Cohen: Trump ordered him to create 500 threats over Decade
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump ordered his personal attorney in order to make threats for him about 500 times in the last 10 years, former lawyer Michael Cohen told lawmakers on Wednesday.
During testimony prior to the U.S. House of Representatives’ Oversight Committee, Trump’s longtime “fixer” described a boss who was “intoxicating” but additionally deeply flawed, a “conman” who lied without hesitation.
Cohen lamented his “misplaced loyalty” to Trump and said he was embarrassed about “concealing Mr. Trump’s illicit acts.”
“Present did Mr. Trump order that you threaten people or entity on his behalf?” Democratic U.S. Representative Jackie Speier asked him.
“Several times,” Cohen responded.
“50 times?”
“More.”
“100 times?”
“More.”
“200 times?”
“More.”
“500 times?”
“Probably,” Cohen replied, saying the threats sometimes involved litigation or “a spat with a nasty reporter that is writing an article.”
Cohen provided the committee with copies of letters he wrote at Mr. Trump’s behest threatening his twelfth grade and colleges to not release his grades or test scores.
“We holds your institution likely to the fullest extent for the law including damages and criminality,” Cohen wrote in a letter to Fordham University tmsnrt.rs/2BPK4Kz.
The panel’s top Republican, U.S. Representative Jim Jordan, read through a profanity-laced threat of legal action made by Cohen to your Daily Beast reporter in 2019. Cohen acknowledged he made the comments to Trump from a negative story.
Speier also asked Cohen about stories purchased but never provided by American Media Inc, publisher of tabloid National Enquirer, that is definitely headed by Trump friend David Pecker.
“So he paid back someone in regards to a love child that doesn’t exist?” Speier asked, making reference to one such story.
“Correct,” Cohen said.
American Media said Pecker met with Cohen and a minimum of one other component of Trump’s presidential campaign in August 2019 and accessible to help with negative stories about Trump’s relationships with girls by buying the rights about bat roosting stories, as per a deal revealed in December by federal prosecutors in Big apple.
Cohen acknowledged lying for Trump and expressed remorse basically about heeding Trump’s demand that Cohen lie to his wife about hush money payments to a adult film star.
“Lying in to the first lady is one among the my biggest regrets,” he was quoted saying.