Former Trump aide jailed
, says he paid for his boss’s ‘dirty deeds’
Michael Cohen, former lawyer of US President Donald Trump, has been awarded a 3-year sentence and a fine of US$ 2 million, as he pleaded guilty to multiple crimes including tax evasion, making false statements to a financial institution, illegal campaign contributions, and making false statements to Congress.
He was also charged with giving hush money to two women who had threatened to go public about their affairs with Trump during the 2016 Presidential elections.
Cohen stated that he took responsibility for his crimes. He also added that his ‘blind loyalty’ to Trump’ led him to take a path of darkness instead of light’ and it was his duty to “cover up his (Trump’s) dirty deeds”. Cohen is the first in Trump’s inner circle to face prison time in the ongoing enquiry pertaining to alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 Presidential Elections.
Trump has admitted to the payments to the two women but denied the affairs, stating that they were private transactions unrelated to his election campaign. Cohen had also offered to provide information on campaign violations including the payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels as directed by the candidate (implying Donald Trump).
Trump has called the allegations a witch hunt while also criticising Cohen as a weak person and a liar. Other charges of tax evasion and bank fraud against Cohen are not related to Trump.
