re: Cohen’s Plea Deal gets him 65 years

quote:

---

President Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty to charges including campaign finance violations, bank fraud and tax evasion during an appearance in New York federal court Tuesday.

Cohen appeared before Judge William H. Pauley III around 4 p.m. and pleaded guilty as part of a deal that was organized with prosecutors. As part of the agreement, Cohen agreed to not challenge a prison sentence of 43 to 63 months.

Cohen pleaded guilty to five counts of tax evasion, one count of false statement to a financial institution, one count of causing an unlawful corporate contribution and one count of making an excessive campaign contribution. The maximum sentence for all the charges, if served consecutively, could have been 65 years.

The plea deal also means Cohen admitted to paying adult film actress Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, to remain silent about an affair she allegedly had with Trump years before he took office.

Daniels said she was paid $130,000 to keep quiet about the tryst with the future president and also says she was threatened with physical violence if she spoke out. Daniels is currently suing Trump for defamation after he called a sketch of the man who allegedly threatened Daniels a “total con job.”

During his court appearance, Cohen admitted to working “at the direction of” then-candidate Trump and the National Enquirer to silence former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who was reportedly paid $150,000 to remain quiet about an affair she claimed to have had with Trump. Cohen added that the payment to Daniels was made at the direction of the “same candidate" who directed the payment to McDougal.

LINK

---