As I’m sure almost everyone knows, Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former attorney, testified before Congress this week. While Cohen testified before three House committees, this post addresses his comments to a public session of the House Oversight Committee.
Here are what I see as the most important things coming out of Cohen’s testimony:
- Cohen has checks signed by Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Allen Weisselberg (the chief finance officer of Trump’s business) demonstrating proof of the payouts to Stormy Daniels.
- I believe Allen Weisselberg will testify to Congress. His testimony will be far more substantive and important than was Cohen’s.
- Cohen’s stories about the ways Trump inflated and deflated the value of assets depending on whether he was talking to tax authorities or banks make his tax returns even more relevant and open up several additional lines of inquiry, particularly possible insurance fraud, for Democrats to pursue.
- The idea that Trump used charity funds to pay for his own portrait is disgusting. Since this accusation has been made by others (including the Attorney General of New York) it has a strong degree of credibility.
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Katie Hill, to freshman congresswomen, did the best job questioning Cohen.
- Republicans have no interest in the truth and repeatedly embarrassed themselves and their party.