Michael Cohen, former personal attorney to President Donald Trump, exits federal court, November 29, 2018 in New York City. At the court hearing, Cohen pleaded guilty to making false statements to Congress about a Moscow real estate project Trump pursued during the 2016 presidential campaign. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
'Immediate Trouble' for Don Jr. Predicted After Michael Cohen Guilty Plea
Trump cancels scheduled meeting with Vladimir Putin and calls former lawyer 'weak' in response to new guilty plea in federal court
Donald Trump Jr. could be the next person facing renewed scrutiny on Thursday after a guilty plea in federal court by his father's former private attorney, according to at least one expert on the case, "directly" implicates not just President Trump but his eldest son as well.
"Don Jr is in immediate trouble and pops isn't that far behind." --journalist Marcy Wheeler
Trump has reportedly canceled a scheduled meeting with Russia President Vladimir Putin at this weekend's G20 summit and he lashed out at Michael Cohen after the former lawyer entered the guilty plea for lying to Congress about a Russian real estate deal he worked on while Trump was running for president in 2016.
According to the Associated Press:
Cohen told the judge he lied about the timing of the negotiations and other details to be consistent with Trump's "political message." Cohen and prosecutors referred to Trump as "individual one" throughout Thursday's proceedings and said he lied "to be loyal to Individual One."
Among other lies, Cohen said he told Congress that all discussions about building a Trump Tower in Moscow had ended by January 2016, when they had actually continued until June of that year. He said he also lied about his contacts with Russian officials and lied when he said he never agreed to travel to Russia in connection with the project and never considered asking Trump to travel to support the project.
Prosecutors said in a court complaint that Cohen had misled Congress to give a false impression that the Moscow project had ended before the Iowa caucus and first Republican presidential primary in 2016.
Depending on what else Special Counsel Robert Mueller has come to understand about various aspects of the case--including what he recently told Mueller in written testimony--Cohen's guilty plea could have significant ramifications:
In the wake of the news, Trump spoke to reporters outside the White House where he called Cohen a "weak person" and accused him of lying to get a lighter sentence.
Independent researcher and journalist Marcy Wheeler, in a post late Thursday morning, argued that Cohen's testimony "directly" implicates both the president and "his spawn" - meaning Donald Trump Jr., the oldest of the president's five children.
After running through the details of the testimony, and referring to Trump's recent written answers he submitted in response to Mueller's questions, Wheeler says that she "would bet a lot of money Trump lied in his answer" about the contacts he had regarding the Russia real estate deal in 2016. "Don Jr.," she concludes, "is in immediate trouble and pops isn't that far behind."
The morning's developments, especially in light of the Republican's in the Senate blocking an effort on Wednesday to insulate the Mueller probe from further inrterference from the White House, advocacy groups like Public Citizen called on constituents to call their lawmakers and urge them to act:
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Donald Trump Jr. could be the next person facing renewed scrutiny on Thursday after a guilty plea in federal court by his father's former private attorney, according to at least one expert on the case, "directly" implicates not just President Trump but his eldest son as well.
"Don Jr is in immediate trouble and pops isn't that far behind." --journalist Marcy Wheeler
Trump has reportedly canceled a scheduled meeting with Russia President Vladimir Putin at this weekend's G20 summit and he lashed out at Michael Cohen after the former lawyer entered the guilty plea for lying to Congress about a Russian real estate deal he worked on while Trump was running for president in 2016.
According to the Associated Press:
Cohen told the judge he lied about the timing of the negotiations and other details to be consistent with Trump's "political message." Cohen and prosecutors referred to Trump as "individual one" throughout Thursday's proceedings and said he lied "to be loyal to Individual One."
Among other lies, Cohen said he told Congress that all discussions about building a Trump Tower in Moscow had ended by January 2016, when they had actually continued until June of that year. He said he also lied about his contacts with Russian officials and lied when he said he never agreed to travel to Russia in connection with the project and never considered asking Trump to travel to support the project.
Prosecutors said in a court complaint that Cohen had misled Congress to give a false impression that the Moscow project had ended before the Iowa caucus and first Republican presidential primary in 2016.
Depending on what else Special Counsel Robert Mueller has come to understand about various aspects of the case--including what he recently told Mueller in written testimony--Cohen's guilty plea could have significant ramifications:
In the wake of the news, Trump spoke to reporters outside the White House where he called Cohen a "weak person" and accused him of lying to get a lighter sentence.
Independent researcher and journalist Marcy Wheeler, in a post late Thursday morning, argued that Cohen's testimony "directly" implicates both the president and "his spawn" - meaning Donald Trump Jr., the oldest of the president's five children.
After running through the details of the testimony, and referring to Trump's recent written answers he submitted in response to Mueller's questions, Wheeler says that she "would bet a lot of money Trump lied in his answer" about the contacts he had regarding the Russia real estate deal in 2016. "Don Jr.," she concludes, "is in immediate trouble and pops isn't that far behind."
The morning's developments, especially in light of the Republican's in the Senate blocking an effort on Wednesday to insulate the Mueller probe from further inrterference from the White House, advocacy groups like Public Citizen called on constituents to call their lawmakers and urge them to act:
Donald Trump Jr. could be the next person facing renewed scrutiny on Thursday after a guilty plea in federal court by his father's former private attorney, according to at least one expert on the case, "directly" implicates not just President Trump but his eldest son as well.
"Don Jr is in immediate trouble and pops isn't that far behind." --journalist Marcy Wheeler
Trump has reportedly canceled a scheduled meeting with Russia President Vladimir Putin at this weekend's G20 summit and he lashed out at Michael Cohen after the former lawyer entered the guilty plea for lying to Congress about a Russian real estate deal he worked on while Trump was running for president in 2016.
According to the Associated Press:
Cohen told the judge he lied about the timing of the negotiations and other details to be consistent with Trump's "political message." Cohen and prosecutors referred to Trump as "individual one" throughout Thursday's proceedings and said he lied "to be loyal to Individual One."
Among other lies, Cohen said he told Congress that all discussions about building a Trump Tower in Moscow had ended by January 2016, when they had actually continued until June of that year. He said he also lied about his contacts with Russian officials and lied when he said he never agreed to travel to Russia in connection with the project and never considered asking Trump to travel to support the project.
Prosecutors said in a court complaint that Cohen had misled Congress to give a false impression that the Moscow project had ended before the Iowa caucus and first Republican presidential primary in 2016.
Depending on what else Special Counsel Robert Mueller has come to understand about various aspects of the case--including what he recently told Mueller in written testimony--Cohen's guilty plea could have significant ramifications:
In the wake of the news, Trump spoke to reporters outside the White House where he called Cohen a "weak person" and accused him of lying to get a lighter sentence.
Independent researcher and journalist Marcy Wheeler, in a post late Thursday morning, argued that Cohen's testimony "directly" implicates both the president and "his spawn" - meaning Donald Trump Jr., the oldest of the president's five children.
After running through the details of the testimony, and referring to Trump's recent written answers he submitted in response to Mueller's questions, Wheeler says that she "would bet a lot of money Trump lied in his answer" about the contacts he had regarding the Russia real estate deal in 2016. "Don Jr.," she concludes, "is in immediate trouble and pops isn't that far behind."
The morning's developments, especially in light of the Republican's in the Senate blocking an effort on Wednesday to insulate the Mueller probe from further inrterference from the White House, advocacy groups like Public Citizen called on constituents to call their lawmakers and urge them to act: