Lawyer Michael Cohen, the keeper of some of president Donald Trump's darkest secrets, directly implicated his former client in criminal activity yesterday by pleading guilty to eight criminal counts in a Manhattan federal court.
Cohen admitted that in coordination and at the direction of Trump (who was named in the charge sheet as a candidate for federal office), he kept information that would have been harmful to Trump and his campaign from being made public during the 2016 presidential election.
He pled guilty to five counts of tax evasion. He also admitted to two counts related to an illegal campaign contribution and one count of making a false statement. His stunning admission means that he and Trump colluded to illegally affect the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
Cohen's guilty plea also means Trump now holds the status of an unindicted co-conspirator. It also illustrates the irony that Trump would have been indicted along with Cohen wasn't the president of the United States, according to legal experts.
The charges against Cohen include tax fraud; making false statements to a bank and campaign finance violations related to his work for Trump. The payments Cohen admitted to making on behalf of Trump include those made to silence women who had affairs with Trump over the years.
Trump himself isn't named in the court filing, which refers to an "Individual-1," who by January 2017 became president of the United States. The criminal information filed against Cohen also shows he acted with Trump and his allies. Among these men was David Pecker, CEO of the National Enquirer's publisher, American Media Inc., who suppressed damaging claims against Trump.
Robert Khuzami, Deputy U.S. Attorney for Southern District of New York, said the charges brought against Cohen are very serious. He said these charges reflect a pattern of lies and dishonesty over a long period of time.
Trump took another blow yesterday when his erstwhile campaign chairman Paul Manafort was found guilty on eight counts of financial crimes, including tax fraud charges; hiding foreign bank accounts and bank fraud.
Cohen's admission of guilt was part of a plea deal with prosecutors of the Southern District of New York. The deal has to do with payments Cohen made to women on behalf of Trump, including to porn Star Stormy Daniels. Her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, later said he'll depose both Cohen and Trump as part of his client's lawsuit against both men.
Cohen's complete repudiation of a man who once boasted he'd take a bullet for Trump was said to have been caused by deep feelings of isolation and abandonment. Trump basically threw Cohen to the wolves by belittling his role as his fixer and personal lawyer.
Cohen's lawyer, Lanny Davis, said his client is committed to doing the right thing. He pointed out last month that Cohen has turned a corner in his life and that Cohen is now dedicated to telling the truth.
Cohen can spend up to 65 years in prison for his crimes. Judge William H. Pauley set a sentencing date for Dec. 12 and imposed a $500,000 bond that must be co-signed by Cohen's wife and another party.
The charges against Cohen end a months-long investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
