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 Michael Cohen Michael Cohen jailed for three years as he says it was his duty to cover up Donald Trump's 'dirty deeds' Rozina Sabur, Washington Ben Riley-Smith, US Editor Michael Cohen issued a stinging rebuke of his former boss Donald Trump on Wednesday as he was sentenced to three years in prison, insisting it had been his job to cover up Mr Trump’s “dirty deeds”. Cohen, who served as Mr Trump’s lawyer and fixer for a decade, likened his sentencing to a moment of “freedom” as he would no longer be bound by his relationship to his former employer. The sentence hearing followed Cohen pleading guilty earlier this year to four crimes: tax evasion, lying to a financial institution, lying to Congress and breaking campaign finance laws. The last of those involved paying two women who claimed affairs with Mr Trump – porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal – to stay quiet before the 2016 presidential election. Cohen has claimed in court that Mr Trump directed the payments - something the US president has denied. Mr Trump has also suggested such payments would not amount to crimes Appearing in a New York federal court on Wednesday, Cohen appeared to fight back tears at times as he made his case for leniency while his parents, children, wife and in-laws watched on. “This may seem hard to believe but today is one of the most meaningful days of my life," Cohen said. "The irony is today is the day I get my freedom back. I have been leading a personal and mental incarceration ever since the fateful day that I accepted the offer to work for a famous real estate mogul whose business acumen I greatly admired." He accepted “full responsibility” for his crimes, but added of Mr Trump: “It was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds.” Cohen said he would not be remembered as “the villain" when a history of Mr Trump is written. There was also an apology to the American people, with Cohen acknowledging that “you deserve to know the truth and lying to you was unjust”. The comments underscored Cohen's remarkable about-turn this year, from Mr Trump’s most ardent defender who boasted he would “take a bullet” for the US president to an open and hostile critic. Cohen had hoped that his co-operation with the Russian election meddling investigation, being led by special counsel Robert Mueller, would spare him jail time for his crimes. However New York federal prosecutors, who along with Mr Mueller’s team pursued the cases, chastised Cohen for not fully co-operating by revealing all about his past behaviour. William Pauley, a US district judge, said that Cohen should get “some credit” for his part co-operation but that it was not enough to “wipe the slate clean”. “Mr Cohen appears to have lost his moral compass," Judge Pauley said, adding, that he had committed a "veritable smorgasbord of fraudulent conduct" motivated by "personal greed and ambition". He suggested that Cohen’s actions amounted to an “insidious crime to our democratic institutions” and insisted his sentence needed to act as a deterrent. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay close to $2 million in fines and other financial penalties. He closed his eyes and shook his head as the sentence was read. The three years was at the lower end of sentencing recommendations. Cohen must voluntarily surrender on March 6 – raising the prospect of striking a new co-operation agreement with prosecutors before that date. Mr Trump played down the significance of the hush money payments in an interview with Reuters before the sentencing, saying they did not amount to campaign contributions. “Michael Cohen should have known what he was doing. I hope he did. My lawyers say frankly that everything he did was fine,” Mr Trump said. |
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Time is running out... Things are coming to a head now. |
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stalhandske 12-Dec-18, 20:50 |
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Stal |
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stalhandske 12-Dec-18, 22:09 |
That's an extremely serious accusation!! I think it is very warranted! A court sentence should, by definition, not be political! |
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He got off light. He has been badgering people, lying, and doing a lot of evil things. People have been sentenced for longer for less. "I have been living in a personal and mental incarceration ever since the fateful day I accepted the offer to work for a famous real estate mogul whose business acumen I truly admired. In fact I now know that there is little to be admired. I want to be clear. I blame myself for the conduct which has brought me here today, and it was my own weakness, and blind loyalty to this man that lead me to choose the path of darkness over light." Michael Cohen |
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Prosecuting Political Opponents |
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stalhandske 12-Dec-18, 22:36 |
Yes, I am sure! But this is idiotic!! If people have been sentenced for less it is more than idiotic! Can't you have ANY proportion of what you are doing in America? |
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Censorship While Thumper's correction was welcome, his approach was like that of one committed to the defense and/or restoration of the practice of slavery. Romans weighed in too, minus any consequence. His constant threats to censor me finally overcame his good sense. |
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He Got Off Light Trump will serve a much longer sentence. |
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bullshit The Prosecutors of the SDNY are Trump appointees.Not Democrats.There was nothing ,i repeat nothing political about it!!!!! When i can get the court transcripts i will post them. |
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LS |
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Cohen Can Shorten His Sentence He will get time off for good behavior, but I hope he serves most of those three years. Too many more guilty may not get as much time. Flynn got off awfully easy for all he did. The only good news is that Trump has to see the writing on the wall. The crime syndicate is going down. Finally! Exciting times. BC must be pleased. |
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I Vote For BC |
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What shall I believe ? Initially Cohen said that he paid $ 130 K out of his pocket to porn star to keep her mouth shut. Trump knew nothing about it but he reimbursed the money. Did Cohen use the campaign money ? He might use it without Trump's knowledge. He changed his mind that it was a lie. Apparently, he might be lying again to get Mueller's sympathy and a light sentence. Instead he got a harsh sentence. There is nothing about Trump's Russian collusion. I believe Mueller is trying to set up a perjury trap on Trump. If there is some inconsistencies between Cohen's statement and Trump's written statement, Trump could fall into his trap similar to President Clinton in Lewinsky scandal. |
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good heavens no The Walls are closing in on this Animal.Exciting times indeed!! I just hope that Trump doesn't surrender unconditionally to the Russians, if they blow up one of our cities.I would't put it past him. High Treason will be the final charge. |
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stalhandske 12-Dec-18, 23:03 |
This is what distinguishes USA from the counties of reasonable judgement. |
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are you calling me a fanatic again?? |
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LS |
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Three cheers for LS |
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stalhandske 12-Dec-18, 23:38 |
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Uh, Trump is on TAPE discussing the illegal payment with Cohen. Did anyone swallow this liar's BS? AMI rolled. Who did Pecker roll on? Who else is going to prison? My guess is that officers of Trump Organization (aka crime syndicate) who covered up the illegal payments to Cohen will be going to jail with plea bargain offers. My question is, will Trump himself offer to take the heat off his children by resigning? Will anyone offer him this deal, or are they ALL going to serve time? Five counts income tax evasion. One count false statement to a bank. One count unlawful corporate contribution. One count excessive campaign contribution. One count perjury to congress. Add it up. I would dish out five years for taxes, two years for lying to congress, and one year for the other offenses, served consecutively. Eight years. Instead he gets six, three in prison and three of probation. I would have given him five and three. What is political about this? Oh, right. A Democrat would be impeached for lying about a blowjob, but a Republican raw dogging porn stars deserves to be treated like he was the second coming. Christ's right hand man, praise Jesus! The Trumps are marching one by one, hurrah! Hurrah! The Trumps are marching one by one to federal prison or go on the run... "Blind loyalty to Trump led me to choose a path of darkness over light." Wish my self proclaimed Christian friends would all take heed. Broad is the path that leads to Trump Tower, Isengard. |
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Romans Well, I will speak out against slavery. |
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i'm not talking about that |
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Without Plea Bargain Offers |
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Oops Stalhandske opposed that view. |
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thanks LS |
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BC I agree. Probably a quarter to a third of the inmates in this country should not be there IMO. Cohen's 'conviction' and sentence is obviously political. It is becoming clear Trump suborned perjury, in addition to obstruction and other crimes. I don't think we know the full breadth of charges the crime syndicate will face yet. But they will get more time than has been dished out yet. What did Manafort get? |
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Cross Post Again |
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thats OK |
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