donald trumpA former personal attorney who played a key role as a witness in the former president’s criminal case in New York was denied early release from probation on Friday.
what happened: Manhattan District Judge Jesse M. Furman rejected Michael CohenCiting comments in recent books and television appearances, he calls for early release from court supervision. report Associated Press.
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Furman said granting Cohen’s early release would not guarantee reintegration or deterrence of future criminal activity.
Cohen’s credibility will come under scrutiny if the jury proceeds with the state criminal case against Trump. The criminal case alleges that Cohen paid money on behalf of Trump to silence two women who allege had affairs with the former president before he took office.
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Prosecutors allege Cohen provided false information in a book on tax evasion, said the allegations were “100% inaccurate” and were “blackmailed” by prosecutors into pleading guilty. . At the judicial hearing, prosecutors said Cohen had pleaded guilty under oath and said he was not threatened or coerced into pleading guilty. They also alleged that Cohen lied in a television interview in March.
In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to various charges, including lying to Congress, campaign finance violations, making false bank statements, and evading income taxes. He was sentenced to three years in prison. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was released after about two-thirds of his sentence under house arrest.
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