Michael Cohen's lawyer says he will not accept pardon from 'criminal' Donald Trump

[highplainsdem]

Source: The Independent

Michael Cohen's lawyer has said his client will refuse any pardon from Donald Trump, branding the US president a "criminal".

Lanny Davis, who was hired by Mr Cohen last month, told National Public Radio Mr Trump's former attorney would "never" accept a pardon from "a man that he considers to be a corrupt and a dangerous person".

-snip-

"He has flatly authorised me to say under no circumstances would he accept a pardon from Mr Trump, who uses the pardon power in a way that no president in American history has ever used," he said.

Mr Davis accused Mr Trump of using the power to "relieve people of guilt" for "political cronies" who "committed crimes", adding, "Mr Cohen is not interested in being dirtied by a pardon from such a man".

-snip-

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/michael-cohen-donald-trump-pardon-trial-guilty-russia-investigation-a8502451.html

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Audio of NPR interview here:

https://www.npr.org/2018/08/22/640795902/michael-cohens-attorney-lanny-davis-speaks-out-about-guilty-pleas

[fountainofyouth]

1. Well then!

D'you wanna to go WAR?

[volstork]

2. "Mr Cohen is not interested in being dirtied by a pardon from such a man".

...but somehow had no problem being dirtied by being on the payroll for such a man.

[mpcamb]

3. I know this isn't a 'change of heart', but I still like it.

It's the kind of statement that changes the discussion.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Michael Cohen sees the light

Sounds to me like he doesn't want to be remembered to history as someone who only flipped to save himself. He's refusing a pardon here, he's cooperated to a certain point without a deal for further cooperation. Either they have everything they need from him, and there is all that evidence, or he really has sided with his conscience. He is a lawyer, they are taught right from wrong. Surely he was dependent on Trump's legal business for his income, he likely went along with or winked at a lot that gave him pause, and never expected Trump to win the election. From the Tower meeting on, some participants had to be talking to themselves. Except for the arrogant cheaters at the top that planned the whole thing.

[Lulu KC]

5. I was so hoping Martha Stewart would say this

Must hand it to Cohen. Good with the comic relief.

[wishstar]

6. Cohen hopes he will get no prison if he fully cooperates before his December sentencing

His statements yesterday incriminating Trump and his lawyer's statements are very clear. Cohen prefers to stay out of jail by telling all he knows rather than languishing in jail like Manafort, waiting around for an elusive pardon that may never come because Trump needs fall guys to get out of his Russian conspiracy problems and Manafort and Cohen fit the bill as Trump scapegoats.

[amcgrath]

7. There is zero chance

that Trump would pardon someone who has betrayed him.

Lanny Davis, your client is a scumbag. When you portray him as some sort of 'fighter for justice' you embarrass yourself and demean any argument you might make.

You are both just humping the leg of the Mueller investigation and trying to rebrand Cohen as a decent man.

He is not.

[Roy Rolling]

11. Forgiveness

Nobody expects him to "rebrand" Cohen. Cohen is starting a new life. He deserves the benefit of the doubt. The lifestyle of a Trump "fixer" was a dead end, he's taking a new path.

He's not "rebranding" as a saint, he's "repositioning" himself as the criminal who brought down Trump. He deserves recognition for that, not a refusal to acknowledge it because he is a lifelong weasel.

[colorado_ufo]

13. Agree.

He has a family he loves. Give the man a chance. He is also extremely hurt that after all this devotion he was made a fool and thrown under the bus.

[D23MIURG23]

16. Cohen is a scumbag, but if he wants to go legit he could be useful.

It's a common tactic to try to get a client off by cooperating and behaving decently. No need to attack the Davis for trying to go down this route with Cohen.

[gordianot]

8. Cohen saw Manafort go to jail.

Even though Manafort could get a pardon he is finished post pardon. Cohen really wants to be a latter day John Dean. At the end of the day who wants to be a broke ex con with huge legal bills?

[dalton99a]

9. He's right. Donald Trump is a criminal who belongs in prison.

[workinclasszero]

20. 100% right

Trump is the head of a crime family that has been looting the public treasury since day one of his installation.

[SWBTATTReg]

24. You said it perfectly! This illegal president needs to be ...

impeached and thrown out of office....

[GetRidOfThem]

10. Avenatti voiced an interesting theory...

Michael is angry because Agent Orange never invited him to join him in the White House...

Good Mob bosses don't forget their most loyal underlings...

[sarge43]

12. Hold your enemies close, your friends closer n/t

[BigmanPigman]

14. MSNBC said that Cohen has state charges

against him and those can't be pardoned by tRump.

[dixiegrrrrl]

30. Glad you spotted that.

I have no idea why Davis would say what he did other than a dig at trump.

[Dopers_Greed]

15. Hold on to your butts

[yuiyoshida]

19. ...

[truthisfreedom]

17. "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy."

[karin_sj]

18. Wow, that's great that he said this

Because it brings attention to what Trump is trying to do by normalizing the pardoning of criminals like that deranged sheriff Arpaio & Scooter Libby, the guy who took the fall for some of the crimes committed by the Bush administration.

If Trump tries to pardon Manafort or anyone else, hopefully, these words will be remembered and repeated.

[MosheFeingold]

21. Then his lawyer is an idiot

His job is to help his client not go to prison.

Politics be damned, I'd take a pardon.

[marylandblue]

28. Lawyer's job is to follow client's wishes

A lawyer may advise a client that he should plead not guilty because the prosecution's case is weak, but the client may still plead guilty for his own reasons.

[DeminPennswoods]

22. Cohen's "Saul at Tarsus" moment

imho. Don't forget John Dean was a Nixon man and up to his ears in Watergate, even originating the infamous "enemies list" letter. Dean came clean, went to jail and now is a respected elder. There's no reason Cohen can't go down the same path.

[bearsfootball516]

26. If Cohen ends up bringing down the Trump Administration, he'll be regarded as a hero by the left.

[cstanleytech]

23. Why do I get the feeling he is fishing for a pardon from Pence? Cohen better just hope if he is

that Mueller does not find evidence that Pence was in on the scheme as well because then that pardon goes flying out the window as well.

[Major Nikon]

25. Not every day you see a tax cheat with principles.

[drray23]

27. its not out of trying to be above the fray

Its because his only hope to get ALL charges wiped is to cooperate. Trump's pardon would only remove the federal charges.

[marylandblue]

29. Maybe so, but why did he announce that?

He wants to stick it to Trump, and he is willing to spend at least some time in jail to make it happen.

[Hekate]

31. Ooooo-kay.

Waiting for the other shoe to drop.