Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, has accepted an invitation to testify before a U.S. House committee next month.
Cohen, who was convicted on charges of tax fraud and lying to Congress, says he will give a “full and credible account” of his work for Trump before the House Oversight and Reform Committee.
“In furtherance of my commitment to cooperate and provide the American people with answers I have accepted the invitation by Chairman Elijah Cummings to appear publicly on Feb. 7,” Cohen said in a released statement, “I look forward to having the privilege of being afforded a platform with which to give a full and credible account of the events which have transpired.”
While Cohen indicated he would provide information, Cummings, D-Maryland, warned that he would most likely be barred by special counsel Robert Mueller from discussing matters pertaining to the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
“I thank Michael Cohen for agreeing to testify before the Oversight Committee voluntarily. I want to make clear that we have no interest in inappropriately interfering with any ongoing criminal investigations, and to that end, we are in the process of consulting with Special Counsel Mueller’s office. The Committee will announce additional information in the coming weeks.”
Cohen pleaded guilty in August to tax fraud, making false statements to a bank and a campaign finance violation. Cohen said the campaign finance violation was made at the direction of Trump in order to cover up payments to two women with whom Cohen says Trump had affairs.
Trump has denied he did anything wrong in regard to the campaign finance violation.
In November, Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress.
Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for the tax fraud, false statements and campaign contribution charges. He faces a sentence of two months for lying to Congress.
Cohen is scheduled to report to prison on March 6.
Here’s what you need to know about Cohen’s committee appearance:
What day: The hearing is set for Thursday, Feb. 7.
What time: House committee hearings usually begin between 9:30 a.m. ET and 10 a.m. ET. The time for Cohen's hearing has not been announced. Check back here for updates.
What channel: The hearing will be broadcast live on cable news channels.
Live coverage: Check back here for live updates throughout the day from the hearing.
Credit: Mary Altaffer
Credit: Mary Altaffer
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