Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson was on MSNBC to discuss the bombshell New York Times expose on the different checks Donald Trump used to reimburse Michael Cohen for hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
The Times reported that there were 11 checks in total paid to Cohen, and these prove that Trump committed the crimes that are sending Cohen to prison for three years.
The Times wrote:
“The checks, mostly with Mr. Trump’s distinctive up-and-down signature, bolster the prosecutors’ conclusion about his involvement in the payoff scheme. Mr. Cohen has pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance laws as well as lying to Congress and faces three years in prison starting in the spring.”
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“The checks show the quality of the evidence against him, and also show the extent of Trump’s leading role in the scheme. It now leaves little doubt that he faces criminal prosecution after he leaves office for the same offenses for which Cohen will serve time,” said Robert F. Bauer, a law professor at New York University.”
Robinson joined Lawrence O’Donnell on “The Last Word” and was asked by the host:
“Gene, The New York Times is out tonight with more on these checks that were written by Donald Trump to reimburse Michael Cohen and it’s a fascinating collection now of these checks because they change accounts.”
“And, for some reason, they changed accounts where that money was coming from — switched it out of a Trump business account and moved it into a Donald Trump personal account and that may be because Allen Weisselberg started to get very nervous about what this was.”
“It could be,” Robinson answered.
“Maybe that’s the reason, because just stepping back from it, you would — it looks as if they just abandoned the cover story, right?”
“If it was coming out of the trust account, that was consistent at least with the false cover story that this was some sort of retainer agreement.”
“If it’s going to be just Donald Trump writing a personal check to Michael Cohen, it can’t be business, attorney relationship retainer.”
“It is just Trump reimbursing him for the money that he shelled out for Stormy Daniels.”
“So the only thing that makes sense is that Weisselberg said hold on a minute, this isn’t right. We’ll just have to see.”
By Writing Personal Checks to Reimburse Michael Cohen Trump Has Admitted He Committed Crimes
Michael Cohen goes back to the House Intelligence Committee today for another round of questioning. This means the Democrats on the committee will be able to ask him why the checks he received from Donald Trump for paying off Stormy Daniels came from two separate accounts.
By leaving a paper trail Donald Trump blew his own cover story that the payments to Cohen were business expenses for legal services. He has in effect admitted that the payments were to cover up his crimes. And many times the cover up is worse than the crime.
The best thing that could happen now would be for Donald Trump to be called to testify and explain why he wrote all these checks to Cohen from two separate accounts. But that is not likely to happen.
However, there are other people who can provide the testimony that will help prove the crimes that were committed by Trump that may very well lead to his impeachment.
CLICK HERE to see the Eugene Robinson interview on MSNBC.
I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.
