Michael Cohen gets 3 years in prison!

[Starlight]

Wrong again. A number of legal experts, including former members of the Federal Election Commission, have said that what Cohen did with respect to the payments was not a crime.

You keep saying this, but it's irrelevant. If you survey enough lawyers you can find some who will tell you what you want to hear in exchange for money.

But the thing is that the prosecutors, the defense, the courts, and most legal experts agree it's a crime. Ultimately all you need is the courts to say it's a crime.

If your argument amounts to "well, I think it will go to SCOTUS, and they are Republican-dominated, so I believe they'll rule based on political motives rather than judicial ones" okay.

[Mountain Man]

Cohen cut a deal. The charges were never trested in court.

[JimL]

What are the odds on whether MM has a mental breakdown when it happens, versus on him coming up with a conspiracy to explain another conspiracy to explain his own creative version of the facts?

"iT wAS tHe LiZaRD PeOPle WoRKinG WitH QAnoN, WhO TeAMed uP WiTh DirTy DeMOcrAt MuEllEr To Do piZZaGaTe aT BenGhAzI bEcaUse HeR EmAiLs aND UranIUm OnE!!! HeRe'S A BrIeTBaRT LinK tHAt ProVeS EveRyThinG!!!" - MM in 2020 probably.

[JimL]

Cohen cut a deal. The charges were never trested in court.

Yes Cohen cut a deal, and his testimony is thoroughly corroborated. Not only that, but next in line is Trumps children who according to the testimony of Trumps long time accountant, Wexelman i think his name is, Trumps children are the only ones with authority to sign checks like the $400,000 one that was signed over to Cohen by the Trump organization as compensation for his work covering up Trumps extra marital affairs. Not a bad pay deal for Cohen either, a $250,000 profit.

[Starlight]

Courtroom sketch of Cohen's sentencing, and snippets from his speech to the judge:

Cohen:
Your Honor, this may seem hard to believe, but today is one of the most meaningful days of my life. The irony is today is the day I am getting my freedom back as you sit at the bench and you contemplate my fate. I have been living in a personal and mental incarceration ever since the fateful day that I accepted the offer to work for a famous real estate mogul whose business acumen I truly admired. In fact, I now know that there is little to be admired...

Recently, the President Tweeted a statement calling me weak, and he was correct, but for a much different reason than he was implying. It was because time and time again I felt it was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds rather than to listen to my own inner voice and my moral compass. My weakness can be characterized as a blind loyalty to Donald Trump, and I was weak for not having the strength to question and to refuse his demands. I have already spent years living a personal and mental incarceration, which no matter what is decided today, owning this mistake will free me to be once more the person I really am.

How long until the Criminal In Chief goes down too?

[Tassman]

Wrong again. A number of legal experts, including former members of the Federal Election Commission, have said that what Cohen did with respect to the payments was not a crime.

Of course it was. Cohen got three years in prison for tax evasion, bank fraud, lying to Congress, all crimes. Plus orchestrating hush-money payments to Donald Trump’s former lovers, in defiance of campaign-finance law, i.e. also a crime.

[Cow Poke]

That looks like the MSM talking heads on election night as it became evident that Hillary wasn't going to be POTUS after all.

[Mountain Man]

Of course it was.

Not according to the people who actually know what they're talking about.

[Mountain Man]

Cohen:
It was because time and time again I felt it was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds rather than to listen to my own inner voice and my moral compass.

This coming from the guy who the sentencing report says that his "consciousness of wrongdoing is fleeting, that his remorse is minimal, and that his instinct to blame others is strong. While he has legally accepted responsibility, the Court should consider at sentencing these transparent efforts at minimizing Cohen’s false statements and criminal conduct."

But, no, let's believe everything he says.

[One Bad Pig]

This coming from the guy who the sentencing report says that his "consciousness of wrongdoing is fleeting, that his remorse is minimal, and that his instinct to blame others is strong. While he has legally accepted responsibility, the Court should consider at sentencing these transparent efforts at minimizing Cohen’s false statements and criminal conduct."

But, no, let's believe everything he says.

Iknowright?

[Bill the Cat]

So the RNC's deputy-finance chair is going to jail for campaign finance violations, that were committed by him at the instruction of the then-Republican Presidential nominee, now President.

This is big. And the Republican criminal party is at it again.

Relevant chart...



Why are Republican administrations consistently full of criminals?

Because the Republicans let the Justice Department do their jobs while the Democrats use them as cover.

[Bill the Cat]

Yes Cohen cut a deal, and his testimony is thoroughly corroborated. Not only that, but next in line is Trumps children who according to the testimony of Trumps long time accountant, Wexelman i think his name is, Trumps children are the only ones with authority to sign checks like the $400,000 one that was signed over to Cohen by the Trump organization as compensation for his work covering up Trumps extra marital affairs. Not a bad pay deal for Cohen either, a $250,000 profit.

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/gma/john-edwards-hush-money-not-illegal-fec-told-121722338--abc-news-topstories.html

After reviewing the campaign's financials for four years, the FEC determined last month that money Edwards' aides collected from wealthy donors Rachel "Bunny" Mellon and Fred Baron were "not campaign contribution[s]," Lora Haggard, Edwards' 2008 chief financial officer, said today.

Edwards is charged with six counts of campaign finance violations, allegedly using the money to protect his bid for the 2008 presidential nomination and later his hopes to be named vice president or attorney general. If convicted, Edwards could be sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Much of Haggard's testimony took place while the jury was outside the courtroom as federal Judge Catherine C. Eagles determined if her testimony would be admissible.
While the FEC may have one idea about the legality of the contributions, the prosecution clearly has another.

"What the FEC ruled is not relevant," said prosecutor Jeffrey Tsai. "Whatever the FEC determined is not relevant to the criminal charges."
Edwards' defense team insists the money from Mellon and Baron was never intended as political contributions, but were personal gifts to keep his wife from finding out and to provide for his illegitimate daughter.

"They are not contributions to the campaign because they were not contributions to urge the public to vote for John Edwards," Haggard said.

© Copyright Original Source

[Bill the Cat]

Of course it was. Cohen got three years in prison for tax evasion, bank fraud, lying to Congress, all crimes. Plus orchestrating hush-money payments to Donald Trump’s former lovers, in defiance of campaign-finance law, i.e. also a crime.

The first 3 things are crimes. The last IS NOT. Celebrities pay hush money all the time, and this money would have been paid whether or not Trump was running, as Cohen had done numerous times prior to Trump's candidacy. Therefore, there was no intent to violate campaign finance laws and there was an established history of like payments before being in the campaign. That blows the whole thing out of the water and will never stand up on appeal.

[Mountain Man]

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/gma/john-edwards-hush-money-not-illegal-fec-told-121722338--abc-news-topstories.html

After reviewing the campaign's financials for four years, the FEC determined last month that money Edwards' aides collected from wealthy donors Rachel "Bunny" Mellon and Fred Baron were "not campaign contribution[s]," Lora Haggard, Edwards' 2008 chief financial officer, said today.

Edwards is charged with six counts of campaign finance violations, allegedly using the money to protect his bid for the 2008 presidential nomination and later his hopes to be named vice president or attorney general. If convicted, Edwards could be sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Much of Haggard's testimony took place while the jury was outside the courtroom as federal Judge Catherine C. Eagles determined if her testimony would be admissible.
While the FEC may have one idea about the legality of the contributions, the prosecution clearly has another.

"What the FEC ruled is not relevant," said prosecutor Jeffrey Tsai. "Whatever the FEC determined is not relevant to the criminal charges."
Edwards' defense team insists the money from Mellon and Baron was never intended as political contributions, but were personal gifts to keep his wife from finding out and to provide for his illegitimate daughter.

"They are not contributions to the campaign because they were not contributions to urge the public to vote for John Edwards," Haggard said.

© Copyright Original Source

That was the most bizarre argument the prosecution could have put forward, insisting that the findings of the appropriate legal authority were somehow irrelevant as to whether or not a crime had been committed.

[JimL]

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/gma/john-edwards-hush-money-not-illegal-fec-told-121722338--abc-news-topstories.html

After reviewing the campaign's financials for four years, the FEC determined last month that money Edwards' aides collected from wealthy donors Rachel "Bunny" Mellon and Fred Baron were "not campaign contribution[s]," Lora Haggard, Edwards' 2008 chief financial officer, said today.

Edwards is charged with six counts of campaign finance violations, allegedly using the money to protect his bid for the 2008 presidential nomination and later his hopes to be named vice president or attorney general. If convicted, Edwards could be sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Much of Haggard's testimony took place while the jury was outside the courtroom as federal Judge Catherine C. Eagles determined if her testimony would be admissible.
While the FEC may have one idea about the legality of the contributions, the prosecution clearly has another.

"What the FEC ruled is not relevant," said prosecutor Jeffrey Tsai. "Whatever the FEC determined is not relevant to the criminal charges."
Edwards' defense team insists the money from Mellon and Baron was never intended as political contributions, but were personal gifts to keep his wife from finding out and to provide for his illegitimate daughter.

"They are not contributions to the campaign because they were not contributions to urge the public to vote for John Edwards," Haggard said.

© Copyright Original Source

Different cases, different incriminating evidence. I can only imagine though how you interpreted the John Edwards verdict at the time.