I'll address one at a time....
1. Conspiracy to defraud the United States (collusion) - Cohen's allegation that Trump and Stone spoke about the impending Wikileaks release of DNC emails before they were released with Stone asserting to Trump that he had communicated with Assange.
Not a crime to know in advance of what Wikileaks was going to do. Communicating with Assange is also not a crime. The released emails did show evidence of crimes by Hillary, though.
2. False statements - In response to a written question from Mueller, Trump reportedly denied ever having spoken to Stone about Wikileaks. Cohen said this is false.
Hearsay. He said/he said. Unless Cohen has proof, then this is just speculation and goes nowhere.
3. False statements - In response to a written question from Mueller, Trump reportedly denied knowing about Don Jr's Trump Tower Meeting with Russians. Cohen said this is false.
Hearsay. He said/he said. Unless Cohen has proof, then this is just speculation and goes nowhere.
4. Campaign finance violations - Cohen provided a check that shows that Trump reimbursed him for the $130,000 he paid to Stormy Daniels to conceal their affair.
Not a crime. Despicable to cheat on his wife, yes. But not a crime. If the money flowed through campaign accounts, then it would be a crime, but I have seen no evidence of this.
5. Conspiracy to defraud the United States (election fraud) - Cohen alleged that Trump directed him and Allen Weisselberg of the Trump Organization to conceal his affair with Stormy Daniels with the intention of fraudulently influencing an election.
It's a good try, but I don't know if any politician that has been tried and convicted of this...and almost every President and many major politicians has been embroiled in these kinds of things.
6. False statements on a loan application - Cohen brought Trump's partial financial records for 2011-2013 that Cohen alleged showed that Trump falsely inflated the value of his assets to obtain a loan in order to purchase the Buffalo Bills
Not proven, just Cohen's opinion. Could easily be disproven, if Trump can produce an appraiser's document, which I can almost guarantee you he has, since real estate developers do this on a routine basis.
7. Insurance fraud - Cohen alleged that Trump would make false insurance claims
Hearsay. He said/he said. Unless Cohen has proof, then this is just speculation and goes nowhere.
8. Tax fraud - Cohen alleged that Trump would knowingly provide inaccurate lower values of his properties in order to fraudulently obtain tax benefits
Hearsay. He said/he said. Unless Cohen has proof, then this is just speculation and goes nowhere. Also, lowering real estate values would result in lower depreciation expense, which would increase his taxable income, not lower it.
9. Witness tampering - Cohen said that Trump's threatening tweets were an attempt to intimidate him, saying Trump could do "a lot" to hurt him and his family.
Cohen's testimony, filled with lies, is an attempt to hurt Trump and his family. Cohen is already doing a lot to hurt Trump and his family and could be the target of a defamation suit, given that a lot what he said were lies.
10. Suborning perjury - Cohen says that in a meeting in the White House, Trump indicated that he wanted Cohen to provide a false message saying "No Russia. No collusion."
Hearsay. He said/he said. Unless Cohen has proof, then this is just speculation and goes nowhere.
11. Suborning perjury - Cohen says that Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow edited his Congressional testimony to falsely shorten the duration of the negotiations on the Trump Moscow project.
Hearsay. He said/he said. Unless Cohen has proof, then this is just speculation and goes nowhere.
12. Obstruction of a Congressional proceeding - The witness tampering and the suborning perjury constitutes obstruction of a Congressional proceeding
Hearsay. He said/he said. Unless Cohen has proof, then this is just speculation and goes nowhere.
13. Perjury - Cohen says that Trump's 2013 sworn testimony that he wouldn't recognize Felix Sater was clearly false, explaining that Sater had an office on the same floor as Trump in Trump Tower.
2013? He wasn't the President nor a candidate back then. Should we go back to his childhood too?
14. Illegal use of charity assets for personal benefit - Cohen alleged that Trump directed him to get a straw bidder to buy a portrait of Trump at an auction and that Trump then directed the Trump Foundation to reimburse the fake bidder with its assets.
Trump was already ordered to disband his charity, which he has done. Hillary also has used her foundation/charity for vastly illegal activities including Pay for Play schemes to enrich herself. Bill uses their charity as his own personal slush fund. So we should investigate the Clintons on this as well. |
