Report: Trump Lawyer Handled A Situation For Jerry Falwell Jr Before 'Game-Changing' Endorsement

Jerry Falwell Jr. (image via Twitter)

Reuters reports that Donald Trump's 'fixer,' Michael Cohen, says he helped evangelist Jerry Falwell Jr. with a “situation” regarding some racy photos.

And shortly thereafter, Falwell surprised the world by endorsing Cohen’s boss for president.

Months before evangelical leader Jerry Falwell Jr.’s game-changing presidential endorsement of Donald Trump in 2016, Falwell asked Trump fixer Michael Cohen for a personal favor, Cohen said in a recorded conversation reviewed by Reuters.

Falwell, president of Liberty University, one of the world’s largest Christian universities, said someone had come into possession of what Cohen described as racy “personal” photographs ― the sort that would typically be kept “between husband and wife,” Cohen said in the taped conversation.

According to a source familiar with Cohen’s thinking, the person who possessed the photos destroyed them after Cohen intervened on the Falwells’ behalf.

Now you know why Falwell directed his evangelical flock to support the man who cheated on his wives, cheated the vendors who worked for him, and bragged that he liked to "grab 'em by the p*ssy."

It will come as no surprise that the Falwells declined to comment for the article.

Michael Cohen Sues Trump For $1.9 Million In Unpaid Legal Bills

Michael Cohen

Michael Cohen, former attorney and 'fixer' for Donald Trump, has a filed a lawsuit against his former boss asking for nearly $1.9 million in unpaid legal fees.

Cohen says his contract with the Trump Organization obligated the company to cover his legal expenses.

According to reports, the Trump Organization stopped paying Cohen's legal bills in June 2018 after he began to cooperate with the Mueller investigation.

Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former lawyer and self-described fixer, sued the Trump Organization on Thursday, saying the company stopped paying his legal fees in June 2018 and breached a contract to repay him for litigation expenses. https://t.co/BAdxCqQ9Kt via @bpolitics

— Tim O'Brien (@TimOBrien) March 7, 2019

Cohen has pleaded guilty to nine felonies stemming from a federal probe into campaign violations and other crimes. He has been sentenced to three years in prison.

He's scheduled to report for incarceration on May 6.

Video: Trump 'Fixer' Michael Cohen Testifies Before Congress

Donald Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, testifies in front of the House Oversight committee today.

HuffPost reports that Trump "scheduled a dinner for Wednesday with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un at their summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, but only after House Democrats announced that his former lawyer and 'fixer' would publicly testify on Capitol Hill at about the same time." This is apparently to try and pull attention from Cohen's testimony.

His prepared statement to the committee was released to the press, and it's really something.

Watch the testimony below.

Here's the full text of Cohen's prepared statement.

Chairman Cummings, Ranking Member Jordan, and Members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me here today.

I have asked this Committee to ensure that my family be protected from Presidential threats, and that the Committee be sensitive to the questions pertaining to ongoing investigations. Thank you for your help and for your understanding.

I am here under oath to correct the record, to answer the Committee’s questions truthfully, and to offer the American people what I know about President Trump.

I recognize that some of you may doubt and attack me on my credibility. It is for this reason that I have incorporated into this opening statement documents that are irrefutable, and demonstrate that the information you will hear is accurate and truthful.

Never in a million years did I imagine, when I accepted a job in 2007 to work for Donald Trump, that he would one day run for President, launch a campaign on a platform of hate and intolerance, and actually win. I regret the day I said “yes” to Mr. Trump. I regret all the help and support I gave him along the way.

I am ashamed of my own failings, and I publicly accepted responsibility for them by pleading guilty in the Southern District of New York.

I am ashamed of my weakness and misplaced loyalty – of the things I did for Mr. Trump in an effort to protect and promote him.

I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump’s illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience.

I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat.

He was a presidential candidate who knew that Roger Stone was talking with Julian Assange about a WikiLeaks drop of Democratic National Committee emails.

I will explain each in a few moments.

I am providing the Committee today with several documents. These include:

A copy of a check Mr. Trump wrote from his personal bank account – after he became president – to reimburse me for the hush money payments I made to cover up his affair with an adult film star and prevent damage to his campaign; Copies of financial statements for 2011 – 2013 that he gave to such institutions as Deutsche Bank; A copy of an article with Mr. Trump’s handwriting on it that reported on the auction of a portrait of himself – he arranged for the bidder ahead of time and then reimbursed the bidder from the account of his non-profit charitable foundation, with the picture now hanging in one of his country clubs; and Copies of letters I wrote at Mr. Trump’s direction that threatened his high school, colleges, and the College Board not to release his grades or SAT scores.

I hope my appearance here today, my guilty plea, and my work with law enforcement agencies are steps along a path of redemption that will restore faith in me and help this country understand our president better.

Before going further, I want to apologize to each of you and to Congress as a whole.

The last time I appeared before Congress, I came to protect Mr. Trump. Today, I’m here to tell the truth about Mr. Trump.

I lied to Congress about when Mr. Trump stopped negotiating the Moscow Tower project in Russia. I stated that we stopped negotiating in January 2016. That was false – our negotiations continued for months later during the campaign.

Mr. Trump did not directly tell me to lie to Congress. That’s not how he operates.

In conversations we had during the campaign, at the same time I was actively negotiating in Russia for him, he would look me in the eye and tell me there’s no business in Russia and then go out and lie to the American people by saying the same thing. In his way, he was telling me to lie.

There were at least a half-dozen times between the Iowa Caucus in January 2016 and the end of June when he would ask me “How’s it going in Russia?” – referring to the Moscow Tower project.

You need to know that Mr. Trump’s personal lawyers reviewed and edited my statement to Congress about the timing of the Moscow Tower negotiations before I gave it.

To be clear: Mr. Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it. He lied about it because he never expected to win the election. He also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions of dollars on the Moscow real estate project.

And so I lied about it, too – because Mr. Trump had made clear to me, through his personal statements to me that we both knew were false and through his lies to the country, that he wanted me to lie. And he made it clear to me because his personal attorneys reviewed my statement before I gave it to Congress.

Over the past two years, I have been smeared as “a rat” by the President of the United States. The truth is much different, and let me take a brief moment to introduce myself.

My name is Michael Dean Cohen.

I am a blessed husband of 24 years and a father to an incredible daughter and son. When I married my wife, I promised her that I would love her, cherish her, and protect her. As my father said countless times throughout my childhood, “you my wife, and you my children, are the air that I breathe.” To my Laura, my Sami, and my Jake, there is nothing I wouldn’t do to protect you.

I have always tried to live a life of loyalty, friendship, generosity, and compassion – qualities my parents ingrained in my siblings and me since childhood. My father survived the Holocaust thanks to the compassion and selfless acts of others. He was helped by many who put themselves in harm’s way to do what they knew was right.

That is why my first instinct has always been to help those in need. Mom and Dad…I am sorry that I let you down.

As many people that know me best would say, I am the person they would call at 3AM if they needed help. I proudly remember being the emergency contact for many of my children’s friends when they were growing up because their parents knew that I would drop everything and care for them as if they were my own.

Yet, last fall I pled guilty in federal court to felonies for the benefit of, at the direction of, and in coordination with Individual #1.

For the record: Individual #1 is President Donald J. Trump.

It is painful to admit that I was motivated by ambition at times. It is even more painful to admit that many times I ignored my conscience and acted loyal to a man when I should not have. Sitting here today, it seems unbelievable that I was so mesmerized by Donald Trump that I was willing to do things for him that I knew were absolutely wrong.

For that reason, I have come here to apologize to my family, to the government, and to the American people.

Accordingly, let me now tell you about Mr. Trump.

I got to know him very well, working very closely with him for more than 10 years, as his Executive Vice President and Special Counsel and then personal attorney when he became President. When I first met Mr. Trump, he was a successful entrepreneur, a real estate giant, and an icon. Being around Mr. Trump was intoxicating. When you were in his presence, you felt like you were involved in something greater than yourself — that you were somehow changing the world.

I wound up touting the Trump narrative for over a decade. That was my job. Always stay on message. Always defend. It monopolized my life. At first, I worked mostly on real estate developments and other business transactions. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Trump brought me into his personal life and private dealings. Over time, I saw his true character revealed.

Mr. Trump is an enigma. He is complicated, as am I. He has both good and bad, as do we all. But the bad far outweighs the good, and since taking office, he has become the worst version of himself. He is capable of behaving kindly, but he is not kind. He is capable of committing acts of generosity, but he is not generous. He is capable of being loyal, but he is fundamentally disloyal.

Donald Trump is a man who ran for office to make his brand great, not to make our country great. He had no desire or intention to lead this nation – only to market himself and to build his wealth and power. Mr. Trump would often say, this campaign was going to be the “greatest infomercial in political history.”

He never expected to win the primary. He never expected to win the general election. The campaign – for him – was always a marketing opportunity.

I knew early on in my work for Mr. Trump that he would direct me to lie to further his business interests. I am ashamed to say, that when it was for a real estate mogul in the private sector, I considered it trivial. As the President, I consider it significant and dangerous.

But in the mix, lying for Mr. Trump was normalized, and no one around him questioned it. In fairness, no one around him today questions it, either.

A lot of people have asked me about whether Mr. Trump knew about the release of the hacked Democratic National Committee emails ahead of time. The answer is yes.

As I earlier stated, Mr. Trump knew from Roger Stone in advance about the WikiLeaks drop of emails.

In July 2016, days before the Democratic convention, I was in Mr. Trump’s office when his secretary announced that Roger Stone was on the phone. Mr. Trump put Mr. Stone on the speakerphone. Mr. Stone told Mr. Trump that he had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange and that Mr. Assange told Mr. Stone that, within a couple of days, there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

Mr. Trump responded by stating to the effect of “wouldn’t that be great.”

Mr. Trump is a racist. The country has seen Mr. Trump court white supremacists and bigots. You have heard him call poorer countries “shitholes.”

In private, he is even worse.

He once asked me if I could name a country run by a black person that wasn’t a “shithole.” This was when Barack Obama was President of the United States.

While we were once driving through a struggling neighborhood in Chicago, he commented that only black people could live that way.

And, he told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid.

And yet I continued to work for him.

Mr. Trump is a cheat.

As previously stated, I’m giving the Committee today three years of President Trump’s financial statements, from 2011-2013, which he gave to Deutsche Bank to inquire about a loan to buy the Buffalo Bills and to Forbes. These are Exhibits 1a, 1b, and 1c to my testimony.

It was my experience that Mr. Trump inflated his total assets when it served his purposes, such as trying to be listed among the wealthiest people in Forbes, and deflated his assets to reduce his real estate taxes.

I am sharing with you two newspaper articles, side by side, that are examples of Mr. Trump inflating and deflating his assets, as I said, to suit his financial interests. These are Exhibit 2 to my testimony.

As I noted, I’m giving the Committee today an article he wrote on, and sent me, that reported on an auction of a portrait of Mr. Trump. This is Exhibit 3A to my testimony.

Mr. Trump directed me to find a straw bidder to purchase a portrait of him that was being auctioned at an Art Hamptons Event. The objective was to ensure that his portrait, which was going to be auctioned last, would go for the highest price of any portrait that afternoon. The portrait was purchased by the fake bidder for $60,000. Mr. Trump directed the Trump Foundation, which is supposed to be a charitable organization, to repay the fake bidder, despite keeping the art for himself. Please see Exhibit 3B to my testimony.

And it should come as no surprise that one of my more common responsibilities was that Mr. Trump directed me to call business owners, many of whom were small businesses, that were owed money for their services and told them no payment or a reduced payment would be coming. When I advised Mr. Trump of my success, he actually reveled in it.

And yet, I continued to work for him.

Mr. Trump is a conman.

He asked me to pay off an adult film star with whom he had an affair, and to lie to his wife about it, which I did. Lying to the First Lady is one of my biggest regrets. She is a kind, good person. I respect her greatly – and she did not deserve that.

I am giving the Committee today a copy of the $130,000 wire transfer from me to Ms. Clifford’s attorney during the closing days of the presidential campaign that was demanded by Ms. Clifford to maintain her silence about her affair with Mr. Trump. This is Exhibit 4 to my testimony.

Mr. Trump directed me to use my own personal funds from a Home Equity Line of Credit to avoid any money being traced back to him that could negatively impact his campaign. I did that, too – without bothering to consider whether that was improper, much less whether it was the right thing to do or how it would impact me, my family, or the public.

I am going to jail in part because of my decision to help Mr. Trump hide that payment from the American people before they voted a few days later.

As Exhibit 5 to my testimony shows, I am providing a copy of a $35,000 check that President Trump personally signed from his personal bank account on August 1, 2017 – when he was President of the United States – pursuant to the cover-up, which was the basis of my guilty plea, to reimburse me – the word used by Mr. Trump’s TV lawyer — for the illegal hush money I paid on his behalf. This $35,000 check was one of 11 check installments that was paid throughout the year – while he was President.

The President of the United States thus wrote a personal check for the payment of hush money as part of a criminal scheme to violate campaign finance laws. You can find the details of that scheme, directed by Mr. Trump, in the pleadings in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

So picture this scene – in February 2017, one month into his presidency, I’m visiting President Trump in the Oval Office for the first time. It’s truly awe-inspiring, he’s showing me around and pointing to different paintings, and he says to me something to the effect of…Don’t worry, Michael, your January and February reimbursement checks are coming. They were Fed- Exed from New York and it takes a while for that to get through the White House system. As he promised, I received the first check for the reimbursement of $70,000 not long thereafter.

When I say conman, I’m talking about a man who declares himself brilliant but directed me to threaten his high school, his colleges, and the College Board to never release his grades or SAT scores.

As I mentioned, I’m giving the Committee today copies of a letter I sent at Mr. Trump’s direction threatening these schools with civil and criminal actions if Mr. Trump’s grades or SAT scores were ever disclosed without his permission. These are Exhibit 6.

The irony wasn’t lost on me at the time that Mr. Trump in 2011 had strongly criticized President Obama for not releasing his grades. As you can see in Exhibit 7, Mr. Trump declared “Let him show his records” after calling President Obama “a terrible student.”

The sad fact is that I never heard Mr. Trump say anything in private that led me to believe he loved our nation or wanted to make it better. In fact, he did the opposite.

When telling me in 2008 that he was cutting employees’ salaries in half – including mine – he showed me what he claimed was a $10 million IRS tax refund, and he said that he could not believe how stupid the government was for giving “someone like him” that much money back.

During the campaign, Mr. Trump said he did not consider Vietnam Veteran, and Prisoner of War, Senator John McCain to be “a hero” because he likes people who weren’t captured. At the same time, Mr. Trump tasked me to handle the negative press surrounding his medical deferment from the Vietnam draft.

Mr. Trump claimed it was because of a bone spur, but when I asked for medical records, he gave me none and said there was no surgery. He told me not to answer the specific questions by reporters but rather offer simply the fact that he received a medical deferment.

He finished the conversation with the following comment. “You think I’m stupid, I wasn’t going to Vietnam.”

I find it ironic, President Trump, that you are in Vietnam right now. And yet, I continued to work for him.

Questions have been raised about whether I know of direct evidence that Mr. Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia. I do not. I want to be clear. But, I have my suspicions.

Sometime in the summer of 2017, I read all over the media that there had been a meeting in Trump Tower in June 2016 involving Don Jr. and others from the campaign with Russians, including a representative of the Russian government, and an email setting up the meeting with the subject line, “Dirt on Hillary Clinton.” Something clicked in my mind. I remember being in the room with Mr. Trump, probably in early June 2016, when something peculiar happened. Don Jr. came into the room and walked behind his father’s desk – which in itself was unusual. People didn’t just walk behind Mr. Trump’s desk to talk to him. I recalled Don Jr. leaning over to his father and speaking in a low voice, which I could clearly hear, and saying: “The meeting is all set.” I remember Mr. Trump saying, “Ok good…let me know.”

What struck me as I looked back and thought about that exchange between Don Jr. and his father was, first, that Mr. Trump had frequently told me and others that his son Don Jr. had the worst judgment of anyone in the
world. And also, that Don Jr. would never set up any meeting of any significance alone – and certainly not without checking with his father.

I also knew that nothing went on in Trump world, especially the campaign, without Mr. Trump’s knowledge and approval. So, I concluded that Don Jr. was referring to that June 2016 Trump Tower meeting about dirt on Hillary with the Russian representative when he walked behind his dad’s desk that day — and that Mr. Trump knew that was the meeting Don Jr. was talking about when he said, “That’s good…let me know.”

Over the past year or so, I have done some real soul searching. I see now that my ambition and the intoxication of Trump power had much to do with the bad decisions I made.

To you, Chairman Cummings, Ranking Member Jordan, the other members of this Committee, and the other members of the House and Senate, I am sorry for my lies and for lying to Congress.

To our nation, I am sorry for actively working to hide from you the truth about Mr. Trump when you needed it most.

For those who question my motives for being here today, I understand. I have lied, but I am not a liar. I have done bad things, but I am not a bad man. I have fixed things, but I am no longer your “fixer,” Mr. Trump.

I am going to prison and have shattered the safety and security that I tried so hard to provide for my family. My testimony certainly does not diminish the pain I caused my family and friends – nothing can do that. And I have never asked for, nor would I accept, a pardon from President Trump.

And, by coming today, I have caused my family to be the target of personal, scurrilous attacks by the President and his lawyer – trying to intimidate me from appearing before this panel. Mr. Trump called me a “rat” for choosing to tell the truth – much like a mobster would do when one of his men decides to cooperate with the government.

As Exhibit 8 shows, I have provided the Committee with copies of Tweets that Mr. Trump posted, attacking me and my family – only someone burying his head in the sand would not recognize them for what they are: encouragement to someone to do harm to me and my family.

I never imagined that he would engage in vicious, false attacks on my family – and unleash his TV-lawyer to do the same. I hope this committee and all members of Congress on both sides of the aisle will make it clear: As a nation, we should not tolerate attempts to intimidate witnesses before congress and attacks on family are out of bounds and not acceptable.

I wish to especially thank Speaker Pelosi for her statements in Exhibit 9 to protect this institution and me, and the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Adam Schiff and Chairman Cummings for likewise defending this institution and my family against the attacks by Mr. Trump, and also the many Republicans who have admonished the President as well.

I am not a perfect man. I have done things I am not proud of, and I will live with the consequences of my actions for the rest of my life.

But today, I get to decide the example I set for my children and how I attempt to change how history will remember me. I may not be able to change the past, but I can do right by the American people here today.

Thank you for your attention. I am happy to answer the Committee’s questions.

News Round-Up: January 23, 2019

(image via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• So, of course, there's an Instagram account of HotDudesWithDogs, and today they featured this cute guy. #TheDudeIsCuteToo #LoveDoxies

• Four more allegations of sexual abuse by director Bryan Singer.

• That Logan Paul YouTube guy is still talking about 'going gay' for March at the same time he claims to be a 'totally pro-gay dude.' #ShutUpAlready

• Two students from Covington Catholic High School addressed the photos circulating on social media of students from the school wearing blackface during basketball pep rallies, claiming the kids in the video “meant nothing by it” because they were “just showing school spirit.”

• An entire country just turned Grindr off.

• Worst idea ever - Arizona Republican lawmaker has proposed taxing online porn $20 to view with the proceeds going to a fund to help build Trump's beloved wall.

• Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former lawyer, indefinitely postponed his congressional testimony citing Donald Trump’s attacks on his family.

• Which leads me to my favorite photo/chyron combo of the day:

Michael Cohen with unfortunate chyron

Special Counsel's Spokesman: Buzzfeed's Description Of Cohen's Testimony 'Not Accurate'

Special Counsel Robert Mueller

A spokesman for Special Counsel Robert Mueller has made a rare statement regarding the bombshell report by Buzzfeed alleging Donald Trump instructed his lawyer, Michael Cohen, to lie to Congress.

This evening, spokesman Peter Carr issued a statement saying, "Buzzfeed's description of specific statements to the Special Counsel's office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohen's Congressional testimony are not accurate."

UPDATE: The special counsel's office has taken the rare step of issuing a statement in response to our report on Michael Cohen being directed by Trump to lie to Congress:https://t.co/WA2fZcdK9u pic.twitter.com/PY1r9LxDid

— Jason Leopold (@JasonLeopold) January 19, 2019

To be clear: Mueller is not disputing that Cohen says Trump told him to lie. He’s disputing the line about corroborating evidence taken from Trump Org emails, texts, etc. Still a huge deal. But not a total refutation. In fact, Cohen’s 11/30 memo says Trump directed him to lie.

— Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) January 19, 2019

I can’t speak to Buzzfeed’s sourcing, but, for what it’s worth, I declined to run with parts of the narrative they conveyed based on a source central to the story repeatedly disputing the idea that Trump directly issued orders of that kind.

— Ronan Farrow (@RonanFarrow) January 19, 2019

I'm totally calm about this.

The Mueller statement talks about the *characterization* being wrong, not the content. This isn't a sweeping "no."

They *declined comment* on the front end and issued a wordsmithed statement.

Breathe.

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) January 19, 2019

This is the most scrutinized political scandal in American history by a mile. If you think the reporters and editors at Buzzfeed didn’t throughly comb through every detail of this scoop numerous times, you are sorely mistaken.

Mueller’s office is nitpicking to calm down Trump.

— Charlotte Clymer🏳️‍🌈 (@cmclymer) January 19, 2019

One of the Buzzfeed reporters responded to the statement: "We are very confident in our reporting..."

“We have seen documents. We have been briefed on documents. We are very confident in our reporting," BuzzFeed News reporter Jason Leopold, who co-wrote bombshell new report, says. pic.twitter.com/5RXOx8rvo0

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 18, 2019

Buzzfeed: Trump Instructed His Lawyer To Lie To Congress

Donald Trump

Buzzfeed is reporting that Donald Trump instructed his former 'fixer,' Michael Cohen, to lie to Congress regarding plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.

The Buzzfeed article is said to be based on "interviews with multiple witnesses from the Trump Organization and internal company emails, text messages, and a cache of other documents."

President Donald Trump directed his longtime attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, according to two federal law enforcement officials involved in an investigation of the matter.

Trump also supported a plan, set up by Cohen, to visit Russia during the presidential campaign, in order to personally meet President Vladimir Putin and jump-start the tower negotiations. “Make it happen,” the sources said Trump told Cohen.

And even as Trump told the public he had no business deals with Russia, the sources said Trump and his children Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. received regular, detailed updates about the real estate development from Cohen, whom they put in charge of the project.

Cohen pleaded guilty in November to lying about the deal in testimony and in a two-page statement to the Senate and House intelligence committees. Special counsel Robert Mueller noted that Cohen’s false claim that the project ended in January 2016 was an attempt to “minimize links between the Moscow Project and Individual 1” — widely understood to be Trump — “in hopes of limiting the ongoing Russia investigations.”

Now the two sources have told BuzzFeed News that Cohen also told the special counsel that after the election, the president personally instructed him to lie — by claiming that negotiations ended months earlier than they actually did — in order to obscure Trump’s involvement.

There's much more at the link.

Trump's current lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, responded to the report saying, “If you believe Cohen I can get you a great deal on the Brooklyn Bridge.”

But as many point out, the Buzzfeed report doesn't rely on information from Cohen.

The report dropped at 10:11pm ET last night, so the Trumpster came out swinging this morning on Twitter:

Kevin Corke, @FoxNews “Don’t forget, Michael Cohen has already been convicted of perjury and fraud, and as recently as this week, the Wall Street Journal has suggested that he may have stolen tens of thousands of dollars....” Lying to reduce his jail time! Watch father-in-law!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2019

Folks are now looking back at the testimony Trump's nominee for Attorney General, William Barr, gave this week with new eyes as he was directly asked if "a president persuading a person to commit perjury would be obstruction?"

Klobuchar: A president persuading a person to commit perjury would be obstruction. Is that right?

Barr: Yes

Klobuchar: You also said that a president, or any person, convincing a witness to change testimony would be obstruction. Is that right?

Barr: Yespic.twitter.com/ShOnieTqfF

— Hardball (@hardball) January 18, 2019

The allegation that the President of the United States may have suborned perjury before our committee in an effort to curtail the investigation and cover up his business dealings with Russia is among the most serious to date. We will do what’s necessary to find out if it’s true. https://t.co/GljBAFqOjh

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 18, 2019

Those of us in law enforcement call this obstruction of justice. You go to prison if convicted. https://t.co/x6mTVL6qHR

— Andrew Janz (@JanzAndrew) January 18, 2019

Michael Cohen Admits He Paid Tech Firm To Rig Online Polls For Trump

Michael Cohen

There's a new revelation in the ever-unraveling saga of twists and turns behind the scenes of the 2016 Trump campaign today.

The Wall Street Journal (a conservative newspaper I'll point out) is reporting that the Trump campaign paid a small IT company to rig online polling on websites like Drudge and CNBC in Trump's favor.

And the company was paid by none other than Trump's former 'fixer,' Michael Cohen.

The tech guy was, apparently, John Gauger, chief information officer at Liberty University in Virginia, where Trump supporter Jerry Falwell Jr. is president.

The WSJ's story is behind a firewall, but check this from CNN:

According to the paper, Cohen paid John Gauger, the owner of RedFinch Solutions LLC, between $12,000 and $13,000 for activities related to Trump's campaign, including "trying unsuccessfully to manipulate two online polls in Mr. Trump's favor" and creating a Twitter account called "@WomenForCohen" that "praised (Cohen's) looks and character, and promoted his appearances and statements boosting" Trump's candidacy.

In making the claim, Gauger told the paper he wasn't fully paid for the work, though the Journal said Cohen was reimbursed $50,000 -- the amount the two originally agreed on for Gauger's services -- by the Trump Organization. Gauger, according to the paper, also received a boxing glove "worn by a Brazilian mixed-martial arts fighter" along with the cash payment.

The payment to Gauger was mentioned by prosecutors in Cohen's charging documents.

https://twitter.com/MichaelCohen212/status/1085900900835778560

When Michael Cohen wanted to illegally rig an online poll on Trump’s behalf with Trump’s cash, he secured the help of evangelical @LibertyU’s chief information officer. Layers of rot upon layers of rot. https://t.co/TyQ19ITdsh

— Evan McMullin (@Evan_McMullin) January 17, 2019

Trump Rants About Cohen Becoming A 'Rat,' Wonders Why Folks Didn't "Break Into The DNC?"

Donald Trump went on one of his usual Sunday morning Twitter rants raging about his former 'fixer,' Michael Cohen, becoming a "Rat" after the FBI "BROKE INTO AN ATTORNEY’S OFFICE!"

Of course, the FBI didn’t 'break' into Cohen's office. A federal judge authorized a legal search warrant after finding that there was a good reason to believe evidence of a crime would be found in his office.

p.s. They did find that evidence. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison this week.

Remember, Michael Cohen only became a “Rat” after the FBI did something which was absolutely unthinkable & unheard of until the Witch Hunt was illegally started. They BROKE INTO AN ATTORNEY’S OFFICE! Why didn’t they break into the DNC to get the Server, or Crooked’s office?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 16, 2018

The president of the United States just wondered in front of millions of Twitter users why someone didn't break into the Democratic National Committee offices.

Doesn't that sound familiar? I'm thinking circa 1972 and a certain Richard Nixon...?

History truly repeats itself.

By the way, Cohen tweeted that the FBI was "extremely professional, courteous and respectful" during the search.

'"I am unhappy to have my personal residence and office raided," Cohen told CNN in an interview. "But I will tell you that members of the FBI that conducted the search and seizure were all extremely professional, courteous and respectful. And I thanked them at the conclusion."'

— DDBrows AssistantMgr (@DDBrowsAcctMgr) December 16, 2018

Judge Ken Starr, former Solicitor Generel & Independent Counsel, just stated that, after two years, “there is no evidence or proof of collusion” & further that “there is no evidence that there was a campaign financing violation involving the President.” Thank you Judge. @FoxNews

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 16, 2018

It's worth noting that Ken Starr has absolutely NO idea what Special Counsel Robert Mueller has found during his investigation.

Also - the Ken Starr/White Water investigation went on for four years. Mueller was appointed to head up the current investigation in May 2017 meaning he's spent less than half the time Starr took to look into White Water.

Similarly, Starr expanded his investigation far afield from his original mandate. So arguments that Mueller should 'ignore' crimes not related to Russia along the way are ridiculous.

When the police investigate a robbery and trip over a dead body, they don't ignore the body.

So where are all the missing Text messages between fired FBI agents Peter S and the lovely Lisa Page, his lover. Just reported that they have been erased and wiped clean. What an outrage as the totally compromised and conflicted Witch Hunt moves ever so slowly forward. Want them!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 16, 2018

The DOJ's Inspector General found no evidence that the FBI "wiped clean" 19,000 text messages between Lisa Page and Peter Strzok

A software failure meant some text messages were not being archived

The FBI recovered the messages https://t.co/4xOrQYq1HM

— Edward Hardy (@EdwardTHardy) December 16, 2018

News Round-Up: December 13, 2018

Austin Wolf

Some news items you might have missed:

• Austin Wolf celebrates getting his Instagram account back online (above). #HappyDanceTime

• The New York City subway attacker who sucker punched a woman he believed to be lesbian has been arrested. His victim suffered a fractured spine due to his attack.

• Janet Jackson is headed to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with Stevie Nicks, The Cure, Radiohead, Def Leppard, Roxy Music, and the Zombies. Nicks becomes the first woman to be inducted twice having been honored previously as part of Fleetwood Mac.

We did it u guys 💜 Thank U for all your love and support. #RockHall2019 pic.twitter.com/1APrRJdmTv

— Janet Jackson (@JanetJackson) December 13, 2018

• Fox News host & Donald Trump superfan, Sean Hannity, was caught deleting past tweets that showed his connections to the president’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, just hours before Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday.

• CBS News reports that Donald Trump is considering his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to be his third Chief of Staff.

• Tony Award winner and current Golden Globe nominee Billy Porter dropped a few holiday tracks on Soundcloud just in time for Christmas. The collection - "A Billy Porter Christmas" - can be found here.

Check out his smooth, soulful "Christmas Time Is Here" below.

Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's 'Fixer,' Sentenced To 3 Years In Prison

Michael Cohen

Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former lawyer and so-called 'fixer,' was sentenced today to three years in prison for his role in secret hush money scandals regarding alleged affairs between Donald Trump and two women.

His crimes included campaign finance violations as well as lying to Congress.

From The New York Times:

The sentencing in federal court in Manhattan capped a startling fall for Mr. Cohen, 52, who had once hoped to work by Mr. Trump’s side in the White House but ended up a central figure in the inquiry into payments to a porn star and a former Playboy model before the 2016 election.

Judge William H. Pauley III said Mr. Cohen had committed a “smorgasbord” of crimes involving “deception” and motivated by “personal greed and ambition.”

“As a lawyer, Mr. Cohen should have known better,” the judge said.

Before he was sentenced, a solemn Mr. Cohen, standing at a lectern, sounded emotional but resolved as he told the judge he had been tormented by the anguish and embarrassment he had caused his family.

Referencing Trump recently calling him 'weak,' Cohen agreed with that assessment but for different reasons than Trump.

“It was because time and time again I felt it was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds rather than to listen to my own inner voice and my moral compass,” Mr. Cohen said.

Cohen had also served as deputy finance chair of the Republican National Committee.

COHEN SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS IN PRISON.

Also hit with forfeiture of $500,000, restitution of $1.4 million and a fine of $50,000.

As judge read sentence, Cohen closed his eyes and shook his head slightly as if in disbelief, Bloomberg News reports.

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) December 12, 2018

Two years ago, Michael Cohen had visions of being chief of staff. He then began soaking up mega contracts from major companies to influence the president. Trump winning was going to be a gold mine for him. And now... he’s going to jail for three years.

— Sam Stein (@samstein) December 12, 2018

"Mr. Cohen should have known better." — Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen was sentenced to 36 months in prison. He is ordered to surrender on March 6. https://t.co/VtoGjJqt2C

— Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) December 12, 2018

Trump Lawyer Michael Cohen Pleads Guilty To Lying To Congress About Trump/Russia Deal

Former Donald Trump lawyer, Michael Cohen

Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty this morning in a New York court to lying to Congress regarding a Moscow real estate project that Trump and his company pursued during the months he was running for president.

Trump repeatedly said during the 2016 campaign he had no deals, interests or financial ties in or to Russia.

From The Washington Post:

In a nine-page filing, prosecutors laid out a litany of lies that Cohen admitted he told to congressional lawmakers about the Moscow project — an attempt, Cohen said, to minimize links between the proposed development and Trump as his presidential bid was taking off.

Cohen falsely said efforts to build a Trump-branded tower in Moscow ended in January 2016, when in fact discussions continued through that year, the filing said. Among the people Cohen briefed on the status of the project was Trump himself, on more than three occasions, according to the document.

Trump has repeatedly said that he had no business dealings in Russia, tweeting in July 2016, “For the record, I have ZERO investments in Russia” and telling reporters in January 2017 that he had no deals there because he had “stayed away.”

Tom Winter of NBC News was in the court room and reports on what Cohen testified to:

BREAKING: Michael Cohen names the president in court involving Moscow project, and discussions that he alleges continued into 2017. @Tom_Winter explains after attending the court hearing this morning. https://t.co/6VteqRXgoD pic.twitter.com/iw9Mld32KV

— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 29, 2018

Trump immediately told reporters that he could have pursued the deal in Russia and there would have been nothing wrong with that, but he didn't.

He went on to say the man who was his personal lawyer for years and years is "a weak person."

TRUMP, speaking to reporters outside the White House, says Michael Cohen is "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 is lying about a project everybody knew about." pic.twitter.com/QVSGJcoRa6

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 29, 2018

Trump has suddenly decided to cancel meetings with Russian President Putin at the G20 summit. Coincidence? Or just avoiding bad optics?

NEW: Trump cancels his G-20 meeting with Putin hours after Cohen Moscow Project news breaks. Trump blames Ukraine Russia tensions. https://t.co/QUMI6fyR3Z

— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) November 29, 2018

Trump less than an hour ago: "I will probably be meeting with President Putin. We haven’t terminated that meeting. I was thinking about it, but they’d like to have it. I think it's a very good time to have the meeting. " https://t.co/iikpOXs7xQ

— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) November 29, 2018

One more thing - don't forget this email from Felix Sater to Michael Cohen in 2015 saying, "Buddy, our boy can become president of the USA and we can engineer it."

Reminder of a Felix Sater email sent to Michael Cohen in 2015:

"Buddy our boy can become president of the USA and we can engineer it," Sater wrote. "I will get all of Putins team to buy in on this, I will manage this process." https://t.co/4fbCWHQpN9

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 29, 2018

Trump Foundation Investigators Issue Subpoena To Michael Cohen

Donald Trump

Here's where it starts to get really interesting, kids.

The AP is reporting that former attorney and 'fixer' for Donald Trump, Michael Cohen, has received a subpoena from investigators looking into possible state violations regarding the Trump Foundation.

Investigators in New York state have issued a subpoena to Michael Cohen as part of their criminal probe into the Trump Foundation.

A spokesman for Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s tax department confirmed the subpoena to The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The subpoena was issued after Cohen’s attorney said the longtime lawyer for President Donald Trump has information that would be of interest to prosecutors at both the state and federal level.

As a close Trump confidant, Cohen could potentially be a significant source of information for state investigators looking into whether Trump or his charity broke state law or lied about their tax liability.

As the AP notes, a president can't pardon anyone found guilty of state charges.

The entire Trump family could possibly face legal jeopardy.

Michael Cohen Willing To Speak To Special Counsel Regarding Trump's "Conspiracy To Collude"

Lanny Davis

Making the rounds on morning political TV, Michael Cohen's lawyer Lanny Davis now says Cohen is more than happy to speak to Special Counsel Robert Mueller about "Russian collusion" during the 2016 presidential election.

From The New York Post:

Michael Cohen is willing to speak with Special Counsel Robert Mueller about a “conspiracy to collude” with Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign, his lawyer said on Tuesday night.

“Mr. Cohen has knowledge on certain subjects that should be of interest to the special counsel and is more than happy to tell the special counsel all that he knows,” Davis told the network.

“Not just about the obvious possibility of a conspiracy to collude and corrupt the American democracy system in the 2016 election, which the Trump Tower meeting was all about, but also knowledge about the computer crime of hacking and whether or not Mr. Trump knew ahead of time about that crime and even cheered it on.”

That said, its been repeated over and over that Justice Department guidelines say a sitting president can't be indicted.

But, he can certainly be handcuffed at the close of the inauguration of the next president in January 20121.

Davis told MSNBC this morning that at this time he feels its indisputable that Trump committed a crime.

"Very clearly, there is no dispute that Donald Trump committed a crime." -- @LannyDavis pic.twitter.com/wgC0BtVdjc

— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) August 22, 2018

Lawyer: Michael Cohen Will Not Under Any Circumstances Seek Or Accept A Pardon From Trump

Donald Trump

Speaking on CNN this morning, Michael Cohen's lawyer Lanny Davis said in no uncertain terms that Cohen would not accept a pardon from Donald Trump at any time.

"Definitively no, under no circumstances" would Cohen accept a pardon, said Davis.

Davis added that Cohen doesn't want to be "dirtied" by a Trump pardon.

“Definitively no, under no circumstances” would President Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen seek a potential pardon from Trump, Cohen’s attorney says https://t.co/GC5XWosGh0 pic.twitter.com/gE3wN6d7Jc

— CNN (@CNN) August 22, 2018

The Trumpster, who thought the world of Cohen for over a decade, has also changed HIS tone as well.

Check his latest tweet this morning:

If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 22, 2018

Former Trump Attorney Pleads Guilty To 8 Counts, Former Trump Campaign Chair Found Guilty Of 8 Counts

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen (L), former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort (R)

 Well, the folks in the White House have got to be serious shook at this point.

In a single afternoon, Donald Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty to 8 counts

From The New York Times:

Michael D. Cohen, President Trump’s former fixer, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to breaking campaign finance laws and other charges. He made the extraordinary admission that he arranged payments to two women “at the direction of the candidate,” referring to Mr. Trump, to secure their silence about affairs they said they had with Mr. Trump.

Mr. Cohen told a judge in United States District Court in Manhattan that the payments were “for the principal purpose of influencing the election” for president in 2016.

Mr. Cohen also pleaded guilty to multiple counts of tax evasion and bank fraud, bringing to a close a monthslong investigation by Manhattan federal prosecutors who examined his personal business dealings and his role in helping to arrange financial deals with women connected to Mr. Trump.

Of course, the most stunning news here is that Cohen said, under oath, that he committed a crime at the direction of Donald Trump.

Prosecutors promised Cohen a prison sentence of between 43 to 63 months, although the judge isn't bound by that agreement.

Cohen also did not agree to a cooperation deal regarding the Special Counsel's ongoing investigation, but he could in the future. Robert Mueller could, in exchange, recommend a lesser sentence for Cohen.

At almost the same time, 250 miles south of New York City, Trump's former campaign chair, Paul Manafort, was found guilty of 8 counts of the 18 he was charged with. The judge declared a mistrial on the other ten counts leaving the door open for a retrial on those charges.

Also from The New York Times:

The verdict was a victory for the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, whose prosecutors built a case that Mr. Manafort hid millions of dollars in foreign accounts to evade taxes and lied to banks repeatedly to obtain $20 million in loans.

Mr. Manafort was convicted of five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud and one count of failure to disclose a foreign bank account. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the remaining 10 counts, and the judge declared a mistrial on those charges.

Kevin Downing, a lawyer for Mr. Manafort, said his client was “evaluating all of his options at this point.”

Manafort faces a maximum of 80 years in prison for the 8 guilty counts. One legal scholar on MSNBC just said the sentencing guidelines would call for between 8-10 years in prison, possibly more since the judge can consider the other 10 charges in terms of sentencing if the evidence was considerable.

Plus, we don't know if the prosecutors plan to retry the ten remaining counts.

However, I'll state right now - you can count on Donald Trump to pardon Manafort.

Watch.

Former Trump Attorney Michael Cohen Reaches Plea Deal, Taken Into Custody

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen

President Trump's former lawyer and 'fixer,' Michael Cohen, has reportedly reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors in New York.

According to The New York Times, Cohen's agreement may not include a plan to cooperate with federal prosecutors.

Additionally, ABC News reports the deal reportedly includes campaign finance violations, bank fraud, and tax evasion.

At this time, there are no indications if possible violations of campaign finance law, regarding payments he facilitated to several women who claimed to have had extramarital affairs with Trump, are in the mix.

In related Trump news, a jury decision in the trail of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort could be handed down this afternoon.

BREAKING: "Michael Cohen is expected to plead guilty to multiple counts of campaign finance violations, tax fraud and bank fraud" reports @ShimonPro adding that "the deal will include jail time and a substantial monetary fine" https://t.co/htLGH7syKQ pic.twitter.com/bPipj4VlGf

— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) August 21, 2018

Five words Donald Trump never wanted to hear: Michael Cohen Takes Plea Deal.

— Dan Rather (@DanRather) August 21, 2018

The guilty plea of Michael Cohen provides further confirmation of the following fact:

MOST SUCCESSFUL WITCH HUNT EVER

(And it's not over) https://t.co/QE36ajZHBn

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) August 21, 2018

Reporter: why would Michael Cohen pay someone $130,000?

trump: “You'll have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael's my attorney." (Air Force One, April 5, 2018)

Mueller: I’ll do that.

— Philippe Reines (@PhilippeReines) August 21, 2018

Former Trump Lawyer Investigated For $20 Million Tax/Bank Fraud

Former Trump lawyer, Michael Cohen

The New York Times is reporting that Donald Trump's former personal attorney and 'fixer,' Michael Cohen, is being investigated for possible tax and bank fraud to the tune of $20 million in loans related to the taxi business he and his family own.

Investigators are also examining whether Mr. Cohen violated campaign finance or other laws by helping to arrange financial deals to secure the silence of women who said they had affairs with Mr. Trump. The inquiry has entered the final stage and prosecutors are considering filing charges by the end of August, two of the people said.

Any criminal charges against Mr. Cohen would deal a significant blow to the president. Mr. Cohen, 52, worked for the president’s company, the Trump Organization, for more than a decade. He was one of Mr. Trump’s most loyal and visible aides and called himself the president’s personal lawyer after Mr. Trump took office.

Trump keeps calling the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller a "witch hunt."

If that were true, Mueller sure has found a considerable number of witches to indict.

Trump is also angry that Mueller is filing indictments that don't seem related to "Russian interference," but the Special Counsel was charged with investigating not only the election interference but any crimes that might arise from the investigation.

Does it make any sense that the police, while investigating a robbery, should ignore a dead body they trip over in the course of the investigation?

Michael Cohen Recorded Trump 'Hush Money' Conversation

Former 'fixer' for Donald Trump - Michael Cohen

From The New York Times:

President Trump’s longtime lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, secretly recorded a conversation with Mr. Trump two months before the presidential election in which they discussed payments to a former Playboy model who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump, according to lawyers and others familiar with the recording.

The F.B.I. seized the recording this year during a raid on Mr. Cohen’s office. The Justice Department is investigating Mr. Cohen’s involvement in paying women to tamp down embarrassing news stories about Mr. Trump ahead of the 2016 election. Prosecutors want to know whether that violated federal campaign finance laws, and any conversation with Mr. Trump about those payments would be of keen interest to them.

The recording’s existence further draws Mr. Trump into questions about tactics he and his associates used to keep aspects of his personal and business life a secret. And it highlights the potential legal and political danger that Mr. Cohen represents to Mr. Trump.

Once the keeper of many of Mr. Trump’s secrets, Mr. Cohen is now seen as increasingly willing to consider cooperating with prosecutors.

You'll recall the White House ferociously denied that Donald Trump knew ANYTHING about the payments to Karen McDougal, who says she began a nearly yearlong affair with the Trumpster in 2006, shortly after Melania Trump gave birth to their son, Barron.

According to CNN's Dana Bash and Gloria Borger, Trump is privately livid about the revelation:

Via @DanaBashCNN @GloriaBorger: When informed about the tape, the president said, “I can’t believe Michael would do this with me,” according to a source familiar with the tapes.

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) July 20, 2018

From Stormy Daniels' attorney, Michael Avenatti:

And there is a reason why I used the term that I did and demanded the release of the #TrumpTapes as opposed to the #TrumpTape. If Michael Cohen is a patriot, then ALL of the tapes should be released to the American people. Now. Too much is at stake. #Basta

— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) July 20, 2018

News Round-Up: July 2, 2018

Some news items you might have missed:

• I'm going to try this next time Michael is wrong and starts a disagreement - InstaHunks Rick and the Griffopotamus shared this pic today with the caption, "It was one of those Monday’s where every little annoyance felt like it would blow up into an argument. We decided to just keep our mouths busy doing other things... problem solved! #relationshipHack #husbands #lovewins #kiss #mondaymotivation"

• A gay couple in Ireland was attacked and brutally beaten by a gang of four young men. One of the victims suffered broken jaw bones, lost four front teeth and has nerve damage.

• Bette Midler, of all people, was accused of homophobia when she joked on Twitter about Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin: "Trump and Putin are meeting in Finland next month. That’s a long way to travel for a blowjob, but hey — Putin’s got the money."

• Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former attorney and "fixer," told ABC News that his loyalties lie with his family and country, not his former client.

• Congressional Democrats are asking the Pentagon why there was no official memo recognizing June as Pride Month nor was there any senior leadership at the annual Pride event. The concern is the lack of recognition marks a decline in LGBTQ support.

• Speaking at a rally for immigration reform this weekend, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-California) slapped back at Trump supporters calling for death threats against her:

"All I have to say is this: If you shoot me, you better shoot straight. There's nothin' like a wounded animal. I am not about to let this country go by the way of Donald Trump. How dare you? How dare you?"

'If you shoot me, you better shoot straight. There's nothing like a wounded animal.' — Rep. Maxine Waters had a powerful message for those threatening her #FamiliesBelongTogetherMarch pic.twitter.com/yvLQqbVLKr

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) July 1, 2018

Michael Cohen May Be Open To Cooperating With Special Counsel Investigation

Former Donald Trump attorney and "fixer" Michael Cohen

CNN reports that Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's longtime attorney and "fixer," has signaled to friends that he is "willing to give" investigators information on the President, and is planning on hiring a new lawyer to handle a possible indictment from federal prosecutors.

"He knows a lot of things about the President and he's not averse to talking in the right situation," one of Cohen's New York friends who is in touch with him told CNN. "If they want information on Trump, he's willing to give it."

Cohen is planning to hire Guy Petrillo, a former chief of the criminal division of the US attorney's office in Manhattan and an experienced trial lawyer, a source familiar confirmed. The source said all the paperwork and retainer may not have been finalized just yet.

The shift in legal strategy and signals of potential cooperation with investigators come as Cohen feels increasingly isolated from the President, whom he has been famously loyal to for more than a decade. Last week, CNN reported Cohen has indicated a willingness to cooperate to alleviate pressure on himself and his family.

"He feels let down by him and isolated by him," another friend of Cohen's told CNN. Cohen has famously said he would take a bullet for Trump and he has fashioned himself as Trump's "fixer," willing to help handle situations quietly.

Cohen facilitated a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels weeks before the 2016 election to keep quiet her allegations of an affair a decade earlier with the then-candidate.

The White House has denied any affair.

Cohen hasn't been indicted on any charges at this time.