Republican Congressman Deletes Tweet Targeting Michael Cohen’s Family
A Republican congressman accused former President Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen of adultery on Tuesday, on the eve of Cohen’s testimony before the House Oversight Committee, in a Twitter message that seemed an attempt to frighten the onetime Trump consigliere.
“Do your wife & father-in-law know about your girlfriends? Maybe tonight would be a good time for that chat,” tweeted Matt Gaetz, a Republican congressman from Florida. “I wonder if she’ll remain faithful when you’re in prison. She’s about to learn a lot…”
Gaetz deleted the tweet and apologized late Tuesday night, claiming he had not meant to threaten Cohen.
The tweets targeted Cohen’s father-in-law, Fima Shusterman, whose reported loans to the largest taxi cab operator in Chicago were reportedly cited in warrants used to search Cohen’s office.
Trump himself has previously tweeted insinuating claims about Shusterman.
Kevin Corke, @FoxNews “Don’t forget, Michael Cohen has already been convicted of perjury and fraud, and as recently as this week, the Wall Street Journal has suggested that he may have stolen tens of thousands of dollars….” Lying to reduce his jail time! Watch father-in-law!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2019
Shusterman emigrated from the Ukraine in 1975, working as a taxi driver and eventually amassing a number of taxi medallions in New York City, according to the New York Times. Shusterman helped Cohen enter the taxi medallion industry, according to the Times report.
An article in Slate collected tweets from legal experts arguing that Gaetz’s tweets amounted to witness tampering.
Contact Josh Nathan-Kazis at [email protected] or on Twitter, @joshnathankazis
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!