Cohen pleaded guilty to felonies. Trump falsely said they're not crimes
(CNN) https://a.msn.com/r/2/BBMiipQ?m=en-us&referrerID=InAppShare
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"Michael Cohen plead guilty to two counts of campaign finance violations that are not a crime. President Obama had a big campaign finance violation and it was easily settled!" Trump tweeted.
Cohen did indeed plead guilty to two campaign finance violations -- making an excessive campaign contribution and causing an unlawful corporate contribution -- stemming from payments Cohen made to keep two women's allegations of an affair with Trump out of the public eye during the 2016 campaign. Cohen was subsequently reimbursed by the Trump Organization as part of a "retainer agreement" which prosecutors said did not exist and was not in connection with any legal fees.
Both of the campaign finance-related felonies to which Cohen plead guilty carry a maximum of five years in prison per charge.
"What he admitted to is a crime. It's a violation of a law and he plead to a criminal violation of that law. Therefore it's a crime. He plead to a crime," said Larry Noble, the former general counsel of the Federal Election Commission who is now senior director at the Campaign Legal Center.
