'accountability matters'
Michael Cohen: Trump indictment shows 'no one is above the law'
Michael Cohen, the onetime lawyer and fixer of former President Donald Trump, said a Manhattan grand jury voting to indict Trump for his role in making hush-money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels proves the "adage that no one is above the law."
Cohen was the prosecution's key witness, testifying that prior to the 2016 presidential election, he paid Daniels $130,000 in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair she had with Trump in 2006. Cohen said Trump knew about the payment, and reimbursed him through the Trump Organization, falsifying records to conceal the nature of the reimbursement. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
In a statement, Cohen said, "For the first time in our country's history, a president (current or former) of the United States has been indicted. I take no pride in issuing this statement, and wish to remind everyone of the presumption of innocence; as provided by the due process clause. However, I do take solace in validating the adage that no one is above the law; not even a former president."
The indictment is "not the end of this chapter; but rather, just the beginning," he continued. "Now that the charges have been filed, it is better for the case to let the indictment speak for itself. The two things I wish to say at this time is that accountability matters and I stand by my testimony and the evidence I have provided to DANY."