Michael Cohen pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump Tower project in Moscow
- 5 years ago
President Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a Trump Tower project in Moscow.
He appeared before a federal judge in New York on Thursday, saying he was acting out of loyalty to Trump.
Last year, Cohen told lawmakers that the Moscow project had ended in January 2016 - just before the Iowa caucuses.
But he admitted that negotiations went on until June of that year - after Trump had clinched the Republican presidential nomination.
Cohen said he also lied about his contacts with Russian officials.
The real estate project ultimately fell through, but Thursday's revelations put new pressure on President Trump as they suggest he was engaged in business dealings with Russia in the midst of his campaign.
Trump lashed out at Cohen, calling him a weak person.
"………I don't know exactly but he was convicted of various things unrelated to us. He was given a fairly long jail sentence and he's a weak person and by being weak, unlike other people that you watch, he's a weak person. And what he's trying to do is get a reduced sentence. So he's lying about a project that everybody knew about. I mean we were very open with it…….."
He appeared before a federal judge in New York on Thursday, saying he was acting out of loyalty to Trump.
Last year, Cohen told lawmakers that the Moscow project had ended in January 2016 - just before the Iowa caucuses.
But he admitted that negotiations went on until June of that year - after Trump had clinched the Republican presidential nomination.
Cohen said he also lied about his contacts with Russian officials.
The real estate project ultimately fell through, but Thursday's revelations put new pressure on President Trump as they suggest he was engaged in business dealings with Russia in the midst of his campaign.
Trump lashed out at Cohen, calling him a weak person.
"………I don't know exactly but he was convicted of various things unrelated to us. He was given a fairly long jail sentence and he's a weak person and by being weak, unlike other people that you watch, he's a weak person. And what he's trying to do is get a reduced sentence. So he's lying about a project that everybody knew about. I mean we were very open with it…….."