Michael Cohen plea

[Bengalzona]

Quote:Michael Cohen admits violating campaign finance laws 'at direction of' Trump

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/08/21/michael-cohen-striking-deal-with-federal-prosecutors.html

Quote:Michael Cohen, President Trump's longtime personal attorney, admitted Tuesday to violating federal campaign finance laws by arranging hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal "at the direction" of then-candidate Trump.

In entering the plea, Cohen did not specifically name the two women or even Trump, recounting instead that he worked with an "unnamed candidate." But the amounts and the dates all lined up with the payments made to Daniels and McDougal.

In total, Cohen pleaded guilty to five counts of tax evasion, one count of making false statements to a financial institution, one count of willfully causing an unlawful corporate contribution, and one count of making an excessive campaign contribution.

Cohen could have received up to 65 years in prison if convicted of all charges. However, as part of his agreement, Cohen agreed not to challenge any sentence between 46 and 63 months. The deal does not involve a cooperation agreement with federal prosecutors.

Cohen is set to be sentenced Dec. 12.

Cohen’s offices were raided in April by federal investigators looking into his financial dealings, including his alleged practice of paying women to stay silent about claims they had affairs with now-President Trump.

Cohen was behind a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, and discussed with Trump a separate payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal -- who said she had an affair with Trump in 2006. Cohen released a tape of a conversation from September 2016 of him and Trump discussing the possible payment to McDougal.

Deputy U.S. Attorney Robert Khuzami told reporters that Cohen had sought reimbursement for the payments by "submitting invoices to the candidate's company" -- believed to be the Trump Organization -- that falsely indicated that Cohen had provided legal services in the year 2017.

"In fact ... [Cohen] provided no legal services for the year 2017, and it was simply a means to obtain reimbursement for the unlawful campaign contribution," Khuzami said.

The Wall Street Journal reported in November 2016 that McDougal was paid $150,000 by American Media Inc. -- the parent company to the National Enquirer -- for the rights to the story, but it never ran. Trump has denied any affair with either Daniels or McDougal.

Investigators are also looking into Cohen's involvement in the New York taxi cab industry. The New York Times reported on Sunday that investigators are working to determine if Cohen committed bank fraud on over $20 million worth of loans related to his taxi businesses, as well as possible campaign finance violations related to the payments to the women.

Investigators were reportedly looking to determine whether Cohen misrepresented the value of his assets when applying for the loans, the Times reported.

The investigation is being handled by prosecutors at the Southern District of New York after it was referred to them by Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office.

Trump has repeatedly blasted developments in the Cohen investigation. In April, after Cohen’s offices were raided, he declared “attorney-client privilege is dead.” Last month, he slammed both the FBI raid and Cohen’s taping of discussions about paying McDougal as “inconceivable.”

“Inconceivable that the government would break into a lawyer’s office (early in the morning) - almost unheard of,” he tweeted. “Even more inconceivable that a lawyer would tape a client - totally unheard of & perhaps illegal.”

But, possibly in reference to questions about whether he had violated any campaign finance laws, Trump added that “your favorite President did nothing wrong!”

Cohen, who had been fiercely loyal to Trump, last month appeared to distance himself from Trump. He told ABC News that "my wife, my daughter and my son have my first loyalty and always will. I put family and country first."

Fox News’ Tamara Gitt and The Associated Press contributed to this report.