President Trump responded this morning to his former attorney Michael Cohen’s sentencing, writing on Twitter that the campaign finance charges he plead guilty to were meant to “embarrass the president” and help Cohen get a reduced prison sentence.
The three tweets read in full, “I never directed Michael Cohen to break the law. He was a lawyer and he is supposed to know the law. It is called ‘advice of counsel,’ and a lawyer has great liability if a mistake is made. That is why they get paid. Despite that many campaign finance lawyers have strongly stated that I did nothing wrong with respect to campaign finance laws, if they even apply, because this was not campaign finance. Cohen was guilty on many charges unrelated to me, but he plead to two campaign charges which were not criminal and of which he probably was not guilty even on a civil basis. Those charges were just agreed to by him in order to embarrass the president and get a much reduced prison sentence, which he did-including the fact that his family was temporarily let off the hook. As a lawyer, Michael has great liability to me!”
I never directed Michael Cohen to break the law. He was a lawyer and he is supposed to know the law. It is called “advice of counsel,” and a lawyer has great liability if a mistake is made. That is why they get paid. Despite that many campaign finance lawyers have strongly……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2018
….stated that I did nothing wrong with respect to campaign finance laws, if they even apply, because this was not campaign finance. Cohen was guilty on many charges unrelated to me, but he plead to two campaign charges which were not criminal and of which he probably was not…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2018
….guilty even on a civil basis. Those charges were just agreed to by him in order to embarrass the president and get a much reduced prison sentence, which he did-including the fact that his family was temporarily let off the hook. As a lawyer, Michael has great liability to me!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2018
Cohen was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison after he plead guilty to tax evasion, lying to Congress, making false statements on a bank loan application and so-called campaign finance violations. NOTE: No mention of Russian collusion.
Last week, Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett blasted Acting U.S. Attorney Robert Khuzami for convincing Cohen to plead guilty to the “non-crime” relating to the campaign finance charges.
Jarrett wrote on Twitter, “Robert Khuzami, the ‘Acting’ US Attorney, filed a sentencing memo claiming President Trump organized illegal payments. Khuzami doesn’t know the law. Non-disclosure contracts are legal in every state. It’s not an illegal campaign contribution. Not a crime. Khuzami is wrong. Trump did not use campaign funds. A candidate may make unlimited contributions to his own campaign. Yet, Robert Khuzami convinced Cohen, a liar and tax cheat, to plead guilty to a non-crime. Khuzami wants to be the guy who brings down the President.”
Robert Khuzami, the “Acting” US Attorney, filed a sentencing memo claiming President Trump organized illegal payments. Khuzami doesn’t know the law. Non-disclosure contracts are legal in every state. It’s not an illegal campaign contribution. Not a crime. Khuzami is wrong.
— Gregg Jarrett (@GreggJarrett) December 8, 2018
Trump did not use campaign funds. A candidate may make unlimited contributions to his own campaign. Yet, Robert Khuzami convinced Cohen, a liar and tax cheat, to plead guilty to a non-crime. Khuzami wants to be the guy who brings down the President.
— Gregg Jarrett (@GreggJarrett) December 8, 2018
