Michael Cohen. Image by twitter

Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former lawyer, pleaded guilty Thursday morning to making false statements to Congress about his attempts at a Trump Tower deal in Moscow during the 2016 presidential campaign, the New York Times reported.

He wasn’t scheduled to appear in the Manhattan courtroom, where he confessed to the new criminal charge. It was part of a plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating whether Russia interfered with the 2016 presidential election, according to Talking Points Memo.

Cohen pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. He said he submitted a false statement about building a Trump Tower in Russia.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

In August, Cohen pleaded guilty to eight counts campaign finance violations — where he said Trump directed him to make hush money payments to women during the 2016 campaign — tax evasion and bank fraud. The deal with Mueller comes two weeks before he was to be sentenced, Talking Points Memo reported. He faces 46 to 63 months in prison and a fine of up to $1 million, but his cooperation in the investigation may alleviate the punishment.

Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount