Michael Cohen’s Lawyers Ask Judge for No Prison Time for Their Client
The lawyers for one-time Trump fixer Michael Cohen are asking for no prison time for their client.
Cohen’s lawyers, Guy Petrillo and Amy Lester, noted Cohen’s cooperation in their request made late Friday night.
“He could have fought the government and continued to hold to the party line, positioning himself perhaps for a pardon or clemency, but, instead — for himself, his family, and his country — he took personal responsibility for his own wrongdoing and contributed, and is prepared to continue to contribute, to an investigation that he views as thoroughly legitimate and vital,” the filing reads.
The lawyers also go into further detail about Cohen’s role in keeping Donald Trump — identified as Client-1 — apprised of the Trump Tower Moscow deal.
“In fact, Michael had a lengthy substantive conversation with the personal assistant to a Kremlin official following his outreach in January 2016, engaged in additional communications concerning the project as late as June 2016, and kept Client-1 apprised of these communications,” the lawyers wrote in the court document.
In their argument for no jail time, Cohen’s lawyers also stress their client’s remorse.
“Michael regrets that his vigor in Client-1’s interests in the heat of political battle led him to abandon good judgment and cross legal lines,” the lawyers said.
On Thursday, Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about plans to build Trump Tower Moscow.
On Friday, Trump described the business dealings — which never materialized in Moscow — as “very legal & very cool.”
[image via Getty Images]
