In "Russian Roulette," @Isikoff & I noted that when Trump denied in 12/15 that he knew Felix Sater it was one of the most significant lies of the 2016 campaign--because that was Trump keeping secret the Moscow deal, which obviously could not proceed if Putin was against it.
By covering up his relationship with Sater, Trump was covering up his ongoing deal in Moscow. Trump was smart enough to know that it sure would hurt him politically if he revealed he was doing a Moscow deal while running for an office.
And Trump certainly knew he should not reveal that the Trump Organization had asked Putin's office for help moving the deal forward.
And he also must have known that if he criticized Putin in public it would put this deal in jeopardy....Trump was double-dealing--claiming he was an America First candidate, while secretly seeking Putin's help for a venture in Moscow.
I've always said this was the most under-covered--and a most under-appreciated--element of the Trump-Russia scandal. Cohen (and Trump?) knew it was important to lie about this and downplay the deal....I'll have a piece up on this soon.
