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I'll be following @MichaelCohen212 testimony until our panel on impeachment w/ @ronfein and former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman, 12:30 @FordhamLawNYC.
I posted this thread last night on Cohen's prepared remarks. They are damaging, but need detail and corroboration today. 1/
I posted this thread last night on Cohen's prepared remarks. They are damaging, but need detail and corroboration today. 1/
2/ Some big picture points.
Trump has submitted answers to Mueller, and if he lied, that's felony false statement. On Roger Stone/Wikileaks, Cohen's testimony conflicts w/ Trump's statements, I indicated last night. But the problem is corroboration.
Trump has submitted answers to Mueller, and if he lied, that's felony false statement. On Roger Stone/Wikileaks, Cohen's testimony conflicts w/ Trump's statements, I indicated last night. But the problem is corroboration.
3/ Just now: CNN interview w/ Congressman Connolly: Russia conspiracy questions are now fair game, because Cohen opened that door deliberately in his prepared remarks.
4/ On whether Trump knew about the June Trump Tower meeting w/ Russians: Cohen doesn't add much. It's obvious that Trump knew about the meeting from the timing of his own public statements in June/July, as I've written in @slate.
5/ Did Trump suborn Cohen's perjury, confirming @BuzzFeed's report? The problem is that Cohen's testimony indicates that Trump directed him to lie (implicitly but clearly) DURING the campaign, but Cohen doesn't state if it happened after the election or if there's corroboration.
6/ The details of timing and corroboration in @buzzfeed story are legally relevant. Trump directing Cohen to lie during the campaign is not the same thing as directing him to lie to Congress a year later. Suborning perjury must be closer in timing to the testimony.
8/ @Jim_Jordan and @MarkMeadows are trying desperately to postpone and filibuster. @RepCummings is keeping calm and keeping order.
Cohen is beginning now.
Cohen is beginning now.
9/ Cohen: "I am asking for my family to be protected from presidential intimidation."
An important opening sentence in light of @RepMattGaetz efforts at witness intimidation.
An important opening sentence in light of @RepMattGaetz efforts at witness intimidation.
10/ Cohen is reading directly from his prepared statement. He is sticking directly to this script so far:
int.nyt.com/data/documenth…
int.nyt.com/data/documenth…
11/ I think I may have underestimated the force of hearing and seeing Cohen's testimony live, not just on paper. Not sure why I underestimated that. But now maybe I'm overestimating it, because the key is whether this testimony affects the GOP base. I'm skeptical.
12/ Cohen's claim that he witnessed Stone previewing the Assange Clinton email dumps is significant IF prosecutors corroborate AND if they can connect it to Trump's more concrete acts to aid/abet/conspire. I've suggested that there are such concrete acts. slate.com/news-and-polit…
13/ Cohen just dropped a significant name, beyond his prepared remarks:
Cohen's reimbursement check for his payment to Stormy was signed by Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg. This was suspected, but the confirmation is significant. Weisselberg is in serious criminal jeopardy.
Cohen's reimbursement check for his payment to Stormy was signed by Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg. This was suspected, but the confirmation is significant. Weisselberg is in serious criminal jeopardy.
14/ I agree with @EricColumbus on the difference between directing Cohen to lie during the campaign and directing him to lie after the election soon before congressional testimony a year later:
14/ @RepCummings follows up on the Stormy Daniels reimbursement check to Cohen, August 1st, 2017:
Weisselberg's involvement.
@realDonaldTrump's signature.
And the timing after Trump claimed to have given up control over the Trump Org.
Weisselberg's involvement.
@realDonaldTrump's signature.
And the timing after Trump claimed to have given up control over the Trump Org.
15/ Yes, it reported that Weisselberg has "immunity" from Mueller.
Let me clarify: The scope of immunity is unclear. Probably immunity that limits the use of Weisselberg's statements, but it probably does not protect him from prosecution based on others' testimony and documents.
Let me clarify: The scope of immunity is unclear. Probably immunity that limits the use of Weisselberg's statements, but it probably does not protect him from prosecution based on others' testimony and documents.
16/ Trump Org Allen Weisselberg has a lot of reason to cooperate fully with Mueller and SDNY, and even more reason now. He still faces criminal liability for felony campaign finance violations, and if he knows of Trump Org criminal wrongdoing, he has strong reason to share.
17/ @Jim_Jordan attacked Cohen's credibility, but mostly wasted his time. Shocker.
I don't find Cohen believable that he did not want a White House job, but Jordan didn't do real damage, nor did he offer any legal defense of Trump.
I don't find Cohen believable that he did not want a White House job, but Jordan didn't do real damage, nor did he offer any legal defense of Trump.
18/ @RepCummings was clear and solid on hush money and campaign finance felony implications. Others need to follow up.
@DWStweets is meandering and unfocused on Russian conspiracy. Wasted her time. Terrible.
@DWStweets is meandering and unfocused on Russian conspiracy. Wasted her time. Terrible.
19/ Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz @DWStweets had months to prepare for this, and she utterly wasted her 5 minutes. What a wasted opportunity, and what a waste of a Dem seat in the House.
#FL23, do better in 2020. Challenge her in the primaries.
#FL23, do better in 2020. Challenge her in the primaries.
20/ @ThePlumLineGS tweets that Cohen indicates that Mueller has corroborating evidence on the Trump/Roger Stone/Assange/WikiLeaks contacts. I'd like to review the transcript, but it's intriguing:
21/ LOL:
22/ This is always the playbook: A candidate surrounds himself with criminals, and then when those criminals get busted and flip, the candidate's supporters attack the criminal without noting the irony of the candidate relying on so many criminals.
24/ Someone needs to ask about the context of these payments to Cohen from Vekselberg, the relationship to Deripaska/Rusal, and Cohen's meetings involving Qatar:
slate.com/news-and-polit…
slate.com/news-and-polit…
24/ The Republicans on this committee are a disgrace. But @RepGosar is a special disgrace.
Yet the Democrats, other than @RepCummings, have wasted so much time today. The Democrats have to get better at this... and fast.
Yet the Democrats, other than @RepCummings, have wasted so much time today. The Democrats have to get better at this... and fast.
25/ Here is what Greg Sargent @ThePlumLineGS is referring to in terms of corroboration on Trump/Roger Stone/Assange/ Russia:
26/ Key takeaway: Cohen is calm, clear, and credible.
Democrats have wasted so much time, unfocused and unclear, other than Cummings. Not thinking like prosecutors.
Now I am off to our panel @FordhamLawNYC:
go.activecalendar.com/FordhamUnivers…
Democrats have wasted so much time, unfocused and unclear, other than Cummings. Not thinking like prosecutors.
Now I am off to our panel @FordhamLawNYC:
go.activecalendar.com/FordhamUnivers…
25/ @RoKhanna did a great job on hush payments and clarifying Executive 1 as Weisselberg, Executive 2 as @DonaldJTrumpJr.
h/t @EricColumbus
h/t @EricColumbus
26/ @AOC asks how Trump engaged in tax fraud. Allen Weisselberg's name comes up again and again. Clear and efficient.
27/ @AyannaPressley is up. After too long a wind-up, she asks good clear questions about Trump Foundation non-profit frauds on paintings and other criminal abuses. And she lands a good punch on Trump's racism.
28/ @RepCummings and the younger members of this committee (esp. @RoKhanna @aoc) were generally effective, clear, focused, lawyerly, and professional. Give them more time, and stop giving the longtime veterans so much time. But @RashidaTlaib wasted all her time.
29/ It is so frustrating to see so many pressing legal issues go unaddressed, but @RashidaTlaib decides to use her time to take shots at another member of the committee. She may be right, but she wasted everyone's time and gave @MarkMeadows a chance to grandstand. Awful.
30/ Sometimes I think the @aoc thing is too much hype.
But then today, she brings the hammer and delivers a legal strategy.
Don't get fooled by her youth. She is really smart and really effective.
On top of the Green New Deal, she is the real deal.
But then today, she brings the hammer and delivers a legal strategy.
Don't get fooled by her youth. She is really smart and really effective.
On top of the Green New Deal, she is the real deal.
31/ @RepCummings has a great reputation as a serious and effective chair.
He lived up to that big time today. And his emotional intelligence is off the charts.
Form a select committee with @RepCummings @AOC @RepAdamSchiff @RoKhanna @AyannaPressley @katieporteroc @RepSwalwell
He lived up to that big time today. And his emotional intelligence is off the charts.
Form a select committee with @RepCummings @AOC @RepAdamSchiff @RoKhanna @AyannaPressley @katieporteroc @RepSwalwell
32/ Endorse:
33/ And also this:
