Michael Cohen's Hail Mary to Democrats includes new details on how Trump 'instructed' him to lie to Congress


Michael Cohen's legal team reached out to House Democrats on Thursday night to argue that Cohen is a valuable asset in their investigations of his former boss President Trump, that he could be more valuable by sifting through thousands of files on a newly recovered hard drive, that his imminent three-year prison sentence is unduly harsh, and that therefore the Democrats should reach out to federal prosecutors in Manhattan to delay and/or reduce his prison sentence.
The legal team's 12-page memo also gave new details on how Trump communicated to Cohen that he should lie to Congress about a proposed Trump Tower Moscow deal, at least as Cohen understood the message. First, they wrote:
When Cohen had to submit testimony to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees in the fall of 2017, Trump and his [White House] advisors encouraged Cohen to lie and say all Moscow Tower project contacts ended as of January 31, 2017. Trump did so using "code" language — telling Cohen during various conversations that there was "no collusion, no Russian contacts, nothing about Russia" after the start of the campaign. [Letter from Cohen lawyers]
Also:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Cohen explained that he was, in effect, instructed to lie about the January 31, 2016, date through the use of Trump code words that could only be interpreted as an instruction or "directive" ... to cover-up the fact that Cohen had been in contact with Russians during most of the presidential campaign ... until June 2016, after Trump had become the putative Republican nominee. [Letter from Cohen lawyers]
The memo and hundred-plus of pages of documentation also assert that Cohen can demonstrate a Trump "conspiracy to collude" with the Russian government during the campaign, plus other alleged crimes committed by Trump. It also implicates Ivanka Trump, purporting to show proof that she knew about the Trump Tower Moscow deal and had tried to help facilitate its fruition. You can read more at BuzzFeed News, or read the memo itself.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
The new Gwada negative blood type
Under The Radar Rare discovery means a woman is the only person on the planet who's compatible solely with herself
-
June 29 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include the AI genie, Iran saving face, and bad language bombs
-
A tall ship adventure in the Mediterranean
The Week Recommends Sailing aboard this schooner and exploring Portugal, Spain and Monaco is a 'magical' experience
-
Some mainstream Democrats struggle with Zohran Mamdani's surprise win
TALKING POINT To embrace or not embrace? A party in transition grapples with a rising star ready to buck political norms and energize a new generation.
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible
-
Supreme Court lets states ax Planned Parenthood funds
Speed Read The court ruled that Planned Parenthood cannot sue South Carolina over the state's effort to deny it funding
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump
-
Trump embraces NATO after budget vow, charm offensive
Speed Read The president reversed course on his longstanding skepticism of the trans-Atlantic military alliance
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders
-
Mamdani upsets Cuomo in NYC mayoral primary
Speed Read Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani beat out Andrew Cuomo in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary