NYT: Michael Cohen Says He Arranged Payments to Women at Trump's Direction

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Michael Cohen Says He Arranged Payments to Women at Trump’s Direction


https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/21/nyregion/michael-cohen-plea-deal-trump.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=span-ab-top-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

The former personal lawyer to President Trump pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations, as well as multiple counts of tax evasion and bank fraud.Published OnAug. 21, 2018CreditImage by Jeenah Moon for The New York Times

By William K. Rashbaum, Maggie Haberman, Ben Protess and Jim Rutenberg

Aug. 21, 2018

Michael D. Cohen, President Trump’s former lawyer, made the extraordinary admission in court on Tuesday that Mr. Trump had directed him to arrange payments to two women during the 2016 campaign to keep them from speaking publicly about affairs they said they had with Mr. Trump.

Mr. Cohen acknowledged the illegal payments while pleading guilty to breaking campaign finance laws and other charges, a litany of crimes that revealed both his shadowy involvement in Mr. Trump’s circle and his own corrupt business dealings.

He told a judge in United States District Court in Manhattan that the payments to the women were made “in coordination with and at the direction of a candidate for federal office,” implicating the president in a federal crime.

“I participated in this conduct, which on my part took place in Manhattan, for the principal purpose of influencing the election” for president in 2016, Mr. Cohen said..................................

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[wiggs]

1. there were rumors a year ago that Cohen had done this many, many times. nt