A New York court has convicted Michael Cohen of tax evasion and false statements before Congress. The punishment: three years in prison. The prosecution had demanded a „substantial prison sentence“. Cohen is confessed.
Cohen cooperates with FBI Special Investigator Robert Mueller, who is investigating whether there was collusion in the 2016 presidential election campaign in the camp of the then presidential candidate Donald Trump with representatives of Russia. Trump rejects that and speaks of a „witch hunt“. Mueller attests to telling the truth to Cohen.
«Dirty deeds»
Cohen said at the hearing on Wednesday itself in court. „I take full responsibility for any action I have pleaded guilty to: my personal and those involving the President of the United States of America,“ Cohen said, according to US news channel CNN. He has always felt it his duty to „cover up his dirty deeds“. He acted in „blind loyalty“.
Cohen admitted, among other things, the US Congress in connection with a planned, but never realized construction project Trumps in Moscow lied under oath. Thus, the project was still far into the election campaign in 2016 – unlike Cohen originally stated.
Cohen said in a separate from the Russia investigation conducted in a prosecutor’s office in New York proceedings, also to have paid hush to the ex-porn actress Stormy Daniels and indirectly at least one other woman during the election campaign in 2016.
«Intent to influence presidential election»
Both women claim to have had affairs with Trump. Trump denies that. The prosecution believed Cohen had acted „in concert with and under the leadership of“ Trump in both cases, and sees illegal campaign funding in October 2016.
The prosecution was convinced: „Cohen acted with the intention of influencing the 2016 presidential election.“ The prosecution sees „secret and illegal“ payments as campaigning aids because they were made in order not to reduce Trump’s electoral chances in 2016. Cohen had also conceded tax frauds and false statements to banks – but the prosecutor’s office assumed that he was not fully acknowledged. (SDA / noo)
