Cohen says Trump knew hush money payment was wrong

[Cardinal]

Last Friday it became confirmed that Trump ordered Cohen to commit conduct that might be campaign finance crimes, conduct which was subsequently confirmed later by AMI. Since at least five months ago, the rebuttal from informed election law experts has been that this conduct was not a crime, and still is not a crime.

Trump's lawyer disagrees with you.

 

[maxparrish]

Trump's lawyer disagrees with you.

By now it should be apparent to all but the most obtuse that Cohen is not someone you should rely on for knowledge of election law; and that was before he was threatened with a 65 years in prison unless he changed his story.

 

[Visbek]

Yet, as usual, none of this amounts to a crime....

Incorrect.

If Trump was a private citizen, it would be legal for Cohen and AMI to pay someone to stay quiet.

However, Trump was not a private citizen. He was running a campaign for President. When Cohen and AMI paid women to stay quiet, that qualifies as a campaign contribution.

Not only were the amounts spent in excess of campaign contribution laws, they weren't declared. Both Cohen and Pecker/AMI have explicitly stated that the payments were made to influence the election. That's a federal felony.

Oh, and Cohen said today that"There is a substantial amount of information that [the prosecutors] possessed that corroborates the fact that I am telling the truth." Ooops.

 

[Cardinal]

By now it should be apparent to all but the most obtuse that Cohen is not someone you should rely on for knowledge of election law; and that was before he was threatened with a 65 years in prison unless he changed his story.

As I said, Trump's lawyer disagrees with you. He says Trump committed a crime. You're going to need to change your position to "I don't care that Trump committed a crime" now.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

Oh, you were in the room? Do tell....

You do realize what "along the lines of" and "potentially" mean, don't you?

You do know the difference between "What DID happen" and "What MIGHT HAVE happened", don't you?

 

[Moderate Right]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46563979

US President Donald Trump's former lawyer insists Mr Trump knew making hush money payments during the 2016 presidential campaign was wrong.

Speaking after he was sentenced to prison for campaign finance and fraud crimes, Michael Cohen told ABC News: "He directed me to make the payments."
==================================
Cohen further stated that nothing was ever done in the Trump Org. without his approval.

The web continues to enmesh Trump. I hope the country survives.

So? What does that prove? All it proves is that Cohen will do or say anything to lessen his troubles. This is the guy that Mueller threw the book at for being uncooperative but we should believe him about this one thing.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

The above was part of an op-ed by Hans A. von Spakovsky, former justice department attorney who claims, Michael Cohen and Trump did NOT violate campaign finance law – despite Cohen's guilty plea.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/mic...mpaign-finance-law-despite-cohens-guilty-plea

Yep, and as Mr. Trump's supporters (and Ms. Clinton's supporters too) are quite fond of saying "That's ONLY an opinion and opinions are not facts.".

You are aware that there are other opinions out there that hold that the payments WERE "campaign related", aren't you?

 

[beefheart]

So? What does that prove? All it proves is that Cohen will do or say anything to lessen his troubles. This is the guy that Mueller threw the book at for being uncooperative but we should believe him about this one thing.

Yet you don't seem to worry that Individual 1 will do or say anything to lessen his troubles, do you?

Hypocrisy, you are soaking in it.

 

[Deuce]

I am not under any obligation to do anything you demand...The arrogance that you think I am is kind of funny....

Yes, how arrogant to expect you to provide evidence to support your dumbass claim.

Liberals don't think Cohen is a good person. If you don't get that, well, I can't help you.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

If Cohen knew that these transactions violated the law why didn't Cohen just refuse to do them, after all he is the lawyer and he should have know the law regardless if Trump ask him to do it anyway, just say NO.

You do realize that unethical people will do unethical things if they think that they can get away with doing them, don't you?

You do realize that dishonest people will do dishonest things if they think that they can get away with doing them, don't you?

You do realize that stupid people will accept the word of people (that they know, or ought reasonably to know, are untrustworthy) to protect them if they get caught doing something that is unethical and/or illegal, don't you?

So that leave (at least) four possible answers to your question, those answers being:

1. Because Mr. Cohen is an unethical person;
2. Because Mr. Cohen is a dishonest person;
3. Because Mr. Cohen is a stupid person; and
4. a combination of two or more of the above.

I think that it is safe to leave "Because Donald Trump is able to control the minds of other people through His superior mental strength and through the use of the Vulcan Mind Meld." out of the mix for now.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

No, it is just interesting don't you think? An entire floor has been vacated for a hearing.

I do have to admit that that is a VERY unusual situation.

Speculation is bound to enjoy free rein.

 

[Atomic Kid]

I love how in today's world, liars, and scum like Cohen can redeem themselves, and their reputation simply by saying what liberals want to hear....

You mean redeem as in confessing to their crimes and accepting the consequences and responsibility for their actions.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

You used quote marks around statements that you said her "along the lines of".

Indeed I did.

Did you know that the standard convention in written English when setting out something resembling a statement is to put that inside quotation marks? Or is that one of those things that your school didn't think was essential for you to know?

So what did he really say?

Gosh, I don't know what Mr. Trump "actually said", I was speculating on what he MIGHT have said.

You do know the difference, don't you?

And if you don't know please quote the document that from which the paraphrase originated.

You do know that "might have said something along the lines of" is NOT the same thing as a paraphrase, don't you?

Till then, sounds like more unsupported embellishment.

Nope, I was advancing a possibility.

Now I will be more than happy to say that that possibility did not happen as soon as someone reveals what was actually said.

Feel free to provide what was ACTUALLY said.

PS - Don't worry about violating "solicitor-client privilege" since Mr. Trump has already done so (as I am sure that his lawyers informed him both before and after he stated that he was only acting on the advice of counsel.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

Last Friday it became confirmed that Trump ordered Cohen to commit conduct that might be campaign finance crimes, conduct which was subsequently confirmed later by AMI. Since at least five months ago, the rebuttal from informed election law experts has been that this conduct was not a crime, and still is not a crime.

Somehow the Internet seems to have "clipped" your

Last Friday it became confirmed that Trump ordered Cohen to commit conduct that might be campaign finance crimes, conduct which was subsequently confirmed later by AMI. Since at least five months ago, the rebuttal from some informed election law experts has been that this conduct was not a crime, and still is not a crime, and that's what I want to believe so I'm going to pretend that there are no other opinions out there that differ from the reality that I want to believe in.
(suspected missing words emphasized)
​

so that it came out in the quote.

 

[JustHanging]

I reject your characterization that our President is a "gangster".

Hey, we agree on something.

Trump is a blatant racist, a common flimflam man, but not a gangster. What gang would want an idiot and spoiled man-child like Trump around?

 

[j-mac]

So, you call Cohen a liar and dismiss him, and you admit that Individual 1 lies, yet you defend him. Nice hypocrisy strategy you have there.

Come on man...This is about sex....I think if you interviewed 100 guys about affairs they had, 99 of them initially would lie about it....That doesn't make it impeachable....It has nothing to do with this supposed Russian collusion. Democrats can go after him if they wish, but take it from a conservative that lived through the Bill Clinton impeachment, you can do it, but you'll pay a price...

 

[Bullseye]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46563979

US President Donald Trump's former lawyer insists Mr Trump knew making hush money payments during the 2016 presidential campaign was wrong.

Speaking after he was sentenced to prison for campaign finance and fraud crimes, Michael Cohen told ABC News: "He directed me to make the payments."
==================================
Cohen further stated that nothing was ever done in the Trump Org. without his approval.

The web continues to enmesh Trump. I hope the country survives.

Well, there you have it. Done deal. Lock him up.

 

[Carleen]

If Cohen knew that these transactions violated the law why didn't Cohen just refuse to do them, after all he is the lawyer and he should have know the law regardless if Trump ask him to do it anyway, just say NO.

Cohen is as crooked as the day is long. He was being loyal to Trump.

 

[j-mac]

You do realize what "along the lines of" and "potentially" mean, don't you?

You do know the difference between "What DID happen" and "What MIGHT HAVE happened", don't you?

Of course...And I know the difference between someone looking at this objectively, and someone who is approaching it dishonestly looks like too....

 

[beefheart]

Come on man...This is about sex....I think if you interviewed 100 guys about affairs they had, 99 of them initially would lie about it....That doesn't make it impeachable....It has nothing to do with this supposed Russian collusion. Democrats can go after him if they wish, but take it from a conservative that lived through the Bill Clinton impeachment, you can do it, but you'll pay a price...

No, you claim some moral high ground about Cohen lying, then you have no problem about Individual 1 lying.

Pure hypocrisy, and all the crap you are saying about "But Clinton!" and "its only sex" are just lame attempts by you to justify your blatant hypocrisy.

No, this isn't about Russian collusion...but the other stuff Mueller is looking at is about Russian collusion. You need to keep track of your cult leaders misdeeds.

 

[Athanasius68]

Last Friday it became confirmed that Trump ordered Cohen to commit campaign finance crimes, which was subsequently confirmed later by AMI. Since that week, the rebuttal has changed from "Cohen is lying" to "these aren't real crimes" to "I don't care if he committed to crimes" to "Clinton skated by impeachment so don't care."

Now, a full week later, Giuliani admits his client committed that crime:

“Nobody got killed, nobody got robbed… This was not a big crime,” Giuliani told The Daily Beast on Wednesday.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-j...-cohen-as-trumps-national-enquirer-connection

Giulliani stated today that his opinion hasnt change. He stated that the payments were not a crime.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...BBAB&usg=AOvVaw0KGk4j4py60Kbfld_Abbf9&ampcf=1

 

[Cardinal]

Giulliani stated today that his opinion hasnt change. He stated that the payments were not a crime.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...gQIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw0KGk4j4py60Kbfld_Abbf9&cf=1

"This was not a big crime."

He's acknowledging that it was a crime. You're going to need to change your position to "I don't care that it's a crime" now.

 

[Fruityfact]

1. You have absolutely NO idea what "type of person" I am based on postings on an anonymous message board....Just as I don't, and wouldn't presume about you were I to ever meet you.

2. Chanting nonsense at a rally is meaningless....Obviously she's not "locked up" is she? So, rhetoric triggers people on both sides all the time....:shrug:

1. Did you or did you not argue that this investigation should be done? You're not under oath here, so feel free to lie here.

2. Both sides. Such a pathetic cop-out that you thinks defends your bad faith arguments and unending hypocrisy. Imagine if Obama's close orbit had all of the convictions this criminal administration does. You'd call for his head. Actually you called for Obama's head without any evidence.

 

[maxparrish]

As I said, Trump's lawyer disagrees with you. He says Trump committed a crime. You're going to need to change your position to "I don't care that Trump committed a crime" now.

As you should have said, Trump's FORMER lawyer now says, after cutting a plea deal that resulted in his potential sentence being reduced by 95%, that Trump "knew it was wrong" and that he did reputed "crimes" with him. My position remains, I don't care what a scared, bitter, 'save his own ass', fake tough-guy says on election laws that, even were he of decent character, he has no expertise in.

But you do...I get that.

 

[Athanasius68]

"This was not a big crime."

He's acknowledging that it was a crime. You're going to need to change your position to "I don't care that it's a crime" now.

He said flat out today its not a crime. Its right there. His tweet is cited in the article linked.