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Michael Cohen - the former lawyer of Donald Trump (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
According to The Politico, Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen has implicated the president in hush money payments that were aimed at buying the silence of two women who have alleged that they had an affair with the now US President. Cohen’s plea is understood to be a part of the deal he struck with federal prosecutors.
As per a Wall Street Journal report, Cohen admitted that he paid $130,000 to adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, popularly known as Stormy Daniels. He also claims to have arranged a $150,000 payment by the publisher of the National Enquirer to former Playboy model Karen McDougal.
Cohen, who has been on record stating that he would take a bullet for Trump, has now decided to take on his former boss. In a dramatic courtroom appearance on Tuesday (21 August), he pleaded guilty to as many eight criminal charges including tax evasion, financial fraud and campaign finance charges.
Cohen admitted in court that he worked “in coordination with and at the direction of a candidate for federal office” in making the payments.
Lanny Davis, a lawyer for Cohen, said in a statement that his client “stood up and testified under oath that Donald Trump directed him to commit a crime by making payments to two women for the principal purpose of influencing an election”.
In what is seen as deadly twin blow to Trump in a single day, his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been found guilty in his own fraud trial.
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