Trump Is Repeatedly Targeted in Mueller and SDNY’s Big Michael Cohen Memos
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Additional filings about Michael Cohen’s cooperation with both federal prosecutors and the Southern District of New York were due to be filed this afternoon. A separate federal filing on Manafort and what he lied about to lose his plea deal with the government is going to be filed under seal later tonight (update: it was released as soon as this column was about to be published, here it is). There is some big news to reveal so let’s get to it.
Per Robert Mueller (speaking about Michael Cohen):
The defendant admitted he told those lies—which he made publicly and in submissions to Congress—in order to (1) minimize links between the Moscow Project and Individual 1 and (2) give the false impression that the Moscow Project had ended before the Iowa caucus and the first presidential primaries, in hopes of limiting the ongoing Russia investigations being conducted by Congress and the SCO.
Per the SDNY (emphasis mine):
During the campaign, Cohen played a central role in two similar schemes to purchase the rights to stories—each from women who claimed to have had an affair with Individual-1—so as to suppress the stories and thereby prevent them from influencing the election. With respect to both payments, Cohen acted with the intent to influence the 2016 presidential election. Cohen coordinated his actions with one or more members of the campaign, including through meetings and phone calls, about the fact, nature and timing of the payments. In particular, and as Cohen himself has now admitted, with respect to both payments, he acted in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1.
Individual-1 is undoubtedly Donald Trump, as the SDNY is describing the Stormy Daniels and Karen MacDougal sagas that we are all intimately familiar with. Both filings combine to paint a picture of Michael Cohen engaging in various criminal acts, and the phrase hovering over all this is “in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1”—Cohen’s guilty plea made under penalty of perjury. While there is a lot we do already know in these filings (kudos to BuzzFeed’s Anthony Cormier and Jason Leopold for reporting a lot of it already, like Ivanka’s involvement in this mess), we do learn some new stuff.
NEW: Mueller says that Cohen reached out to the Russian government during the week of the 2015 United Nations General Assembly
— Scott Stedman (@ScottMStedman) December 7, 2018
This isn’t some sideswipe of Trump either. Individual 1 appears 23 times in SDNY’s 30-page filing, and seven times in Mueller’s seven page filing.
The Manafort filing is nine pages long, with somewhere around three to four pages redacted, and Individual 1 makes zero appearances. Mueller claims that Manafort lied about his contacts with Konstantin Kilimnik, a former member of Russian military intelligence who worked alongside Manafort in Ukraine for years. Manafort also lied about six-figure payments he received as late as 2017, as well as contacts with Trump administration officials as late as May 26, 2018. Mueller concludes by saying that he has the goods to prove Manafort’s lies and is willing to demonstrate them in a court of law:
If the defendant contends the government has not acted in good faith, the government is available to prove the false statements at a hearing. Further, to the extent that the defendant contests specific false statements that implicate ongoing investigations, the government is able to provide evidence to the Court ex parte.
So what other DOJ investigation did Manafort renege on providing information for? pic.twitter.com/jTNpGzUS2T
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) December 7, 2018
Trump has some thoughts on these filings, which are, uh, not accurate, to say the least.
Totally clears the President. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2018
This entire Russia investigation is officially on President Trump’s doorstep in two offices (including one outside the reach of his pardon power), and this new Cohen development, plus the Paul Manafort filing about the lies he lost his plea deal over, are likely why we saw Trump become so unhinged on Twitter the last 24 hours.
Jerome Corsi: ”This is not justice, this is not America. This is a political prosecution. The Special Prosecutor (Counsel), to get this plea deal, demanded I lie and violate the law. They’re the criminals.” He is not alone. 17 Angry Dems. People forced to lie. Sad! @Trish_Regan
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2018
Trish_Regan: “Did the FBI follow protocol to obtain the FISA warrant? I don’t think so. The Dossier was opposition research funded by opponents. Don’t use Government resources to take down political foes. Weaponizing Government for gain.” Is this really America? Witch Hunt!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2018
FAKE NEWS – THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2018
Robert Mueller and Leakin’ Lyin’ James Comey are Best Friends, just one of many Mueller Conflicts of Interest. And bye the way, wasn’t the woman in charge of prosecuting Jerome Corsi (who I do not know) in charge of “legal” at the corrupt Clinton Foundation? A total Witch Hunt…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2018
….Will Robert Mueller’s big time conflicts of interest be listed at the top of his Republicans only Report. Will Andrew Weissman’s horrible and vicious prosecutorial past be listed in the Report. He wrongly destroyed people’s lives, took down great companies, only to be……..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2018
…..overturned, 9-0, in the United States Supreme Court. Doing same thing to people now. Will all of the substantial & many contributions made by the 17 Angry Democrats to the Campaign of Crooked Hillary be listed in top of Report. Will the people that worked for the Clinton….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2018
….Foundation be listed at the top of the Report? Will the scathing document written about Lyin’ James Comey, by the man in charge of the case, Rod Rosenstein (who also signed the FISA Warrant), be a big part of the Report? Isn’t Rod therefore totally conflicted? Will all of….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2018
…the lying and leaking by the people doing the Report, & also Bruce Ohr (and his lovely wife Molly), Comey, Brennan, Clapper, & all of the many fired people of the FBI, be listed in the Report? Will the corruption within the DNC & Clinton Campaign be exposed?..And so much more!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2018
We will be doing a major Counter Report to the Mueller Report. This should never again be allowed to happen to a future President of the United States!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2018
It is being reported that Leakin’ James Comey was told by Department of Justice attorneys not to answer the most important questions. Total bias and corruption at the highest levels of previous Administration. Force him to answer the questions under oath!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2018
Buckle up, folks. Given Trump’s penchant for making a bad situation worse, this could be a historic weekend.
Jacob Weindling is a staff writer for Paste politics. Follow him on Twitter at @Jakeweindling.