President Trump's longtime personal lawyer and advocate Michael Cohen pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday morning for lying to Congress in 2017. He made a false statement to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence about plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 presidential election.
"Michael Cohen, 52, of New York, New York, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter of the Southern District of New York to making false statements to the U.S. Congress in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001 (a)(2)," the Special Counsel released.
The terms of the plea agreement can be found here.
Here's the Michael Cohen criminal information, via @lawfareblog: https://t.co/WOn1YWDybI pic.twitter.com/ZTNv5YjVfa
— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) November 29, 2018
Cohen faces five years in prison and will continue to cooperate with the Special Counsel investigation. In August, he pleaded guilty to eight charges related to campaign finance law, making false financial statements and tax fraud.
Throughout the week, President Trump has been attacking the Special Counsel investigation into the 2016 election.
So much happening with the now discredited Witch Hunt. This total Hoax will be studied for years!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2018
Did you ever see an investigation more in search of a crime? At the same time Mueller and the Angry Democrats aren’t even looking at the atrocious, and perhaps subversive, crimes that were committed by Crooked Hillary Clinton and the Democrats. A total disgrace!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2018
When will this illegal Joseph McCarthy style Witch Hunt, one that has shattered so many innocent lives, ever end-or will it just go on forever? After wasting more than $40,000,000 (is that possible?), it has proven only one thing-there was NO Collusion with Russia. So Ridiculous!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2018
For 2nd day in a row, Pres Trump likening the Mueller investigation to the Joe McCarthy witch hunt of the 50s, known for making reckless and unsubstantiated accusations against officials he suspect of communist views. McCarthy was eventually censured by the Senate in 1954. https://t.co/WajpHK8Rwu
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) November 29, 2018
Last week conservative Jerome Corsi said on his internet show that he was offered a plea deal by Special Counsel investigators. He has chosen to reject that deal and fight charges he believes are imminent.
I have retained attorney Larry Klayman to assist David Gray in my defense. In a memo to my attorneys, I have instructed Klayman and Gray to file with Acting AG Whitaker a criminal complaint against Mueller's Special Counsel and the DOJ for prosecutorial misconduct in my case.
— Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D. (@jerome_corsi) November 28, 2018
This story has been updated with additional information.