TOPLINE

President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen released the foreword to his forthcoming tell-all about the president, which makes unflattering allegations about Trump's personal life and presidential campaign, including that he participated in "golden showers in a sex club in Vegas," engaged in tax fraud and "cheated in the election, with Russian connivance."

Michael Cohen, the former personal attorney to President Donald Trump, departs his Manhattan ... [+]

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

KEY FACTS

Crucial quote

"Both sides were wrong. I knew that the reality was much more complicated and dangerous. Trump had colluded with the Russians, but not in the sophisticated ways imagined by his detractors. I also knew that the Mueller investigation was not a witch-hunt. Trump had cheated in the election, with Russian connivance, as you will discover in these pages, because doing anything-and I mean anything-to 'win' has always been his business model and way of life."

Key background

Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 for campaign-finance violations stemming from payoffs to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, as well as lying to Congress about discussions surrounding a proposed Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 presidential campaign. Cohen is serving the remainder of his sentence at his New York City home as federal prisons have sought to clear out low-level offenders to reduce the risk of coronavirus outbreaks. He was disbarred in New York State in 2019.

...

tag