Donald Trump seems to slide past trouble, leaving behind a long string of unpaid destitute contractors and broken loyalties in his wake. He can go bankrupt time after time, and even sue his own bank to get out of paying off a loan. Then, the bank lends him millions of dollars afterward. Even when people try to get even, POTUS shoves them out of his window of irresponsibility, leaving them broken on the rocks of misfortune below.
Days before Trump’s personal attorney and self-described fixer Michael Cohen was headed to jail, he found out, much to his regret, was that the legal system of justice has never been fair.
Cohen was furious that he was prosecuted but not Trump, according to The New Yorker:
‘YOU ARE GOING TO FIND ME GUILTY OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE, WITH MCDOUGAL OR STORMY, AND GIVE ME THREE YEARS—REALLY?. AND HOW COME I’M THE ONLY ONE? I DIDN’T WORK FOR THE CAMPAIGN. I WORKED FOR HIM. AND HOW COME I’M THE ONE THAT’S GOING TO PRISON? I’M NOT THE ONE THAT SLEPT WITH THE PORN STAR.’
The Southern District of New York (SDNY) prosecutors did note that Trump was behind a hush-money operation in the weeks and months before the 2016 presidential election.
‘IN PARTICULAR, AND AS COHEN HIMSELF HAS NOW ADMITTED, WITH RESPECT TO BOTH PAYMENTS, HE ACTED IN COORDINATION WITH AND AT THE DIRECTION OF INDIVIDUAL-1 (AKA DONALD TRUMP).’
Yet, Trump’s Roy Cohenesque attorney general, William Barr, will never let the president be indicted for any of the crimes he committed.
Cohen arranged the hush money payments to two women with whom Trump had sex while Melania Trump was recuperating from the birth of their son. CEO of American Media, Inc. which owned The National Enquirer David Pecker helped, too.
Pecker agreed to:
‘(A)SSISTING THE CAMPAIGN IN IDENTIFYING SUCH STORIES SO THEY COULD BE PURCHASED AND THEIR PUBLICATION AVOIDED.’
Pecker agreed to:
‘(A)SSISTING THE CAMPAIGN IN IDENTIFYING SUCH STORIES SO THEY COULD BE PURCHASED AND THEIR PUBLICATION AVOIDED.’
Trump’s TV attorney, Rudy Giuliani said:
‘(THE MUELLER REPORT WAS) TOTALLY UNFAIR ABOUT THE PRESIDENT AND MICHAEL. WE ALL TOLD HIM WE COULDN’T DISCUSS PARDONS. WE WERE NICE TO HIM BECAUSE HE WAS SUICIDAL AND TELLING PEOPLE HE WAS GOING TO JUMP OUT A WINDOW. HE THOUGHT THE PRESIDENT WAS ANGRY WITH HIM, AND WE TOLD HIM THAT WASN’T TRUE, THAT WE SAW HIM AS A VICTIM, THAT MICHAEL IS STILL LOVED. THAT’S NOT OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE.’
Cohen was not aware that attorney Robert Costello befriended him but was loyal only to his client: Trump, and he found out too late. The attorney said:
‘THERE WAS NO DUAL LOYALTY. THE LOYALTY WAS TO OUR CLIENT.’
Costello wrote to Cohen in mid-June:
‘IT SEEMS CLEAR TO ME THAT YOU ARE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT TRUMP AND GIULIANI ARE TRYING TO DISCREDIT YOU AND THROW YOU UNDER THE BUS TO USE YOUR PHRASE. I THINK YOU ARE WRONG BECAUSE YOU ARE BELIEVING THE NARRATIVE PROMOTED BY THE LEFT WING MEDIA.’
Cohen wanted to protect his wife:
‘IF THEY WOULD HAVE ASKED ME TO PLEAD GUILTY TO THE LUFTHANSA HEIST, I WOULD HAVE PLED GUILTY TO THAT, TOO (ROBBERY AT JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN 1978). SHE’S THE LOVE OF MY LIFE. WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? YOU THINK I’M GOING TO LET THEM BRING HER INTO THIS CRAZINESS? NOT A CHANCE.’
Trump tweeted:
‘SOUNDS TO ME LIKE SOMEONE IS TRYING TO MAKE UP STORIES IN ORDER TO GET HIMSELF OUT OF AN UNRELATED JAM (TAXI CABS MAYBE?). HE EVEN RETAINED BILL AND CROOKED HILLARY’S LAWYER. GEE, I WONDER IF THEY HELPED HIM MAKE THE CHOICE!’
On August 22nd, Trump contrasted Cohen’s guilty plea with his former campaign managers Paul Manafort’s refusal to coöperate, tweeting, “
Trump favored Paul Manafort:
‘I FEEL VERY BADLY FOR PAUL MANAFORT AND HIS WONDERFUL FAMILY. “JUSTICE” TOOK A 12 YEAR OLD TAX CASE, AMONG OTHER THINGS, APPLIED TREMENDOUS PRESSURE ON HIM AND, UNLIKE MICHAEL COHEN, HE REFUSED TO “BREAL”—MAKE UP STORIES IN ORDER TO GET A “DEAL.” SUCH RESPECT FOR A BRAVE MAN!’
Trump spilled out tweet after tweet:
‘HE MAKES UP STORIES TO GET A GREAT & ALREADY REDUCED DEAL FOR HIMSELF, AND GET HIS WIFE AND FATHER-IN-LAW (WHO HAS THE MONEY?) OFF SCOTT FREE… REMEMBER, MICHAEL COHEN ONLY BECAME A “RAT” AFTER THE FBI DID SOMETHING WHICH WAS ABSOLUTELY UNTHINKABLE & UNHEARD OF UNTIL THE WITCH HUNT WAS ILLEGALLY STARTED.’
On Fox News Trump spoke about Cohen:
‘(COHEN) SHOULD GIVE INFORMATION MAYBE ON HIS FATHER-IN-LAW, BECAUSE THAT’S THE ONE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO LOOK AT BECAUSE WHERE DOES THAT MONEY—THAT’S THE MONEY IN THE FAMILY.’
Special Counsel Robert Mueller thought that these Trump remarks against Cohen and his family were evidence of obstructed justice. He urged the judge to free Cohen for his in-depth assistance. He also wrote in his report:
‘THE PRESIDENT’S STATEMENTS INSINUATING THAT MEMBERS OF COHEN’S FAMILY COMMITTED CRIMES AFTER COHEN BEGAN COOPERATING WITH THE GOVERNMENT COULD BE VIEWED AS AN EFFORT TO RETALIATE AGAINST COHEN AND CHILL FURTHER TESTIMONY THAT MIGHT BE DAMAGING TO THE PRESIDENT BY COHEN OR OTHERS. THE TIMING OF THE STATEMENTS SUPPORTS AN INFERENCE THAT THEY WERE INTENDED AT LEAST IN PART TO DISCOURAGE COHEN FROM FURTHER COOPERATION.’
The SDNY Judge William Pauley II wrote:
‘(COHEN) COMMITTED FOUR DISTINCT FEDERAL CRIMES OVER A PERIOD OF SEVERAL YEARS. HE WAS MOTIVATED TO DO SO BY PERSONAL GREED, AND REPEATEDLY USED HIS POWER AND INFLUENCE FOR DECEPTIVE ENDS. NOW HE SEEKS EXTRAORDINARY LENIENCY—A SENTENCE OF NO JAIL TIME—BASED PRINCIPALLY ON HIS ROSE-COLORED VIEW OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE CRIMES; HIS CLAIMS TO A SYMPATHETIC PERSONAL HISTORY; AND HIS PROVISION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.’
Cohen warned the Republicans during his House hearings:
‘I’M RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR SILLINESS BECAUSE I DID THE SAME THING THAT YOU’RE DOING NOW FOR TEN YEARS. I PROTECTED MR. TRUMP FOR TEN YEARS. (GIULIANI) GAVE AN INTERVIEW ON CNN WHEN HE SAID THAT HE WANTED A JOB IN THE ADMINISTRATION. THE MUELLER REPORT SAYS HE TALKED ABOUT PARDONS. THOSE ARE THE LIES OF SOMEONE WHO CAN’T HELP HIMSELF.’
