President Donald Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen has postponed his testimony before the House Oversight Committee, citing threats from President Donald Trump and lawyer Rudy Giuliani against his family. In what TV news pundits had been eagerly describing as Must See TV, Cohen had volunteered to testify before the House Oversight Committee on February 7. Wednesday afternoon, Cohen’s attorney Lanny Davis cited “threats against him and his family from President Trump and Mr. Giuliani as recently as this weekend” as well as “Mr. Cohen’s continued cooperation with ongoing investigations,” in a statement announcing the postponement. “By advice of counsel, Mr. Cohen’s appearance will be postponed to a later date. Mr. Cohen would to thank [House Oversight Committee Chairman] Elijah Cummings for allowing him to appear before the House Oversight committee, and looks forward to testifying at the appropriate time.” Related Story Amazon-MGM Deal Renews Speculation: What Happens To 'The Apprentice' Outtakes? “This is a time where Mr. Cohen had to put his family and their safety first.” Earlier this month, Cohen agreed to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee that day about the work he did for the man he said he would take a bullet for. CNN pundit Van Jones translated to viewers, “When your homeboy starts snitching, you are in trouble.” The public hearing is scheduled for a month before Cohen is set to report to prison, after pleading guilty to making campaign finance related payments to silence two women who claim to have had affairs with Trump years earlier. Cohen also admitted to lying to Congress about the Trump Tower Moscow project, acknowledging that effort went on later than he previously testified, into summer of 2016 when Trump was clearly the GOP candidate. Trump responded to news Cohen would testify at the open-to-public hearing, saying his former attorney is “lying to reduce his jail time! Watch father-in-law!”: Kevin Corke, @FoxNews “Don’t forget, Michael Cohen has already been convicted of perjury and fraud, and as recently as this week, the Wall Street Journal has suggested that he may have stolen tens of thousands of dollars….” Lying to reduce his jail time! Watch father-in-law! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2019 Lanny Davis blasted that tweet as the work of a “mafioso don” trying to “intimidate a witness.”<doc-sep>The testimony is being postponed due to "ongoing threats against his family." Michael Cohen has at least temporarily pulled the plug on his highly-anticipated testimony before Congress that had been scheduled for early next month. Cohen had accepted an invitation to testify in an open session before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on February 7. He said, at the time he accepted, that he was looking forward to “having the privilege of being afforded a platform with which to give a full and credible account of the events which have transpired.” But in a new statement Wednesday, President Donald Trump's former attorney and long-time fixer says that he is delaying the appearance out of concern for his family. "Due to ongoing threats against his family from President Trump and Mr. Giuliani, as recently as this weekend, as well as Mr. Cohen's continued cooperation with ongoing investigations, by advice of counsel, Mr. Cohen’s appearance will be postponed to a later date," according to a statement from Cohen's attorney, Lanny J. Davis. Trump, when asked Wednesday to respond to Cohen's accusation that his family has been threatened by the president and his attorney, Rudy Giuliani, said Cohen was not threatened by him, but is "threatened by the truth." "No, I would say he's been threatened by the truth. He's only been threatened by the truth," Trump said. "And he doesn't want to do that probably for me but probably for his clients, he has other clients also I assume, and he doesn't want to tell the truth for me or his other clients." The decision by Cohen, a long-time loyalist who worked alongside Trump for a decade at the Trump Organization, may deprive House Democrats of their first high-profile hearing since taking control of the chamber in the mid-term elections. While Cohen had no formal role in Trump’s presidential campaign, his involvement in a myriad of controversies promised to attract an intense spotlight to his public testimony. Last month, he entered a guilty plea for lying to Congress about the timing and discussions about a proposed Trump Tower building in Moscow that was under consideration during the campaign. That project, which never came to pass, has become the subject of intense interest from both Congress and the Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is probing potential coordination among members of the Trump campaign and Russians who interfered in the 2016 election. Cohen also pleaded guilty in August to financial and tax crimes associated with his personal business dealings and to campaign finance violations for his role in hush money deals with Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, two women who alleged previous affairs with Trump, which he has denied. Cohen told a federal judge that he made those deals “in coordination with and at the direction of” then-candidate Trump. Trump has said he "never directed Michael Cohen to break the law." Adding to the anticipation for the February hearing was the announcement by Michael Avenatti, the attorney for Stormy Daniels, that he and his client intended to be in attendance. But the proposed testimony from Cohen was already losing some of its luster as it became clear that Cohen would be unable or unwilling to address topics currently under investigation by Mueller and other federal prosecutors. And Cohen’s decision to delay the testimony does not come as a complete surprise. ABC News reported exclusively last week that Cohen began to have reservations about the appearance following a series of public attacks by President Trump against him and his family, according to sources close to Cohen. "This is a time where Mr. Cohen had to put his family and their safety first," Cohen's statement read. In an interview with FOX News earlier this month, Trump called Cohen "weak," accused him of lying to prosecutors in order to get a reduced sentence, and hinted -- unprompted and without evidence -- that he possessed damaging information about Cohen’s family. "[Cohen] should give information maybe on his father-in-law, because that’s the one that people want to look at," Trump told FOX News host Jeanine Pirro. "That’s the money in the family." There has been no public indication during the investigation of Cohen that his father-in-law is, or was, the subject of any criminal inquiry. As the president continued to engage in what Cohen sees as reckless and unsubstantiated claims he believes are intended to intimidate him, Cohen had expressed to friends his concern that Trump’s heated rhetoric on television and Twitter could incite an unstable person to target him or his family. Some legal experts were also highly critical of Trump’s comments. "It’s an absolutely shocking violation of norms for the chief executive to suggest a retaliatory investigation against the relative of a witness against him," said Kenneth White, a former federal prosecutor and criminal defense attorney with Brown, White & Osborn LLP. "This is Nixonian 'enemy list' stuff, but instead of the public finding out about it through secret tapes and insiders, the president is saying it openly on TV." Trump’s comments to FOX News had drawn a swift rebuke from Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-MD, the new chairman of the House Oversight Committee, who had extended the invitation to Cohen. "The integrity of our process to serve as an independent check on the Executive Branch must be respected by everyone, including the President," Cummings said in a statement released Sunday that was joined by Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairmen of the House Intelligence and House Judiciary Committees. Cohen’s scheduled appearance had already become the subject of fierce partisan squabbling on the House Oversight Committee, with Republican lawmakers expressing concern Tuesday that the hearing was shaping up to be a "media stunt" engineered by one of Cohen’s legal advisers, Lanny Davis, a Democratic political operative who had worked closely with Bill and Hillary Clinton.<doc-sep>(CNN) — Since the moment it was announced that former Trump fixer Michael Cohen would appear in front of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, February 7 – the day of the Cohen appearance – had been circled on every calendar in Washington. Until today, that is, when Cohen announced he would not in fact be appearing, due to “ongoing threats against his family from President Trump and Mr. Giuliani,” according to his lawyer Lanny Davis. Which, well, whoa. But the announcement left a lot of questions – for me at least. Here are the big ones. 1. What “threats” is Cohen talking about? Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, over the weekend, dropped some hot rhetoric on Cohen’s family. “This reason that is important is, he may have ties to something called organized crime,” Giuliani told CNN’s Jake Tapper by way of explaining why he thought Cohen was lying to protect his father-in-law. He offered no proof of these allegations. Trump has also pointed to Cohen’s father-in-law. So, are those the threats? Or are we talking about private threats from either the President or his lawyer? That strikes me as VERY unlikely. But in this White House, who knows? 2. Will Cohen be subpoenaed? Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, wouldn’t commit to next steps in regards to Cohen – up to and including subpoenaing the lawyer to testify. “We will hear from him,” Cummings told CNN’s Manu Raju, making clear that Congress cannot allow witnesses to be intimidated. There’s also a timing issue here. Cohen is set to begin a three-year prison term in early March, meaning there’s only a three-week window between his now-canceled February 7 testimony and when he is incarcerated. 3. What will Cohen say (if anything)? Let’s say Cohen testifies – whether he is compelled to by subpoena or not. It’s not at all clear to me what he will be allowed to say. It had already been leaked that Cohen wasn’t going to address anything related to his role in the Russia investigation, even before he canceled his testimony. In the statement by Davis, he noted that aside from the threats, there was also “Mr. Cohen’s continued cooperation with ongoing investigations” to think about. Cohen is cooperating with both the Southern District of New York and special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference. So, what could – or would – Cohen say, even if he decides to sit in front of the Oversight Committee at all? The Point: Cohen is at the center of so much in Trump’s world that hearing anything from him would likely shed at least some light on a still very opaque situation.<doc-sep>WASHINGTON – Michael Cohen will not testify before Congress next month, one of his attorneys said Wednesday – which could quash, at least temporarily, liberals' hopes for a public hearing in which Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer and fixer aired the president’s dirty laundry. Lanny Davis, an attorney for Cohen said in a statement, "Due to ongoing threats against his family from President Trump and Mr. [Rudolph] Giuliani, as recently as this weekend, as well as Mr. Cohen's continued cooperation with ongoing investigations, by advice of counsel, Mr. Cohen's appearance will be postponed to a later date." Cohen had been scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee on Feb. 7. "This is a time where Mr. Cohen had to put his family and their safety first," Davis said. It is not clear to which "threats" Davis was referring, and Davis declined to provide more detail. A person familiar with Cohen's account said the threats have not been reported to law enforcement. Trump said of the claim he had threatened Cohen: "I would say he's been threatened by the truth. He's only been threatened by the truth. And he doesn't want to do that, probably for me or other of his clients." The president has been publicly critical of Cohen for his cooperation with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and has suggested Cohen's father-in-law ought to be investigated. Giuliani, the president’s current lawyer, has highlighted problems with Cohen’s credibility. Giuliani was particularly skeptical of Cohen after BuzzFeed News reported last week that Cohen told Mueller’s office Trump had directed him to lie to Congress – an account the special counsel disputed in an unprecedented public statement. "If you believe Cohen, I can get you a great deal on the Brooklyn Bridge," Giuliani said. It was not immediately clear that lawmakers would easily allow Cohen back out of his commitment to appear before them. House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said in a joint statement that they "certainly understand the completely legitimate concerns for the safety and security of Mr. Cohen and his family members in light of the attacks last week by President Trump and again this past weekend by his attorney, Rudy Giuliani." But the lawmakers added that they had "repeatedly offered our assistance to work with law enforcement to enhance security measures for Mr. Cohen and his family," and in their discussions with Cohen's attorney, "not appearing before Congress was never an option." "We will not let the President's tactics prevent Congress from fulfilling our constitutionally mandated oversight responsibilities," Cummings and Schiff said. "This will not stop us from getting to the truth. We expect Mr. Cohen to appear before both Committees, and we remain engaged with his counsel about his upcoming appearances." Cohen had announced to some fanfare earlier this month he had accepted an invitation to testify from Cummings "in furtherance of my commitment to cooperate and provide the American people with answers." The hearing seemed as if it could be eventful. Cohen pleaded guilty last year to multiple crimes, including lying to Congress about a possible Trump Tower project in Moscow and arranging hush money payments to women who had alleged having had affairs with Trump. He was sentenced to three years in prison and is expected to report to prison on March 6, about a month after the scheduled testimony date. Trump's critics had hoped Cohen might, at the very least, offer unflattering revelations about the president. He had claimed in court to have helped cover up Trump's "dirty deeds." Almost immediately, though, lawmakers raised questions about how much Cohen could say about the topic of most interest to the public – the information Cohen was said to provide to Mueller - because Mueller’s investigation is ongoing, and Cohen would probably be restricted in what he could say. When Cohen announced he was testifying, Cummings said, "I want to make clear that we have no interest in inappropriately interfering with any ongoing criminal investigations, and to that end, we are in the process of consulting with special counsel Mueller's office." Schiff said at the time that he hoped to schedule a private hearing so Cohen could talk with lawmakers about Russia-related topics. It was not clear if Cohen would still be able to testify before he reports to prison, or whether he could in some way offer testimony after that. – The Washington Post<doc-sep>
Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen canceled his scheduled testimony before Congress next month citing what he took to be threats against his family by President Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Cohen was scheduled to appear voluntarily before the House Oversight Committee on Feb. 7th in what was lining up to be a blockbuster appearance by the former Trump insider who has been cooperating with the Mueller investigation. Given Cohen’s proximity to Trump and his years of service as his personal lawyer, the president’s former fixer presented a potentially existential threat to the Trump presidency. Trump and Giuliani have countered by calling into question Cohen’s character—which, fair enough—saying he was lying to get a lighter sentence, as well as making oblique references to Cohen’s family members. Kevin Corke, @FoxNews “Don’t forget, Michael Cohen has already been convicted of perjury and fraud, and as recently as this week, the Wall Street Journal has suggested that he may have stolen tens of thousands of dollars....” Lying to reduce his jail time! Watch father-in-law! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2019 “Due to ongoing threats against his family from President Trump and Mr. Giuliani, as recently as this weekend, as well as Mr. Cohen’s continued cooperation with ongoing investigations, by advice of counsel, Mr. Cohen’s appearance will be postponed to a later date,” Cohen’s attorney Lanny Davis said in a statement Wednesday. “This is a time where Mr. Cohen had to put his family and their safety first.” CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Giuliani over the weekend if such threats amounted to witness tampering or obstruction of justice. “We are so distorting the system of justice just to get Donald Trump, it’s going to hurt us so much,” Giuliani responded. Tapper followed up by asking if targeting Cohen’s father-in-law was within bounds. “It is, if the father-in-law is a criminal,” Giuliani responded. Legal experts, however, disagree with Giuliani’s interpretation of the law. “The statements by Mr. Trump and Mr. Giuliani, who have accused Mr. Cohen of lying to get a reduced sentence, would most likely amount to sufficient evidence of witness tampering, according to legal experts, though they cautioned that prosecutors would bring such a case only if they viewed the tampering as part of a larger pattern of obstructive behavior,” the New York Times reports. “And a longstanding Justice Department view has held that a sitting president cannot be indicted.” The indefinite delay has put Democrats looking to publicly air Trump’s misdeeds in a bind as Cohen is scheduled to report to prison on March 6th to begin serving his three-year sentence. House Democrats could subpoena Cohen in order to compel his testimony before or after he reports to prison, though questions remain about what Cohen will be willing and able to divulge in his testimony. “[Cohen] has said he does not want to be the ‘villain’ of the Trump presidency and had originally pledged to give “a full and credible account” of his work for Mr. Trump to the House Oversight and Reform Committee, though lawmakers had warned that the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, would most likely keep him from discussing matters related to Russia.”