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kpete
kpete's Journal
kpete's Journal
?1551272069
February 27, 2019
The New York Times has obtained Michael Cohen’s opening statement for his highly-anticipated appearance before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday morning. Michael Cohen says he’s ashamed of his work for Donald Trump, calling him a “racist, con man and a cheat.”
Cohen goes onto say that Donald Trump was absolutely aware that his pal Roger Stone was coordinating with Julian Assange and Wikileaks to release the hacked Democratic National Committee emails to damage Hillary Clinton AND he details an exchange he witnessed and overheard around that Trump Tower meeting with the Russians. The New York Times has published the full opening statement, here are the highlights (or lowlights):
WIKILEAKS
As I earlier stated, Mr. Trump knew from Roger Stone in advance about theWikiLeaks 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.”
VIOLATING CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS
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 ofNew York.So picture this scene – in February 2017, one month into his presidency.
THE TRUMP TOWER RUSSIA MEETING
Questions have been raised about whether I know of direct evidence thatMr. 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 behindMr. 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 betweenDon 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.”
LIES ABOUT THE TRUMP TOWER MOSCOW PROJECT
There were at least a half-dozen times between the Iowa Caucus inJanuary 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.
FRAUD
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.
.......................
MORE:
https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/636-michael-cohens-congressional-t/3a1530b333230e775df5/optimized/full.pdf#page=1
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/2/26/1838034/-Michael-Cohen-s-full-opening-statement-leaked-and-it-s-one-bombshell-after-another
*****************
Here’s the check Trump allegedly wrote Michael Cohen for Stormy Daniels payoff while he was president:
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/02/revealed-heres-check-trump-allegedly-wrote-michael-cohen-stormy-daniels-payoff-president/
https://twitter.com/RVAwonk/status/1100718126512123904
********
More "Key Stuff" From TPM:
https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1100734743912607744
and another source:
https://twitter.com/lrozen/status/1100628994687410176
It's Happening:
JUST IN: Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen arrives on Capitol Hill ahead of his public testimony before Congress
VIDEO:
https://twitter.com/CNNPolitics/status/1100756343365996544
The documents Cohen's apparently going to provide
https://twitter.com/alexi/status/1100620147818225665
Michael Cohen's full opening statement released and it's one bombshell after another
The New York Times has obtained Michael Cohen’s opening statement for his highly-anticipated appearance before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday morning. Michael Cohen says he’s ashamed of his work for Donald Trump, calling him a “racist, con man and a cheat.”
Cohen goes onto say that Donald Trump was absolutely aware that his pal Roger Stone was coordinating with Julian Assange and Wikileaks to release the hacked Democratic National Committee emails to damage Hillary Clinton AND he details an exchange he witnessed and overheard around that Trump Tower meeting with the Russians. The New York Times has published the full opening statement, here are the highlights (or lowlights):
WIKILEAKS
As I earlier stated, Mr. Trump knew from Roger Stone in advance about theWikiLeaks 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.”
VIOLATING CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS
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 ofNew York.So picture this scene – in February 2017, one month into his presidency.
THE TRUMP TOWER RUSSIA MEETING
Questions have been raised about whether I know of direct evidence thatMr. 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 behindMr. 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 betweenDon 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.”
LIES ABOUT THE TRUMP TOWER MOSCOW PROJECT
There were at least a half-dozen times between the Iowa Caucus inJanuary 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.
FRAUD
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.
.......................
MORE:
https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/636-michael-cohens-congressional-t/3a1530b333230e775df5/optimized/full.pdf#page=1
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/2/26/1838034/-Michael-Cohen-s-full-opening-statement-leaked-and-it-s-one-bombshell-after-another
*****************
Here’s the check Trump allegedly wrote Michael Cohen for Stormy Daniels payoff while he was president:
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/02/revealed-heres-check-trump-allegedly-wrote-michael-cohen-stormy-daniels-payoff-president/
https://twitter.com/RVAwonk/status/1100718126512123904
********
More "Key Stuff" From TPM:
https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1100734743912607744
and another source:
https://twitter.com/lrozen/status/1100628994687410176
It's Happening:
JUST IN: Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen arrives on Capitol Hill ahead of his public testimony before Congress
VIDEO:
https://twitter.com/CNNPolitics/status/1100756343365996544
The documents Cohen's apparently going to provide
https://twitter.com/alexi/status/1100620147818225665
February 27, 2019
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1100533822079336450
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1100533822079336450
February 27, 2019
https://twitter.com/TheOnion/status/1100491669726728192
The Onion: Trump Solemnly Lays Wreath At Site Where He Would Have Died During Vietnam War
https://twitter.com/TheOnion/status/1100491669726728192
February 26, 2019
The president was apparently signing Trump Org. checks while he was president.
Michael Cohen will provide documentation of his reimbursement for the $130,000 Stormy Daniels payment, which he received in monthly installments throughout 2017, WSJ reports.
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1100537289208483840
The president was apparently signing Trump Org. checks while he was president.
The president was apparently signing Trump Org. checks while he was president.
Michael Cohen will provide documentation of his reimbursement for the $130,000 Stormy Daniels payment, which he received in monthly installments throughout 2017, WSJ reports.
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1100537289208483840
February 26, 2019
@mattgaetz
Hey @MichaelCohen212 - Do your wife & father-in-law know about your girlfriends? Maybe tonight would be a good time for that chat. I wonder if she’ll remain faithful when you’re in prison. She’s about to learn a lot...
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1100507077074657280
Could this be construed as witness tampering?
@mattgaetz
Hey @MichaelCohen212 - Do your wife & father-in-law know about your girlfriends? Maybe tonight would be a good time for that chat. I wonder if she’ll remain faithful when you’re in prison. She’s about to learn a lot...
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1100507077074657280
February 26, 2019
The big picture: Cohen is set to accuse Trump of criminal misconduct linked to reimbursements Cohen received in 2017 for hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels regarding her alleged affair with Trump toward the end of the 2016 campaign, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The source said Cohen will describe "in granular detail" the scheme to pay off Daniels, which Cohen is set to say was orchestrated by Trump.
Show less
The state of play: Cohen and his legal team are expected to provide the committee with a slide containing several of Trump's private financial statements, which they claim reveals how Trump inflated his assets for business and personal reasons. The source said the statements — which were not provided to Axios — will show Trump's assets, liabilities and net worth, but cannot be independently verified without Trump's tax returns.
Cohen will also explain how long Trump remained involved in discussions regarding a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. He's also expected to detail the conversations he had with Trump about the project. His prior false statements about the project to the Senate Intelligence Committee are the source of his guilty plea in the Mueller investigation.
If asked about the bombshell BuzzFeed News article — later disputed by special counsel Robert Mueller's office — that alleged Trump directed Cohen to lie about the extent of the Moscow project, the source said Cohen will explain that Trump never speaks in direct language: "It's always code words."
https://www.axios.com/michael-cohen-house-oversight-testimony-donald-trump-43d15703-c5b5-4364-9ecc-1585a62e8a82.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=twsocialshare&utm_campaign=organic
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/02/michael-cohen-stumbled-across-new-evidence-last-48-hours-trumps-criminal-wrongdoing-report/
Michael Cohen 'stumbled across' new evidence 'in the last 48 hours' of Trump's criminal wrongdoing:
President Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen is expected to present evidence of alleged "criminal conduct" by Trump during his time as president to the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday that was "stumbled across ... within the last 48 hours," a source familiar with Cohen's testimony told Axios.The big picture: Cohen is set to accuse Trump of criminal misconduct linked to reimbursements Cohen received in 2017 for hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels regarding her alleged affair with Trump toward the end of the 2016 campaign, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The source said Cohen will describe "in granular detail" the scheme to pay off Daniels, which Cohen is set to say was orchestrated by Trump.
Show less
The state of play: Cohen and his legal team are expected to provide the committee with a slide containing several of Trump's private financial statements, which they claim reveals how Trump inflated his assets for business and personal reasons. The source said the statements — which were not provided to Axios — will show Trump's assets, liabilities and net worth, but cannot be independently verified without Trump's tax returns.
Cohen will also explain how long Trump remained involved in discussions regarding a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. He's also expected to detail the conversations he had with Trump about the project. His prior false statements about the project to the Senate Intelligence Committee are the source of his guilty plea in the Mueller investigation.
If asked about the bombshell BuzzFeed News article — later disputed by special counsel Robert Mueller's office — that alleged Trump directed Cohen to lie about the extent of the Moscow project, the source said Cohen will explain that Trump never speaks in direct language: "It's always code words."
https://www.axios.com/michael-cohen-house-oversight-testimony-donald-trump-43d15703-c5b5-4364-9ecc-1585a62e8a82.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=twsocialshare&utm_campaign=organic
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/02/michael-cohen-stumbled-across-new-evidence-last-48-hours-trumps-criminal-wrongdoing-report/
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