Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, turned over documents to lawmakers Wednesday as he tried to back up his claims that a false statement he delivered to Congress in 2017 was edited by the president's attorneys, two people familiar with the case said. He brought multiple drafts of his 2017 statement along with emails with Mr. Trump’s lawyers to back up the testimony he gave last week to Congress.
It's unclear who edited the documents or what exactly was changed.
In the testimony last week, Cohen said Trump's attorneys, including Jay Sekulow, had reviewed and edited the written statement he provided to Congress in 2017.
Cohen acknowledged in a guilty plea last year that he misled lawmakers by saying he had abandoned the Trump Tower Moscow project in January 2016, when in fact he pursued it for months after that as Trump campaigned for the presidency.
Exchange between the president's lawyers and Cohen indicate that the lawyers had detailed knowledge of what Cohen's testimony was going to be.
At issue is whether Trump's lawyers had any direct role in crafting it.
Cohen has said he believed the president wanted him to lie, but he also said Trump never directed him to do so.
Others familiar about discussions between Cohen and Trump's lawyers, say that Mr Cohen himself wrote that the Moscow project ended before the Iowa caucuses in January 2016.
A key figure in cooperating with special counsel Robert Meuller's probe and turning on his former boss, Cohen called Trump a racist, chat and conman in his last testimony before Congress.
He was also interviewed privately by both the Senate and House intelligence committees last week.
“I will continue to cooperate to the fullest extent of my capabilities,” Cohen said in a short statement.
Cohen's attorney, Lanny Davis, said in a statement after Cohen left the intelligence committee interview that he “responded to all questions truthfully” and agreed to provide more information in the future, if needed. Though initially seeking a pardon in lieu of his confession, no pardon was given and Cohen pleaded guilty.
