Trump Puts a Damper on Cohen’s Book Manuscript

by Daveda Gruber:

On Friday President Trump sought to discredit his onetime lawyer, Michael Cohen, by tweeting some of his thoughts on a book deal that Cohen was seeking.

The book deal that has been reportedly proposed paints Trump in a very different light that what was described by Cohen while he testified to Congress this week.

Cohen testified before a Congressional committee for three days in both public and private hearings on Capitol Hill.

Cohen was shopping the book to publishers weeks before the FBI raid on his office. It was reported that Cohen promised chapters would focus on first lady Melania Trump and Trump’s children, as well as the “unfortunate saga” of Stormy Daniels.

Trump’s tweets reflected his feeling on the matter:

The now-disbarred attorney gave disdainful testimony about Trump before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. Cohen out rightly called Trump a “racist,” a “conman” and “a cheat.”

Cohen’s testimony came after he pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a Trump real estate project in Russia as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling and potential collusion with Trump campaign associates.

Cohen has pleaded guilty to five counts of tax evasion, one count of making false statements to a financial institution, one count of willfully causing an unlawful corporate contribution, and one count of making an excessive campaign contribution.

Now the president and his Republican allies have aggressively sought to discredit the former Trump loyalist.

On Thursday, Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) wrote to Attorney General William P. Barr, asking him to investigate whether Cohen had perjured himself this week when he insisted during his testimony that he had not wanted a job in the Trump administration. Cohen said that he had been content to serve as Trump’s personal lawyer.

On Friday Republicans seized a video clip that has recently resurfaced from a November 2016 appearance by Cohen on CNN.

During the interview, Cohen is pressed by CNN’s Chris Cuomo about whether he would move from New York to Washington with Trump.

When asked if there was a chance Trump would ask him to take a job on either “the political side” or the “governmental side,” Cohen says, “I certainly hope so.” Asked if he’d go to Washington, Cohen says, “One hundred percent.”

During Wednesday’s congressional testimony, Cohen told lawmakers he was “extremely proud” to be the personal attorney for Trump as he became president.

But during his testimony Cohen said, “I did not want to go to the White House. I was offered jobs.”

Alleged contradictions seem to be surfacing from every which way. Cohen has promised to return to Capitol Hill and testify on March 6, 2019.

Cohen’s lawyer is Lanny Davis who is a longtime Clinton ally. From 1996 to 1998, he served as a special counsel to former President Bill Clinton. That fact alone makes me think that there is something rather fishy going on.

Trump said prosecutors should start looking at Democrats “where real crimes were committed.”

I agree with that 100 percent. As a Republican, I’ve been waiting for the real criminals to be arrested for what feels like a very long time.