Image by Getty Images

The threats that are keeping Michael Cohen from testifying in front of Congress next month are being directed at this father-in-law, The New York Times reported.

Cohen, President Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, postponed his February testimony on Wednesday. His lawyer, Lanny Davis, said Trump has been threatening Cohen, as well as suggesting that one of his relatives could be investigate for unspecified crimes.

“And not only was he intimidated, but he believes his family also has been intimidated and threatened,” Davis said.

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)

Trump denied the claim and told reporters that Cohen was “threatened by the truth.”

However, he has repeatedly suggested on Twitter that Cohen’s family could be investigated, according to the Times. The president has also specifically referenced Cohen’s father-in-law, Fima Shusterman, and his Eastern European background to imply that he has ties to organized crime.

There is no evidence of this, but Shusterman was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty in 1993 to cashing $5.5 million in checks to evade federal reporting requirements.

Cohen reportedly has told friends that Shusterman came to the United States in the early 1970s to escape religious persecution in Ukraine. He is now a retiree.

Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for fraud, lying to Congress and other crimes last month.

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