Michael Cohen Pleads Guilty to Lying to Congress About Trump’s Business Dealings in Russia

The president’s former attorney made a surprise appearance in federal court Thursday morning.

Bryan Smith/ZUMA

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President Donald Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen has pleaded guilty in a deal arranged with special counsel Robert Mueller to making false statements to Congress about a proposed Trump Tower project in Moscow during the 2016 presidential election.

Cohen had previously pleaded guilty to eight federal charges related to tax and bank fraud, two of them directly related to the president. The potential plea deal comes amid escalated attacks by Trump against the Russia investigation. 

Speaking to reporters outside the White House shortly after Cohen’s guilty plea, Trump contradicted his previous remarks regarding his business dealings in Russia. 

This is a breaking news post. We will update as more information becomes available. 

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