President Trump Directed His Attorney To Lie To Congress About The Moscow Tower Project

[pnwmom]

Source: BuzzFeed News

President Donald Trump directed his longtime attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, according to two federal law enforcement officials involved in an investigation of the matter.

Trump also supported a plan, set up by Cohen, to visit Russia during the presidential campaign, in order to personally meet President Vladimir Putin and jump-start the tower negotiations. "Make it happen," the sources said Trump told Cohen.

And even as Trump told the public he had no business deals with Russia, the sources said Trump and his children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., received regular, detailed updates about the real estate development from Cohen, whom they put in charge of the project.


Cohen pleaded guilty in November to lying about the deal in testimony and in a two-page statement to the Senate and House intelligence committees. Special counsel Robert Mueller noted that Cohen's false claim that the project ended in January 2016 was an attempt to "minimize links between the Moscow Project and Individual 1" -- widely understood to be Trump -- "in hopes of limiting the ongoing Russia investigations."



Read more: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonleopold/trump-russia-cohen-moscow-tower-mueller-investigation

---

The reporter who wrote the story is about to phone-in on Lawrence O'Donnell, MSNBC.

The reporter is saying that Mueller already had physical or other evidence that Trump had directed Cohen to lie BEFORE Cohen met with Mueller. So Cohen was confirming stuff that Mueller already knew.

ON UPDATE: Lawrence just pointed out that Michael Cohen kept TAPE RECORDINGS, which we know the FBI acquired during the raid. So it is POSSIBLE they even have Trump on tape, directing Cohen to lie.

Wouldn't that be something!

[louis c]

1. Kaboom...

...this will be a very interesting February

[htuttle]

2. That's a Grade A case for suborning perjury

https://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/suborning-perjury.htm

[Scruffy1]

8. According to this ......................

The person is not guilty of subborning perjury unless the person he asked actually committs perjury. I have no idea if this is correct and am not an attorney.

[mr_lebowski]

12. "Cohen pleaded guilty in November to lying about the deal"

What part of that makes you wonder whether Perjury ... was actually committed?

[htuttle]

19. Rep Swalwell just confirmed that he was under oath at the time -- so he committed perjury

And the President committed the felony of suborning perjury.

[dalton99a]

20. +1

[Volaris]

42. So that would make this 'high crime' Number 1.

GOOD
ITMF.

[dawg day]

52. Cohen was testifying under oath.

So yeah, he committed perjury, and Trump suborned it.

[Midnightwalk]

46. A trifecta?

Obstruction, suborning perjury and Mueller is sharp enough that this would have been touched in in the written questions/answers. There might be a perjury charge as well.

[elleng]

3. Story on Lawrence show now.

[emulatorloo]

28. Watching. Great panel

Thanks for the heads up

[emulatorloo]

4. Bombshell, thanks for posting

[oasis]

5. Lock him up!

[SergeStorms]

6. Uh oh...

more Trump lies and dirty deals. Can't this mofo ever tell the truth?

More charges stack up on Dirty Donnie. Good! I hope the son-of-a-bitch NEVER gets out of jail! Die there, you piece of snake shit.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. I hope Michael Cohen has bodyguards.

[Grasswire2]

14. He is worried about his family....and Lanny Davis weaseled today on The Beat...

...as to whether Cohen would actually proceed with appearing.

[SergeStorms]

26. I think it's far too late...

for any GOP scumbag to try anything like that. The evidence is too plentiful for the whacking of one man to make a difference. Mueller has the evidence for this, and probably many more, directions from Dirty Donnie to other to commit perjury.

[Wellstone ruled]

36. Interesting comments by Davis today.

Cohen has some real ugly Mobsters in his life. The Ukrainian and Russians do not play nice.

Said this before,when a body or bodies start showing up in car trunks in the Hudson,you know Vald is calling in his markers.

[Talitha]

55. "I hope Michael Cohen has bodyguards."

You bet!

Not only Cohen, but Mueller - and everyone else involved in exhuming the truth.

Never in my wildest nightmares did I ever imagine something like this happening to my country. And it happened right out in the open, and right under our noses.... all enabled by the Repugs.

[George II]

9. February 7 can't get here soon enough. I may have to get myself one of those 96" televisions!!!

[House of Roberts]

31. I have a 40 inch Toshiba that's nine years old.

I have room for up to a 60 inch. That's in my bedroom. I'm still not sure I am ready to step up, but a good reason would be new charges and indictments.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

37. Ha! may even be time to build a media room for it. ! nt

[spooky3]

51. All the better to watch those beads of sweat turn into torrents. Nt

[mr_lebowski]

10. Out of curiosity, what was the earliest date at which Trump said publicly

that he had no dealings/business/etc with Russia?

Because supposedly the negotiations on the Tower project ended before the Convention (june/july). I don't recall Trump starting to talk about how he has no Russia dealings until after that. Could be wrong, that's why I ask.

I only point it out because, if I'm correct ... I wish BuzzFeed, in stories like this ... would stay true to facts. I'd like to share it, but if there's inaccuracies ... I don't want to share it, even if the main gist is true. Buzzfeed is already considered sketchy by many, although I feel like they're 'right' a lot of the time ...

[RHMerriman]

17. Their two reporters are both Pulitzer recipients...

Their two reporters are both Pulitzer finalists/recipients... those don't get handed out for participation.

Buzzfeed published the Steele Dossier, and there certainly is a lot in the Steele Dossier that has been born out, and very little - if anything - that has been disproven.

They may be ahead of the curve, but I'm not going to say they're in error.

[mr_lebowski]

27. I know who Jason Leopold is, friend ...

Last edited Fri Jan 18, 2019, 12:44 AM - Edit history (1)

I also know all Buzzfeed reporters are not above interjecting little inaccuracies in their stories for effect. I've read them for well over a decade.

"Publishing the Steele Dossier" says nothing about Buzzfeed's accuracy, it means they published the work of Michael Steele (EDIT: Sorry, Christopher Steele!). And he was accurate. There's a difference.

And I don't doubt that the main gist is correct, but when I see little allusions like

And even as Trump told the public he had no business deals with Russia, the sources said Trump and his children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., received regular, detailed updates

and if they fly in the face of what I recall, such as that the "I have no business with Russia" claims from Trump came after the Convention ... whereas Cohen has also basically said the discussions were ended when Trump won the nomination ...

I'm not above questioning whether Buzzfeed is taking liberties with that particular accusation, put it that way.

Is it accurate to say that Trump was publicly denying any 'Russia Business' ... BEFORE the convention? That's all I'm asking ...

[TwilightZone]

43. Christopher Steele

Michael Steele was the head of the RNC.

[mr_lebowski]

44. Lol, you got me ... I always muck that one up ... lol (nt)

[OKNancy]

58. Jason Leopold was only a finalist in a group award for a Pulitzer, not a winner.

I hope the article is true but Leopold has MANY past problems with truthful/inaccurate reporting.

The Rove indictment story was particularly covered here on DU.
Salon also removed one of his articles for plagiarism.

OTOH, he has done some good reporting.

I just hope this is one of the "good" ones.

[SergeStorms]

22. It's been reported...

that the negotiations went on through the summer, when Trump was already the republiCON nominee. Trump is fucked three ways to Sunday.

[summer_in_TX]

48. There are actually TWO Trump Tower Moscow deals, according to Seth

Abramson. One is Trump-Rozov (signed in 2015, active at least until June 2016) and the other is Trump-Agalarov (signed in 2013, active at least until February 2017). Two letters of intent and two different timelines.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211503055

[gopiscrap]

11. Is this why he sent his wife to FL?

[Squinch]

13. February 7 is going to be wild.

[Leghorn21]

15. K&R and deep breaths!!

[BootinUp]

16. Do you like apples? Well we got the scoop. How

Do you like them apples Donny boy?

[dalton99a]

18. Impeach the Motherfucker.

[mastermind]

21. It would seem that he directed many to lie for him, as the traps are being sprung and as MSnBC

put it, they are all lawyering up. I think they did this because they figured they could get away with it, had the power of the president backing them up, the pardon option and cushy, well paid jobs waiting for them. They may get a pardon, from tRump or the fascist that replaces tRump. The GOP is one big RICO violation.

[Volaris]

45. That RICO indictment will come from Mueller's Grand Jury,

And IF it does , that shit will be IRONCLAD.
It will destroyed the Republican party as an American political force.

[trueblue2007]

23. get out the popcorn

[Sparkly]

24. .

[ProudMNDemocrat]

25. Donald Trump is FUCKED!!!!!!!

To instruct someone to lie on your behalf IS a crime.

Amy Klobuchar has William Barr by the balls when she asked him a barrage if questions on this very subject. Donald Trump knowingly told Michael Cohen to commit a crime. THIS is Obstruction of justice. We are in new territory here.

[Eyeball_Kid]

29. We've been here before.

Remember that Trumpy is “Individual #1” in a previous Cohen case in which he instructed Cohen to commit felonies. I don’t know which case is worse.

[mastermind]

30. The tRump crime family and the GOP in general think they are above the law and so far that seems to

be the case. I do not trust our justice system when so many fascists are federal judges, control most of the Gov and the Supreme court.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

33. There just may be enough in the Senate to convict after this.......

Other than Ted Cruz and Mitch McConnell, there has to be Senate Republicans with some principles who are so disgusted by the corruption surrounding Trump and his family. Enough may be coming to a head for the rule of law and our democracy to survive.

[MontanaMama]

49. Klobuchar kicked ass in that hearing.

I’m not going to lie, I find her very presidential.

[Scurrilous]

32. K&R

[JohnnyLib2]

34. Best news so far.

Gotta rest up, the White House trying to handle this one will be fascinating.

[cilla4progress]

35. Toast

all of them.

[slumcamper]

38. CROOK.

[Duppers]

39. TAPE RECORDINGS!! Yes!

Trump is now a trapped rat, trapped on all sides.

[RandySF]

40. Game. Set. Match.

Impeach the motherfucker.

[ffr]

41. Yes, I believe that too is an impeachable offense. What say you Mitch?

Coward. Complicit. Traitor!

[flotsam]

47. About time, a complete story, 40 replies, and Jason Leopold's name....

...without a single reference to business days-Fucking good! We never found out what happened with that one story that blew up but I for one am glad to see this day come-the man has done some good work. The day I can see a Will Pitt piece posted here without horseshit insults I will be very grateful. Too err is one thing or another, and then there is a second verse.

[dalton99a]

50. .

[Gothmog]

53. Amy knewed something

Link to tweet

?s=20

[pnwmom]

54. Amy is very, very, smart!

And likable!

[jcgoldie]

59. I am sure warming to her

She is very very likable and sincere. We could do a whole lot worse than to put up a candidate who is the anti-Trump in just about every way.

[Talitha]

56. Remember when Cohen said...

"Mueller knows everything".. or something to that effect?
I think this is what he was referring to.

Cohen is a crook and a liar (especially while employed by the Dumpster).
But I think he's telling the truth now - - and he's on a mission.

There's a thin line between loyalty/love and vengeance/hate.

The Dumpster threw Cohen across that line quite a while ago.

[nitpicker]

57. Link to BBC

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46915909

[bluestarone]

60. KICK!!!!!!!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

61. If suborning (obstructing justice) were only thing, Mueller would have finished long ago.

It means there are deeper darker crimes on tRump's head.