Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen reportedly spent 70 hours being questioned by the special counsel. And if the questioning tactics were as abusive as those described by Jerome Corsi, there’s no telling what they got him to say. Cohen pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to one count of lying to Congress about what they’re calling “the Moscow project,” Trump’s exploratory efforts to build a Trump Tower hotel in Moscow. Cohen had told Congress that discussions ended in January of 2016, but he later told the special counsel that they went on for several more months, while Trump was running for President.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. The discussions, I mean. They were perfectly legal. Lying to Congress, that’s wrong.
BuzzFeed put out a story that has been slammed by Trump as false --- it wouldn’t be the first time BuzzFeed has run “fake news” --- that as part of the negotiations, the Trump Organization planned to give Vladimir Putin the $50 million penthouse in Trump Tower Moscow, as a way to induce Russian oligarchs to live there.
According to a report from FOX News’ John Roberts, a spokesperson close to the President said that Trump has never heard of any such deal and that the story was “nuts.”
Not only did the Trump people not consider the absurd “Vlad’s penthouse” deal, but the entire hotel project fell through. It never got beyond the talking stage. The Trump Organization never invested any money and, in fact, has no buildings in Russia at all.
“He’s lying about a project that everybody knew about,” Trump said on Thursday. “I mean, we were very open with it. We were thinking about building a building...I decided ultimately not to do it. There would’ve been nothing wrong if I DID do it.” He noted that Cohen was facing a long prison sentence and was trying to offer something to the special counsel that would shorten that.
Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani essentially echoed what Trump said, making it clear that Cohen’s serious crimes of bank and tax fraud have nothing to do with the Trump Organization. I would add that with such serious crimes and also with lying to Congress, he’s not a very impressive witness for the special counsel.
Cohen probably assumed that, compared with what the special counsel could do to him, a charge of lying to Congress would be no big deal, and who could blame him? Think of all the people who have lied to Congress or an investigative body and were never even prosecuted; here are some of them: Hillary Clinton, her aides Huma Abedin and Cheryl Mills, John Brennan, James Clapper, James Comey, Andrew McCabe (who at least was fired over it), Christopher Steele, and Bruce Ohr of the DOJ and/or Glenn Simpson of Fusion GPS. Everyone who assisted in creating and submitting the FISA application and its three renewals was lying, too. And there are many more. Prosecutions for this are so rare that in the 60-year period ending in 2007, only six people have faced charges for lying to Congress.
Apparently, this law is kept in reserve to prosecute political enemies. Like anybody who worked for Donald Trump.
Also, as Alan Dershowitz pointed out on Wednesday’s Sean Hannity show, the very thing that would be called a bribe if you or I offered it is dangled by prosecutors before witnesses all the time. To get the testimony they want, they offer gifts of shorter sentences, probation instead of jail time, visits with family, etc. Also, the special counsel is supposed to be going after crimes that occurred in the past, but “instead, he is facilitating and incentivizing the (new) crimes (of lying) by creating these perjury traps” that, ironically, can only be sprung by a lie. And in this case, the lies have nothing to do with the President.
Dershowitz warned that Mueller’s report will be “based on the testimony of people who have lied and have not been cross-examined.” He says that even without evidence of actual crimes committed by Trump, it will be put together in a way that is “devastating” unless it is simultaneously rebutted. Trump’s lawyers must demand that the Justice Department not allow the release of the Mueller report until they’ve had a chance to go through it and write a rebuttal. (That sounds good, but in the real world, Mueller's report is bound to leak.)
According to Dershowitz, Mueller has come up with nothing criminal so he’s focusing on “political sins,” like using information that somebody else (WikiLeaks) leaked or stole, or talking about building a hotel in Moscow, There’s nothing unlawful about any of that. When it comes down to it, the only crimes Mueller has found are those he himself has helped facilitate by getting witnesses to lie in front of investigators. In other words, if there weren’t a special counsel, there would be no crimes! Yet he needs those lies to further his narrative.
As for the timing of Mueller’s announcement about Cohen, reporter John Solomon finds it quite significant, theorizing that the special counsel waited until Trump had turned in the written answers to his questions and he saw that he hadn’t caught the President in a perjury trap (sad trombone). Trump had answered every question in a way that was consistent with the evidence, so Mueller turned to “cleaning up” the Cohen part of the investigation.
Andrew McCarthy at NATIONAL REVIEW deduces from this latest guilty plea that Mueller is scrutinizing Trump’s business connections to Russia. Trump has made it clear that he has nothing to do with Russia --- “no deals, no loans, nothing!” He’s been very open about this, saying the only business he’s had were some condo sales and one big real estate deal in Florida in which he bought a mansion for $40 million and sold it to a Russian oligarch for $100 million. (In case you didn’t know, “oligarch” means “rich guy.”)
McCarthy also notes that Cohen has not been charged with any offense relating to Russian interference in the 2016 election. He thinks the place Mueller is headed now is the infamous Trump Tower meeting that included Don Jr. and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskya. He still thinks that meeting may have been a set-up --- that Putin played the Trump campaign by getting them to take a meeting in the hope of getting dirt on Hillary, which compromised candidate Trump. Strategically, that would have given him an advantage in later negotiations with a President Trump.
One can only imagine what Putin might have had on Hillary to hold over her head if she had become President. Wow, did our country dodge a bullet on that one. But I digress.
If you want to get “into the weeds” on the attention being given to the Trump Tower meeting, McCarthy has the details, at the link.
LEAVE ME A COMMENT BY CLICKING HERE. I READ THEM!
Permalink: https://www.mikehuckabee.com/2018/11/trump-and-russia-liar-michael-cohen-makes-a-sorry-witness
Comments 1-16 of 16
kay kunter
12/04/2018 09:45 AM
It seems pretty apparent to me that Mueller's investigation to get to the truth is all about slamming President Trump for crimes imagined. And there will be no truth. It would be good if President Trump could bring charges against Mueller and his band of merry democratic lawyers. Let's see, what about the Uranium One deal when Mueller was at the FBI or all the unrevealed documents we taxpayers would love to see. So frustrated and wanting to see real justice from the government. And tired of Republicans who will not support the President in his efforts to build the wall, stop chain migration, and birthright citizenship for every relative who ever came here. We need to keep fighting. Is there nothing we the American people can do to stop the fake media and injustice?
kay kunter
12/04/2018 09:44 AM
It seems pretty apparent to me that Mueller's investigation to get to the truth is all about slamming President Trump for crimes imagined. And there will be no truth. It would be good if President Trump could bring charges against Mueller and his band of merry democratic lawyers. Let's see, what about the Uranium One deal when Mueller was at the FBI or all the unrevealed documents we taxpayers would love to see. So frustrated and wanting to see real justice from the government. And tired of Republicans who will not support the President in his efforts to build the wall, stop chain migration, and birthright citizenship for every relative who ever came here. We need to keep fighting. Is there nothing we the American people can do to stop the fake media and injustice?
James Espinoza
12/02/2018 02:13 AM
Thanks for all your comments , knowledge and all the important information you share with us.
You are truly a great American. Keep up the good work........
Thank You,
James
Stephen Russell
12/01/2018 05:49 PM
HW Bush passing: Amen & Im glad, He was NO Fan of Trump day 1, Damn globalist.
The whole Bush family.
Sorry, Governor & Id feel the same for GW 2.
NO estd Republican honored Trump during race & since 1-17.
Feel nothing for him, only +is his resume & positions held prior being made Pres.
Amelia Little
12/01/2018 03:38 PM
It's time--very much PAST time--for the acting AG to stand up to mueller and the kangaroo court. Direct them to focus SOLELY on what they assembled for, and quit with following any butterfly they think can lead them to, if not the President, to anyone ever associated with the President. You know, ruin their lives with thing they are not investigating. It's also way past time for those who HAVE been found colluding with Russia and the elections (that would be obama, hilary, FBI, DOJ, Fusion, the ohrs EVERYONE to be charged, tried and CONVICTED of the crimes mueller has been paid handsomely for (not only wasting tax payer money and LOTS of it for "salaries" for the counsel members, but also rich liberal/leftist/socialists--we all know the biggest contributor.) Sure, some of the lesser players have been questions, some have answered, some have not, and they get away with no repercussions, pretty much like lerner who still had a cushy job, same salary, and a retirement package the rest of us could only dream of. I don't see any of them being imprisioned like Manafort (for unrelated issues) or being ruined like General Flynn and others who have lost EVERYTHING.
Sorry to hear of the death of President George HW Bush. Even though he had a LONG life, it's sad to see him go.
It looks like filling the judicial openings is going to be an uphill battle--what with democrats obstructing just because they can, and people like flake (who was more and more RINO as time went on, he might as well leave declaring his obvious status as a democrat) gleefully go along with it. What is a pity is that EVERYTHING becomes a lawsuit. From objecting to President Trump's policies (which are what We The People voted him into office for) to whining about whether or not your neighbor's sprinkler gets your lawn wet.
I had no idea the number of earthquakes in Alaska. Hmm...don't hear about that on ANY news, msm or conservative. When I hear earthquake, I always think about CA--and there are only several major ones (if that many) that get coverage. I learn something new with each of your newsletters!!!
Rafael. A. Salaz
12/01/2018 11:59 AM
It is not good for any Judge to undermine the Presidents decisions to protect America, like closing the borders . We did not vote any of those Judges to lead the country. There is to many hands in the pot.
Carolyn Storer
12/01/2018 11:38 AM
Dear Mr Huckabee: I just have to comment on this as I cannot believe these people (Mueller & his cohorts, all Demoncrats & Rinos) are so stupid that they don’t realize that it is not Trump they are really dealing with which I don’t have to explain to you but the higher power of God Himself!!!!! Of course they are blinded by the demonic power of satan & his world! God help us all!! We are still praying & will continually pray for our leaders & our country!!! 2 Chronicles 7:14 & Joshua 24:15
Carolyn Korkmas
12/01/2018 10:56 AM
Thank you for doing what you can to get the truth out. We in Texas appreciate your efforts and wish you much success now and in the coming year.
We try always to watch your show on TBN each Saturday night. Keep up the good work and may you and your family have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy and Successful New Year! (And the same goes for Sarah, your daughter. We appreciate her tireless efforts in the White House and wish her a long tenure there.)
Michael Monnin
12/01/2018 10:24 AM
This is a complete fabricration.
Barry Mulder
11/30/2018 03:35 PM
Lying to congress can not be that bad, Clintons have been doing that for years and they are still running around. worrse than that the dems fraud the American people and there are no consequenses at all. they run free to lie anoher day.
James E Clark
11/30/2018 01:47 PM
I'm a 92 year old WW2 Veteran. You were my choice for President! You just make sense with common sense! Your daughter Sarah, is a chip off the old block. Best wishes, Governor! Sid Brodkin - Tucson, AZ - [email protected]
Years ago in business, I liked visiting Pine Bluff, with my friend Bennie Baims.
Marlene Helfrick
11/30/2018 11:19 AM
I have a suggestion, find out how many in our government have business investments in Russia or with Russian businesses, or any foreign investments with countries we are not friendly with. Should be interesting.
Stephen Russell
11/30/2018 11:00 AM
Mike Espey: Time to prosecute him,Mueller & Clintons since Mueller gave Espy at pass on his many sex crimes alone on Underaged girls?
Take down time, Espey & allies, Take NO Prisoners.
End this 2 tier Justice system
NO More, Its= for ALL or None.
Carmine Fea
11/30/2018 10:46 AM
Muller was employed by justice department Rosenstein and the FBI to destroy the presidency of Donald J. Trump, circumstantially evidenced by Muller's selection of democrats to investigate Trump and the FBI's e-mails about their insurance policy should Trump be elected president. The president should be on the offensive and not play defense when Mueller releases a report based on democrat biases and political destruction of a president of the opposite party. How can Muller's report be anything else. The president should not fire Muller. However, the president should have a special counsel appointed now to oversee Muller and his report, investigate Muller's harassment of witnesses and investigate crimes it appears were committed by the democrats, FBI, and justice department. Now is the time for the president to act and appoint a special counsel to counteract Muller.
William Kesler
11/30/2018 10:16 AM
So disturbing, what our country has become. It's also very frustrating that the majority have little voice. The conversation is largely controlled by the leftist media, a source of misinformation that covers 90% of all outlets... and I think I'm being conservative with my estimate...
So, what can we do? Is a country wide petition a possibility? Could we get volunteers to handle an area of each state to canvass for signatures of all the people who fed up with this corruption? I for one would volunteer my time to cover the central southern portion of NC. What do you think Mr Huckabee?
Matthew Nowell
11/30/2018 09:59 AM
Solid information as usual. Thanks Mr Huckabee