Takeaways from Cohen's Congress testimony
Michael Cohen told US Congress a lot - and much of it wasn't good for Donald Trump. In a matter-of-fact testimony, the former Trump lawyer drew a troubling picture of his former boss, implicating the president in lies big and small.
Here are a few key takeaways:
TRUMP SPOKE IN CODE
-Trump "in his way" communicated he wanted Cohen to lie to Congress about a Trump Tower Moscow deal he was negotiating during the 2016 presidential campaign. But the president was careful not to directly tell him to do so.
- Trump was more explicit when it came to concealing hush money payments to a porn actress. Cohen said Trump called him in February 2018 and asked him to lie about the payments and to lie to first lady Melania Trump about them. Trump signed cheques while in office to reimburse him for making a $US130,000 hush money payment to actress Stormy Daniels.
NO 'DIRECT' EVIDENCE OF COLLUSION
- Cohen isn't aware of direct evidence of coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election. But he does have "suspicions".
- Trump was told in advance that WikiLeaks planned to release emails damaging to Hillary Clinton's 2016 White House campaign. That allegation would contradict the president's assertions that he was in the dark on the issue.
- Cohen said Trump was "a racist", "a con man" and "a cheat", but also an "intoxicating" presence he followed blindly.
THERE'S MORE TO COME
- Prosecutors in New York are investigating conversations Trump or his advisers had with Cohen after the FBI raided his hotel room and office in April 2018.
AN EXAMPLE OF 'WHAT NOT TO DO'
- Cohen was remorseful for the crimes he committed. He choked up at one point and said he once had a "wonderful life" and now has "lost it all." He also said he regrets contributing to the "daily destruction of civility".
- He warned Republicans and others who "blindly" support Trump could end up suffering "the same consequences that I'm suffering."
ENTANGLING THE TRUMP CHILDREN
- Trump's children were key figures in a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen said he briefed Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. approximately 10 times about the business deal.
Australian Associated Press