluntary surrender. March 6th !,sure he will have forgotten about it,after that time, can we expect him in Thailand before long. regards Worgeordie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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