DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Palus Politicus Cohen, Trump’s Ex-Lawyer, Investigated for Bank Fraud in Excess of $20 Million

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/19/nyregion/michael-cohen-loans-donald-trump.html

its a long read, which is why i just posted the article.

so, can anybody answer me this: why is everyone trump hires corrupt?

are we suppose to believe that Trump was an innocent victim in everything he's surrounded by?

It's not corruption, it's capitalism.

ahh ok. this is how you are suppose to pick yourself up by the bootstraps.

The best way to pick yourself up by the bootstraps, is by taking someone else's boots first.

But today they'd have zippers.

some will call that competition. others will call that colonialism.

Prosecutors preparing charges for Michael Cohen; could announce by end of August

https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/19/politics/nyt-cohen-investigation-bank-fraud/index.html

Scum usually hangs with scum.

Trump: "He only worked for me for a very, very short time."

thats a lot of money spent on coffee!

Probably that cappa crappa latte stuff.

Covfefe is pricey.

You think they can be hitting him with charges so they can offer him a plea deal to testify against Trump?

It’s a possibility. But I don’t know.

Cohen is a complex web. This aspect is way more complicated than Manafort or rick gates, IMO. Granted, we still have to see what bares fruit with regards to this trial and next months to gage better, but Cohen has way more personal and financial details about trump than anyone associated with trump so far this investigation. I can make an argument that Cohen knows more than even don jr about most aspects of trumps financial decisions.

So just playing internet detective, while Cohen is complex, he might as well be Santa Claus as far as evidence goes. Paper trails, phones, tapes, etc. clearly there was a reason Cohen felt the need to tape his own client. But, we already heard Omarosa’s reasoning. Could it be the same reasons? Could be, who knows. But “why” he felt the need to isn’t that important.

What we all want to know is the evidence. So far we know he’s gonna be under state charges with NY, but even if that’s campaign finance violations at most, let’s be real: that’s gonna roll off trump like everything else.

The only way that really matters is if any of that payment money came from a foreign entity. If not, I mean that might matter in the mid terms and 2020, but it’s not even bill Clinton level.

The meat with be these bank and tax charges. If he was pulling a Manafort as for as foreign banking and dealing with oligarchs, then We have a major problem.

But not to drone along, there’s so many ways to squeeze Cohen and get him to cop a plea, but if the evidence is flimsy, they got nothing.

We will see.

They could announce as early as this afternoon that Cohen is flipping




Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen discussing plea deal with prosecutors

The deal could come as early as today, say sources familiar with the matter.

by Sarah Fitzpatrick, Joe Valiquette, Jonathan Dienst and Tom Winter / Aug.21.2018 / 11:51 AM ET



Image: Michael Cohen exits his hotel in New York

President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen exits his hotel in New York on July 2, 2018.Brendan McDermid / Reuters file

Michael Cohen, President Trump's former personal attorney, is discussing a possible guilty plea with federal prosecutors in Manhattan in connection with tax fraud and banking-related matters, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell NBC News.

Those sources stress no deal has been reached but do say the potential deal could be reached as early as today.

The plea could have significant implications for Trump, who has blasted Cohen ever since his former fixer and his attorney, old Clinton hand Lanny Davis, began signaling this summer that Cohen might cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.

When reached by NBC, Davis said he cannot comment on advice of counsel since there is an ongoing investigation. Cohen has previously denied wrongdoing.

The Cohen probe is being led by the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, but any cooperation agreement would likely extend to other federal investigations.

Cohen, who once bragged he'd take a bullet for Trump, hinted in July that may have changed. "I put family and country first," he told ABC.

In addition to bank and tax fraud questions arising from Cohen's taxi business, federal prosecutors are looking into whether the hush-money payments Cohen arranged with women who claimed they had sexual encounters with Trump amount to violations of campaign finance law.

FBI agents raided Cohen’s office and hotel room in April and seized documents and electronics. According to people with knowledge of the search warrant, agents were looking for information related to a $130,000 transaction between Cohen and adult film star Stormy Daniels, who allegedly had an affair with Trump more than a decade ago, as well as information about a reported payment of $150,000 to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also says she had an affair with Trump, and information about the “Access Hollywood” tape in which Trump was heard making vulgar boasts about women.

The FBI has also monitored his phone calls with a pen register, meaning that the incoming and outgoing phone numbers were recorded but not the content of the calls.

In July, Davis released a phone conversation that Cohen secretly recorded in which Trump mentions “cash” in relation to a possible payment involving McDougal.

Made two months before the presidential election, the tape appears to show Cohen, who was Trump's personal attorney at the time, discussing "how to set the whole thing up with funding." At one point, Trump appears to ask "what financing?" and seems to ask "pay with cash?"

Cohen appears to then say "No, no, no, no, no, no, I got ..." before Trump is heard saying, or asking, "check," and then the recording abruptly ends. Although the exact wording on the tape is unclear at times, it does make it clear that Trump was aware of the model's allegation of the affair and the plans to pay to ensure her silence.

Several major companies say Cohen contacted them after Trump’s upset victory in the 2016 president election promising access to the new administration. An official with the pharmaceutical company Novartis said the company signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract with Cohen, and AT&T also said it has met with Cohen. AT&T confirmed in an email to employees saying it had hired “several consultants” in early 2017 to help it “understand” the incoming administration.

Both Novartis and AT&T said they had been contacted by Mueller’s investigators.

Cohen, 51, was a vice president of the Trump Organization when he left the company in May. A former personal injury lawyer, he began working for the company in 2007 after helping Trump win a fight with the board at his condominium tower near the United Nations. He also owns numerous taxi medallions, which allow drivers to operate yellow cabs in New York.

He became known for taking aggressive action to defend Trump’s interests.

Ambulance chaser.
Figures.

Who do you believe?

Rudy who once said that Cohen was a good solid guy

OR

Rudy who now says he's liar?

Hmmm

jc

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/michael-...ory?id=57310974

Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former longtime personal attorney, tentatively reaches a plea deal: Sources
By MATTHEW MOSK JAMES HILL Aug 21, 2018, 1:40 PM ET

PHOTO: In a Monday, July 30, 2018 file photo, Michael Cohen, formerly a lawyer for President Trump, leaves his hotel, in New York.Richard Drew/AP Photo
WATCHMichael Cohen's secret recording of conversation with Trump
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ABC News has learned that Michael Cohen has entered into a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York.

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(MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Michael Cohen says family and country, not President Trump, is his 'first loyalty')
(MORE:Michael Cohen hints at possible cooperation with investigators)
PHOTO: Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer for President Donald Trump, exits the United States District Court Southern District of New York on May 30, 2018 in New York City.Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images
Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer for President Donald Trump, exits the United States District Court Southern District of New York on May 30, 2018 in New York City.more +
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Federal prosecutors have 12 audio recordings made by former Trump attorney Michael Cohen
By AARON KATERSKY CHRIS FRANCESCANI Jul 24, 2018, 8:55 AM ET

PHOTO: Michael Cohen, former attorney for President Donald Trump, is interviewed by ABC News George Stephanopoulos.PlayABC News
WATCH Federal prosecutors have 12 audio tapes made by former Trump attorney Michael Cohen
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Federal prosecutors investigating President Donald Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen are now in possession of 12 audio recordings seized during raids of Cohen's home, office and hotel room, according to new court filings.

A former judge is reviewing the materials seized from the raids for anything that is protected by attorney-client privilege.

Special Master Barbara Jones wrote in a new court filing released on Monday that the parties involved -- meaning Cohen, Trump and the Trump Organization -- had withdrawn their privilege designations on what were described in the court papers as 12 "audio items."

Eleven of the recordings handed over to prosecutors in New York’s Southern District are conversations Cohen had with members of the media, two sources familiar with the recordings told ABC News.

Cohen is under criminal investigation by New York federal prosecutors in a case that is separate from the one that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is pursuing.

Investigators are looking into whether Cohen violated campaign-finance laws, engaged in illegal lobbying or committed bank fraud or wire fraud.

PHOTO: Michael Cohen, a longtime personal lawyer and confidante for President Donald Trump, leaves the United States District Court Southern District of New York on May 30, 2018 in New York City.Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images, FILE
Michael Cohen, a longtime personal lawyer and confidante for President Donald Trump, leaves the United States District Court Southern District of New York on May 30, 2018 in New York City.more +
Cohen has long claimed his loyalty to Trump was unbreakable -- most famously saying "I'm the guy who would take a bullet for the president" -- but in an exclusive interview earlier this month with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, Cohen signaled a willingness to cooperate with investigators.

“My wife, my daughter and my son have my first loyalty and always will,” Cohen told Stephanopoulos. “I put family and country first.”

(MORE: Michael Cohen says family and country, not President Trump, is his 'first loyalty')
It remains unclear who was recorded on the Cohen audio tapes, and when. Last Friday, The New York Times reported that Cohen secretly recorded a conversation with Trump about two months prior to the 2016 presidential election.

In that tape, sources told ABC News, Cohen and Trump discussed a payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claims she and Trump had a ten-month affair in 2006 -- shortly after his youngest son Barron was born. The content of that tape was first reported by the Washington Post.

McDougal sold her story as an exclusive to the National Enquirer in August, 2016 for $150,000, though the tabloid never published her story -- effectively buying her silence.

The recording includes a short conversation between Cohen and then-candidate Trump talking about a plan, allegedly devised by Cohen, to try to purchase the rights to McDougal’s story from American Media Inc. - which owns the Enquirer - since the media company had already bought the rights to her story, according to sources familiar with the audio recording.

Cohen proposed paying about $150,000 to AMI, the sources said, and on the tape Trump can be heard telling Cohen to make sure the payment is properly documented in order to keep a record of it. That said, the sources say that payment never happened.

(MORE: Highlights from Michael Cohen's exclusive interview)
Trump attorney Rudy Guiliani confirmed to Reuters that the recording about McDougal was among the dozen audios, but said that none of the other 11 recordings include conversations Trump. Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, said the other 11 recordings are of Cohen discussing Trump with other, unnamed individuals.

The president has denied any inappropriate relationship with McDougal, or any knowledge of payments to her.

Since the search warrants were executed in April, lawyers for Cohen, Trump and the Trump Organization have been engaged in a laborious process of reviewing more than 4 million items seized in the raids. Under a court supervised plan, the attorneys are reviewing the fruits of the searches for items that are potentially covered by attorney-client privilege.

During that review, the government has had to wait to conduct its own examination of the haul. Only in the last few weeks has the court started to turn over material to prosecutors. Last week, another 1.3 million items were released to the government.

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Trump team not worried about Michael Cohen: 'As long as he tells the truth, we're home free': Giuliani
By QUINN SCANLAN Jul 8, 2018, 10:57 AM ET

PHOTO: Rudy Giuliani speaks at the conference on Iran, May 5, 2018, in Washington, D.C.PlayTasos Katopodis/Getty Images
WATCH Giuliani on Mueller probe: 'This is the most corrupt investigation I have ever seen'
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President Donald Trump’s personal attorney said he’s not worried about what Michael Cohen might tell federal prosecutors, saying, “As long as he tells the truth, we’re … home free.”

Rudy Giuliani told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on "This Week" Sunday that he has “zero” concerns about Cohen, who once described himself as "the guy who would take a bullet" for Trump.

Stephanopoulos asked Giuliani about Cohen's recent exclusive interview with ABC News in which he indicated his willingness to cooperate with Mueller and federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York.

“My wife, my daughter and my son have my first loyalty and always will,” Cohen, a former longtime personal lawyer to Trump, told Stephanopoulos in the June 30 interview. “I put family and country first.”

PHOTO: Michael Cohen, former personal attorney for U.S. President Donald Trump, exits the Loews Regency Hotel, May 11, 2018 in New York City.Drew Angerer/Getty Images, FILE
Michael Cohen, former personal attorney for U.S. President Donald Trump, exits the Loews Regency Hotel, May 11, 2018 in New York City.
"What was the president's reaction to that interview with Michael Cohen?" Stephanopoulos asked Giuliani.

"Same as mine, which is fine. Michael Cohen should cooperate with the government. We have no reason to believe he did anything wrong. The president did nothing wrong with him," Giuliani said.

Stephanopoulos pressed, "So you have no concerns at all about anything that Michael Cohen might tell the prosecutors?"

"Zero. None," said Giuliani. "As long as he tells the truth, we're -- we're home free."

“I have no concerns that Michael Cohen is going to do anything but tell the truth, and if he does, as I said, there’s no suggestion that anything happened,” Giuliani added.

(MORE: Michael Cohen scrubs mentions of Trump from Twitter bio on Independence Day)
(MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Michael Cohen says family and country, not President Trump, is his 'first loyalty')
Prosecutors in New York’s Southern District are investigating Cohen for possible financial crimes associated with his personal business dealings and possible violations of election law, including around a $130,000 payment that Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels less than two weeks before the 2016 election in exchange for her staying silent about her claim that she had an affair with Trump.

Cohen has not been charged with any crimes.

Questions have emerged as to whether the $130,000 paid to Daniels constituted an in-kind contribution to the Trump campaign, which could depend in part on whether Trump directed his lawyer to make the payment.

Stephanopoulos asked Giuliani on "This Week," "Did the president direct Michael Cohen to make those payments?”

“As far as I know from his original statements and the president’s statements and everything I’ve seen in terms of documents and the way it was reimbursed, no the president did not originally know," Giuliani said.

PHOTO: Adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, speaks to media along with lawyer Michael Avenatti (R) outside federal court in New York, April 16, 2018.Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters
Adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, speaks to media along with lawyer Michael Avenatti (R) outside federal court in New York, April 16, 2018.more +
Stephanopoulos pressed, “To be clear, the president did not direct Michael Cohen in advance to make those payments?”

Giuliani responded, “As far as I know, that is right, and second, even if he had, that would not necessarily be anything. If the president directed him to settle the case, he would have done that a year before, a year after, didn’t matter that he was running for office.”

“That’s something you settle because you don’t want your family to be embarrassed,” Giuliani said.

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Plane with 16 people on board attempting emergency landing in Massachusetts
By JOYEETA BISWAS KAELYN FORDE Aug 21, 2018, 1:05 PM ET

The plane took off from Teterboro airport in New Jersey around 10:50 a.m.PlayWABC
WATCH Plane with blown tires attempting emergency landing in Massachusetts
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A plane is attempting to make an emergency landing in Massachusetts after blowing two tires during takeoff at Teterboro airport in New Jersey, authorities said.

The plane, a Gulfstream Aerospace GLF-4 aircraft, was being diverted to Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport in Massachusetts, a Federal Aviation Administration official told ABC News.

It was originally heading to London's Luton Airport and took off around 10:50 a.m., the FAA said.

Sixteen people are on board the aircraft, according to the FAA.

The type of aircraft is mainly used for private and business flights, ABC-owned station WABC reported.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Trump and Giuliani's reaction:

Well slightly less than 40% of the nation believes he's a liar already. I mean you know, Rudy said so.

No way that could possible influence future jury pools.

man bro....what do you think about this?

like, not the overall situation, but just the relation with manaforts trial and now cohen copping a plea deal.

for me, its hard to imagine this stopping with anything less than don jr getting charged. this just does not look good. at all.

They lie so much it's hard to keep up with all of them. And for the life of me I can't understand how those on the right feel there's nothing there.

Prosecutors don't make deals if you have nothing of value to help them garner a conviction. Obviously Mueller knows they have the information to get convictions or they wouldn't be getting deals.

So I have no idea what they have on them or what they don't. What I do know is people wouldn't be getting deals if they didn't have solid evidence to provide.

"plea deals aren't plea deals"

- Rudy Giuliani

"Plea deals are alternative facts."

-Kelly Ann Conway-

"Rigged Witch Hunt!!"

- Melania Trump

so we're gonna find out today what exactly he's pleaded guilty to.

boy oh boy....

*BREAKING*

plea deal includes automaic jail time. pleading guilty to campaign finance violations, tax and bank fraud.

uh oh..

They sure seem to be finding lots of them witches

This didn't age well:

------------------------

@MichaelCohen212

@HillaryClinton when you go to prison for defrauding America and perjury, your room and board will be free!

10:03 PM - 19 Dec 2015

But, his loyal followers are right, thus far, the Teflon Don has been kept clean.

Not sure for how much longer, but for the moment, he is presumed innocent..

the jail time is between 3-5 years.

which means it wouldve been a LOT more without the plea deal.

That can easily change. And it’s horrible news for Trump. High crimes and felonies are impeachable events.

Cohen just plead quilty and implicated trump.

Implicated Trump on what? Lying to the media?

I don't know. Trump isn't on trial here, as far as I know.

But, I do know many on here have called trump fat. Maybe that's where the 'quilty' charge comes in?

I'm guessing his body fat is somewhere between 12% and 25%.

Campaign finance violations. Workin for trump. It’s a Felony

This is still breaking news, so take with a grain of salt for the time being-
But Cohen admitted that he violated campaign finance laws in the usage of funds for the payment of Stormy Daniels at the direction of Trump

Wonder if he can prove it.

Individual-1 should learn something about not using campaign finances to shut up those who committed adultery with.

Maybe he should talk with David Dennison?!

Cohen plead guilty to 8 counts including campaign finance violations in the Stormy and Mcdougle payoffs. And Cohen said it was done under Trumps direction and with Trumps full knowledge