Cohen pleaded guilty to lying before Congress about Donald Trump’s real estate dealings in Russia.
Longtime Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen made a surprise appearance in a Manhattan federal court on Thursday, where he pleaded guilty to a federal crime as part of a new agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller in connection with his ongoing Russia investigation.
Cohen pleaded guilty to lying under oath before Congress when he testified in a closed-door hearing in the fall of 2017. According to the Associated Press, his false statements involved Donald Trump’s business dealings in Russia.
The financial ties between the Trump Organization and Russian investors has long been thought to be a central focus of Mueller’s investigation. A draft of questionsMueller’s team planned to pose to Donald Trump included a specific inquiry about any communication Trump had with Cohen regarding Russian real estate developments during the campaign. Trump reportedly submitted answers to Mueller’s team just last week.