How long before Cohen’s lawyer changes his story again?
https://nypost.com/2018/08/23/how-long-before-cohens-lawyer-changes-his-story-again/
Can Michael Cohen give evidence that President Trump knowingly colluded with Russia, or does he have no knowledge whatsoever? It seems to depend on what story his lawyer is teasing at the moment.
Following Cohen’s guilty plea Tuesday, attorney Lanny Davis said on MSNBC that his client is willing to speak with special counsel Robert Mueller about a “conspiracy to collude,” citing his “knowledge on certain subjects that should be of interest.”
That seemed to confirm July 27 CNN and CBS reports that Cohen was prepared to testify that Trump knew in advance about the 2016 Trump Tower meeting in which Russians were expected to offer political dirt on Hillary Clinton.
Davis personally confirmed those stories off the record to The Post at the time.
Except now Davis says it isn’t true.
Trump insists he first learned of the meeting from reporters in July 2017. And Axios on Thursday reported that Cohen, in sworn testimony to two congressional committees last year, said he had no idea whether Trump had advance knowledge of the meeting.
That was publicly confirmed by the leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), who said Cohen had testified “he was not aware of the meeting prior to its disclosure to the press.”
Davis told Axios that “nothing has changed” and reaffirmed that Cohen “stands by his testimony.”
He also “explained” to Axios that at the time of the CNN and CBS reports “we could not confirm and we could not correct” — even though he did confirm them to The Post.
Maybe the lawyer is taking a hit for a client who changed his story. But, since Davis is a longtime Clinton confidant, you have to ask if he’s working more than one agenda.
Either way, it casts serious doubt on Davis’ newest claim — namely, that Cohen is prepared to offer different proof that Trump knowingly colluded with Russia. (And you thought the president had trouble keeping his stories straight.)
As Alice in Wonderland said, this one just keeps getting curioser and curioser.
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