Former Trump Lawyer Testifies in U.S. House of Representatives

Michael Cohen, former lawyer of Donald Trump, will testify against the President of the United States on Wednesday, March 8, before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, with statements that have already received widespread media coverage in the United States. The House meeting on March 9 is one of three meetings scheduled for this week, but it will be the only one with Michael Cohen that is public. According to the text of Mr. Cohen's statements, which have been obtained by U.S. media, the former lawyer will testify that his client, the current President of the United States, is a 'racist,' 'conman,' and 'cheat.' In another part of his testimony, which may be more damaging, Mr. Cohen is expected to testify that Donald Trump was aware in 2016 of WikiLeaks' intention to publish Hillary Clinton's emails. At that time, Ms. Clinton was Donald Trump's electoral rival. Mr. Cohen's testimony comes as Mr. Trump has always denied any connection with WikiLeaks. Cohen had postponed his congressional testimony earlier in February due to what he described as a 'threat' from Mr. Trump against his family. Donald Trump responded by saying that Cohen was 'only threatened by the truth.' Michael Cohen worked for Donald Trump for years and was known as Trump's 'fixer.' He once stated that he would be willing to 'take a bullet' for his boss. In late December of this year, Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for multiple crimes, including paying hush money to two women who claim to have had affairs with Mr. Trump. Cohen claims he paid this money on behalf of Donald Trump. The President of the United States responded to this sentence by saying, 'I never instructed Michael Cohen to break the law.' Donald Trump has also denied any sexual relationship with these women. According to U.S. law, if money was paid by Trump to these two women during the election campaign, or if this was done at Trump's request, it would be considered campaign-related payments and must be officially disclosed. Failure to disclose it could be considered a crime. Michael Cohen has also admitted to lying in his congressional testimony regarding Donald Trump's business activities in Russia, which is central to the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He has acknowledged hiding facts related to negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow from Congress, doing so 'out of loyalty to his boss.' However, Donald Trump has called for heavy punishment for his former lawyer, claiming Cohen is 'lying' to reduce his prison sentence. The upcoming House meeting is expected to focus on Mr. Trump's business practices and his financial matters. Donald Trump owns real estate, golf courses, and other investments in the U.S. and other countries. The investigation into Russian interference in the U.S. elections is overseen by Robert Mueller, the former FBI director, who has been appointed as the special investigator for these inquiries. Russia has denied any interference in the U.S. elections. Trump has repeatedly emphasized that he did not collude with Russia to win the election and has described the investigation as a 'political witch hunt' by Democrats due to Hillary Clinton's defeat. The White House, in a statement released ahead of Cohen's meeting in the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, again accused the former Trump lawyer of lying. The Senate Intelligence Committee and the House Intelligence Committee are the two main congressional committees currently investigating the Russian interference in the elections and related matters.