**THREAD**
What Michael Cohen has admitted to today, how it involves Trump and why it is significant.
[Based on court docs]
What Michael Cohen has admitted to today, how it involves Trump and why it is significant.
[Based on court docs]
1/ Cohen pleaded guilty to misleading Congress about discussions to create a Trump tower building in Moscow before the 2016 US election.
2/ Cohen told Congress last year that the 'Moscow Project' ended in Jan 2016 - before the Iowa caucus, the first big Republican primary vote.
3/ Cohen has now admitted that was not the case. Court docs detail how discussions went on until around June 2016 - much later into Trump's election campaign.
4/ Cohen told Congress last year that he only talked to 'Individual 1' (believed to be Trump) about the project three times. Again he has admitted that is not correct today...
5/ Court docs detail how Cohen talked to 'Individual 1' (believed to be Trump) more than three times and briefed that person's family members.
6/ Cohen told Congress last year that he never agreed to go to Russia to discuss the project and "never considered" asking Individual 1 (Trump) to travel.
Again, he has today admitted that is not quite right...
Again, he has today admitted that is not quite right...
7/ Court docs show Cohen agreed to travel to Russia. In May 2016 he wrote "works for me" about a proposed date for the trip.
He also received an email that month which appears to discuss arranging a meeting between the "2 big guys".
He also received an email that month which appears to discuss arranging a meeting between the "2 big guys".
8/ Cohen says he made misleading statements to...
i) minimise links between Moscow project and Trump
ii) give 'false impression' the project ended before the first primary vote
... to limit the Russia investigations.
(No suggestion Trump urged him to do this)
i) minimise links between Moscow project and Trump
ii) give 'false impression' the project ended before the first primary vote
... to limit the Russia investigations.
(No suggestion Trump urged him to do this)
9/ Bottom line: There is now hard evidence that Trump team was pursuing a business deal in Russia deep into the 2016 election campaign.
That raises the question of there being a financial incentive to get close to Kremlin during the campaign.
That raises the question of there being a financial incentive to get close to Kremlin during the campaign.
10/ Trump has dismissed developments today by saying
a) Cohen is lying to get a reduced sentence
b) There is nothing wrong with pursuing a business deal during the campaign. If he had lost, he would have gone back to his business.
a) Cohen is lying to get a reduced sentence
b) There is nothing wrong with pursuing a business deal during the campaign. If he had lost, he would have gone back to his business.
