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Michael Cohen to testify that Trump knew of WikiLeaks plot. He will also call him ‘a racist’ and ‘a cheat.’
Michael Cohen, longtime fixer and attorney for President Trump, is expected to testify publicly Feb. 27 before the House Oversight Committee. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)
By Tim Elfrink and
Meagan Flynn February 27 at 7:56 AM
Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former lawyer, will tell Congress on Wednesday that Trump knew his longtime adviser Roger Stone was communicating with WikiLeaks about publishing stolen emails from the Democratic National Committee, according to the text of his prepared opening statement.
In the prepared remarks, Cohen calls Trump a “racist,” a “conman” and a “cheat” and also levels accusations that the president personally signed a check to cover “hush money payments” to keep quiet an affair with adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. Cohen says Trump never directly told him to lie to Congress about his business dealings in Moscow, but claims the president implicitly encouraged him to do so.
A person familiar with the testimony said the document, which was first published by Politico, reflects what Cohen submitted as his prepared remarks, though they could change somewhat when he delivers them Wednesday to the House Oversight Committee.
“He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat,” the remarks say, referring to Trump. “He was a presidential candidate who knew that Roger Stone was talking with Julian Assange about a WikiLeaks drop of Democratic National Committee emails.”
In response to the testimony, WikiLeaks tweeted that the group “had already publicly announced its pending publications and has always denied speaking to Roger Stone.”
Trump, who is in Vietnam for his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, didn’t respond when a reporter asked him about Cohen as he sat next to Un. Earlier on Wednesday morning, Trump sent a tweet that accused Cohen of lying.
THE REST OF THE STORY
Michael Cohen, longtime fixer and attorney for President Trump, is expected to testify publicly Feb. 27 before the House Oversight Committee. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)
By Tim Elfrink and
Meagan Flynn February 27 at 7:56 AM
Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former lawyer, will tell Congress on Wednesday that Trump knew his longtime adviser Roger Stone was communicating with WikiLeaks about publishing stolen emails from the Democratic National Committee, according to the text of his prepared opening statement.
In the prepared remarks, Cohen calls Trump a “racist,” a “conman” and a “cheat” and also levels accusations that the president personally signed a check to cover “hush money payments” to keep quiet an affair with adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. Cohen says Trump never directly told him to lie to Congress about his business dealings in Moscow, but claims the president implicitly encouraged him to do so.
A person familiar with the testimony said the document, which was first published by Politico, reflects what Cohen submitted as his prepared remarks, though they could change somewhat when he delivers them Wednesday to the House Oversight Committee.
“He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat,” the remarks say, referring to Trump. “He was a presidential candidate who knew that Roger Stone was talking with Julian Assange about a WikiLeaks drop of Democratic National Committee emails.”
In response to the testimony, WikiLeaks tweeted that the group “had already publicly announced its pending publications and has always denied speaking to Roger Stone.”
Trump, who is in Vietnam for his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, didn’t respond when a reporter asked him about Cohen as he sat next to Un. Earlier on Wednesday morning, Trump sent a tweet that accused Cohen of lying.
THE REST OF THE STORY
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