Rhiannon Hendricks
Michael Cohen, President Trump's former fixer and personal attorney, testified in public on Wednesday, February 27, 2019, before the House Oversight Committee. Cohen's testimony addressed his motives for lying on behalf of Trump and his work for the president, including an illegal scheme during the 2016 campaign to pay hush money to two women claiming affairs with Trump. Cohen also faced scrutiny from Republicans, who challenged his past work and credibility as a witness against the president.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Michael D. Cohen |
| Profession | Lawyer, former attorney of President Donald Trump |
| Date of Testimony | Wednesday, February 27, 2019 |
| Type of Testimony | Public |
| Committee | House Oversight Committee |
| Subject | Trump's alleged criminal conduct, including hush money payments |
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What You'll Learn
Michael Cohen's testimony before the House Oversight Committee
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former fixer and personal attorney, testified before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, February 27, 2019. Cohen's testimony was part of a three-day appearance that began on Tuesday with closed-door testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Cohen's testimony before the House Oversight Committee was highly anticipated as it was expected to be made public and to provide evidence of Trump's alleged criminal conduct since becoming president. Cohen planned to discuss publicly, for the first time, Trump's role in some of the crimes his former lawyer pleaded guilty to, including an illegal scheme during the 2016 campaign to pay hush money to two women claiming to have had affairs with Trump. Cohen was expected to give behind-the-scenes details that raised questions about Trump's conduct in business and as a presidential candidate.
In his testimony, Cohen addressed his motives for lying on behalf of Trump and why he lied to Congress about the Trump Tower Moscow negotiations. He also discussed whether anyone told him to lie and provided details about Trump's financial statements, including his long-held secret tax returns. Cohen's testimony set the stage for a classic Washington split-screen, as it occurred on the same day that Trump was in Vietnam for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Cohen's appearance before the House Oversight Committee was likely to be one of the more revealing and polarizing moments of Trump's presidency. Cohen, once one of Trump's most loyal aides, faced intense scrutiny from Republicans, who aggressively challenged his past work and credibility as a witness against the president. Despite this, Cohen stated that he appreciated the opportunity to clear the record and tell the truth, allowing the American people to decide exactly who was telling the truth.
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Cohen's allegations of Trump's criminal conduct
Michael Cohen, President Trump's former lawyer and fixer, testified in public on Wednesday, 27 February 2019, about his work for the president. Cohen's testimony was expected to paint an unflattering portrait of the president and discuss Trump's role in some of the crimes his former lawyer pleaded guilty to. Cohen was also expected to give behind-the-scenes details that would raise questions about Trump's conduct in business and as a presidential candidate.
In his testimony, Cohen planned to discuss the President's debts and payments relating to efforts to influence the 2016 election, including an illegal scheme to pay hush money to two women claiming to have had affairs with Trump. Cohen himself pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations in the hush money scheme, as well as to lying to Congress and tax fraud.
Cohen's testimony was a key part of the trial in New York that ended on 30 May 2024 with the historic conviction of former President Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments. Trump's lawyers sought to discredit Cohen, portraying him as an unreliable liar.
In the New York trial, Cohen testified that Trump directed him to make the payment to Daniels to prevent the release of material that could damage his campaign. Cohen also said that Trump took part in a plan to record his reimbursement as legal expenses. The prosecution argued that Trump's actions amounted to an effort to illegally influence the 2016 presidential election.
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Cohen's past work and credibility as a witness
Michael Cohen, former lawyer and fixer for President Donald Trump, has been at the centre of several controversies involving his past work and credibility as a witness. Cohen's testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform in 2019 provided insight into his decade-long association with Trump. Cohen has also been a key witness in Trump's hush money trial, shedding light on the former president's involvement in stifling stories that could be damaging.
Cohen's past work includes serving as an attorney for Trump from 2006 to 2018, during which he was involved in various unethical and potentially illegal practices. Cohen admitted to facilitating catch-and-kill schemes, buying women's stories of alleged sexual encounters with Trump, and paying hush money to ensure these stories were never published. He pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations, tax fraud, and making false statements to Congress, which raises questions about his credibility.
However, as Trump's former legal counsel, Cohen has become a star witness in the prosecution against Trump. In May 2024, Cohen testified in Trump's New York criminal trial, directly implicating Trump in directing hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress. Cohen also provided details about his work for Trump, including his involvement in the Trump Organization, Trump Entertainment, and the Eric Trump Foundation.
Cohen's credibility as a witness has been a subject of debate, with some arguing that he has provided crucial testimony against Trump. Others have questioned his reliability due to his past actions and potential biases. During his testimony, Cohen expressed his desire to "clear the record and tell the truth," leaving it to the American people to decide "who's telling the truth."
Cohen's appearance before the House Committee on Wednesday was highly anticipated, with partisan stakes running high. Despite attempts at witness intimidation, Cohen proceeded with his testimony, providing insights into his work with Trump and contributing to a polarizing moment in Trump's presidency.
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Cohen's closed-door testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former fixer and personal attorney, testified behind closed doors before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, ahead of his much-anticipated public testimony on Wednesday. Cohen's three-day appearance began with this closed-door testimony, with the Wednesday hearing before the House Oversight Committee being the only scheduled public session.
Cohen spent roughly nine hours behind closed doors with the committee on Tuesday, the first of his three consecutive congressional appearances that week. Cohen told reporters after the closed-door meeting that he appreciated the opportunity to clear the record and tell the truth. He also stated that he looked forward to sharing his story and letting the American people decide who was telling the truth.
Cohen's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee was expected to cover topics related to the Russia investigation, including the Trump Tower Moscow project and the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting. Cohen had previously pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the Trump Tower Moscow negotiations. He also planned to address his motives for lying on behalf of Trump and whether anyone instructed him to do so.
Cohen's public testimony on Wednesday was expected to be among the more revealing and polarizing moments of Trump's presidency. He intended to discuss Trump's role in some of the crimes to which his former lawyer pleaded guilty the previous year. Cohen was expected to provide behind-the-scenes details that raised questions about Trump's conduct in business and as a presidential candidate.
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Cohen's cross-examination by the defense
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former fixer and personal attorney, testified in a Manhattan court on Monday, May 13, 2024. Cohen's cross-examination by the defense lawyer Todd Blanche began the next day.
During the cross-examination, Blanche confronted Cohen with portions of his memoir, "Disloyal", to suggest that he was ""obsessed" with Trump. Cohen acknowledged this obsession, stating, ""At that time, I was knee-deep into the cult of Donald Trump." The defense attorney attempted to draw out any inconsistencies between Cohen's testimony and what he wrote in his book.
Blanche also questioned Cohen about his detailed descriptions in the book of his meetings with Trump related to the catch-and-kill scheme. Cohen secretly recorded one such conversation in September 2016, in which they discussed reimbursing Pecker for his company's $150,000 hush money payment to Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who alleged an affair with Trump.
In his testimony, Cohen alleged that Trump approved hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels, a porn star who claimed a brief sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Cohen said he paid Daniels $130,000 to ensure her silence before the 2016 election, as her story would have been "catastrophic." Cohen also testified that Trump directed him to work with Pecker to control the story.
Cohen's testimony provided evidence of Trump's alleged criminal conduct, including his lies, racism, and cheating as a private businessman. He also discussed Trump's financial statements and the president's debts and payments related to influencing the 2016 election.
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Frequently asked questions
Michael Cohen is President Donald Trump's former fixer, personal attorney, and longtime lawyer.
Cohen's testimony was to address his motives for lying on behalf of Trump and why he lied to Congress about the Trump Tower Moscow negotiations. He also discussed Trump's debts and payments relating to efforts to influence the 2016 election.
Cohen's testimony on Wednesday is scheduled to be made public, but the exact time is not mentioned.
