Thread by @KatyTurNBC

Cohen on the Hill, a thread.

The days of this committee protecting the president at all cost are over - @RepCummings

Cummings: because Cohen addressed Russia in his opening statement, Russia is back on the table for questioning.

Jordan: immediately tries to shame Cummings and Dems for calling Cohen, who he calls a convicted liar, as its first witness for the 116th congress.

The SDNY’s charging document (which was scathing) will be quoted heavily by the GOP today.

FACT CHECK ON JORDAN from @mikememoli:
This is not the first public hearing:

Here are two previous Oversight Cmmte hearings, on prescription drugs and on executive branch ethics. Multiple witnesses at both.

Jan 29: docs.house.gov/Committee/Cale…

Feb. 6: docs.house.gov/Committee/Cale…

Here is Cohen’s full opening statement:
documentcloud.org/documents/5753…

FWIW Cohen looks exhausted.

Cohen: For the record, Individual 1 is Donald J Trump.

Side note: @SRuhle just banished @Mimirocah1’s red pen from the studio. Apparently they are bad luck. “That’s why you’ll never see one at a bank,” she says. #themoreyouknow 🌈

Cohen: The campaign for him (Trump) was alaways a marketing opportunity.

Cohen: “lying for Mr Trump was normalized and no one around him questioned it. In fairness, no one around him today questions it, either.”

Cohen on Wikileaks:

If true, this would mean he know about the Wikileaks dump before he called on Russia to find Hillary Clinton’s emails on July 27, 2016, which was in the middle of the DNC. Transcript:

**BUT** Cohen offers no corroborating evidence to prove this is true. In fact later on in his statement, he says flat out he DOES NOT have direct evidence Trump or the campaign colluded with Russia. “But, I have my suspicions.”

The corroborating evidence Cohen DOES offer includes checks made out to him from Trump, Don Jr, and Alan Weisselberg, to reimburse him for the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.

Cohen alleges Trump was lying about the bone spur diagnosis that kept him out of Vietnam. Cohen says Trump told him, “You think I’m stupid, I wasn’t going to vietnam.”

Cohen just now: “I find it Ironic, President Trump, that you are in Vietnam right now.

Again Cohen admits he has no direct proof of collusion but he is now detailing a moment in Trump’s office where he believes Don Jr was telling Trump about the June 2016 TT meeting with Russians offering direct on Hillary Clinton. (Still, Cohen is not offering proof of this.)

NOTES:
1. Cohen can’t technically get a reduced sentence for testifying TODAY per legal analysts who cite Rule 35. (Technically is operable word, here)
2. Cohen has already pleaded guilty to lying to Congress. If he lies AGAIN today that could put him in MORE legal trouble.

Cummings: You’re saying Trump, while he was President, was cutting you a check for reimburse you for hush money payments? Cohen: yes. Cummings: did Trump know what it was for? Cohen: Yes. I have no doubt.

Note on this: wIkileaks DNC email dump started on 7/22/16

Jordan: did the Women for Cohen twitter account help Trump or you? Cohen: it didn’t help me. It was for fun.

Jordan says Cohen is upset he didn’t get a job at the WH. Cohen says he did not. He saw how he treated his WH staff and he was very proud to serve as the President’s personal attorney.

Jordan says Cohen is just like McCabe and Comey who are upset about being fired.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz asks about DNC hack (personal for her). Cohen says he didn’t know what specific emails would be released, only that there would be a dump per the convo he overheard bw Stone and Trump.

DWS: how do we know you’re telling the truth about the Stone/ Trump convo? Corroborating evidence?
Cohen: I suspect special counsel office and other govt agencies might have the info you’re seeking.

Cohen: “Trump’s desire to win would have him work with anyone.”

Cohen: Trump Tower Moscow was “business as usual” because Trump didn’t expect to win.

Congressman Green: Cohen is a scorned man.

Green: No one can believe this guy. He will say whatever he wants. He is a fake witness.

Congresswoman Maloney: Before you had a meeting with anyone of any consequence did you have to ask Trump? Cohen: Yes. Maloney: Did you have to report back? Cohen: Yes.

Cohen now describing “catch and kills” and says agreements between Pecker and Trump existed long before Cohen started working for him.

Congressman Comer: You called Trump a cheat. What would you call yourself? Cohen: A fool.

Cohen now getting heated with Jim Jordan. He says he’s taking responsibility for what he did wrong. “Shame on you Mr Jordan.” “I am going to prison.”

Note: Cohen’s temper could be a wild card.

Meadows brought Lynn Patton, she’s standing behind him right now. Meadows says Patton says she’d never serve a racist. Cohen: Neither should I, as the son of a Holocaust survivor.

Cohen: Ask Miss Patton how many African Americans are executives at the Trump Org.

Note: Cohen was the head of Trump’s Diversity Council. He repeatedly tried to get Trump to events with African American pastors during the campaign.

Now we’re on a side road talking about Cohen’s contracts with big companies for advice after Trump was elected.

Side note from the legal analysts in @Msnbc studio right now: Cohen can be helpful in suggesting what other witnesses the Cmmte should call. Folks who might have been in the room with Cohen during key moments or folks Cohen might have spoken with after meetings w Trump etc.

Cohen has already suggested Alan Weisselberg, Alan Garten, and more as potential witnesses from Trump Org. (Yes, I use Oxford commas.)

I stopped listening to take a bite of food. What’s congressman Hice talking about?

Congressman Lynch: How did Trump direct TT Moscow negotiations during campaign? Cohen: I would report back to him.

I need the coffee Jim Jordan drinks.

Congressman Gosar raises his voice at Cohen. I’ll ask the questions!

Cohen was trying to say Gosar sounded like he was describing Trump not him when Gosar called him a liar etc.

Gosar is the congressman who told Strzok during a hearing that he knew Strzok was biased because, as a dentist, he could read body language “very, very well.”

c-span.org/video/?c473974…

Cohen: Not one Republican on this committee has so far asked me about President Trump.

Cohen says he had a conversation with Trump (Sekulow was there) before his congressional testimony the first time around (when he lied about TT Moscow). He says Trump told him to say there was no collusion. Cohen says he took that to mean to lie to congress.

Cohen says this meeting happened in the Oval.

Both @glennkirschner2 and @Mimirocah1 say this could necessitate an interview with Sekulow about whether this was witness tampering.

Cohen says he did not want to go to the White House. Note: Among Trump’s orbit it was always widely believed that he did in fact want a gig there. But again, Cohen is denying this right now.

Congressman Raskin: Republicans aren’t mad you lied for President Trump. They’re mad you stopped lying for president Trump.

Cohen: Trump speaks in code. I speak his code and those around him do, too.

Meanwhile at 30 Rock

FINALLY! Have you ever been to Prague? Cohen: No.

Cohen: Felix Sater offered a TT Moscow Condo to Putin. It was a marketing stunt.

Did you meet with any Russians in Europe? Cohen: No.

Now we’re getting to long rumored tape of Trump hitting Melania in an elevator. Cohen says he doesn’t think that tape exists. He doesn’t believe it ever happened. In his opinion, he says Trump wouldn’t do that.