Good evening. Im Chris Matthews in washington. Federal prosecutors in new york have accused the president of criminal violation of the federal Campaign Laws. They say trump directed thats the word Michael Cohen to cover up a Campaign Contribution in the form of payments with two women with whom he had sexual relations. This comes from the Southern District of new york, not Robert Mueller, not the socalled 17 democrats the president says are working against him, not the deep state, not from a witch hunt. Its from one of the two Sentencing Memos filed in the case of trumps former lawyer, Michael Cohen, today, which are shedding new light on the president s potential legal exposure. As trumps longtime fixer, cohen pleaded guilty in august to Campaign Finance violations and making hush payments to two women on trumps behalf. And now, tonights Sentencing Memo makes clear that with respect to both payments, cohen acted in coordination with and at the direction of individual
one. Thats the pr
Into what cohen has told the special counsel in the ongoing probe of potential collusion with russia. According to the filing from muellers office, cohen not only provided information about the moscow real estate problem, trump tower over there, that trump pursued during the election, but also provide information about attempts by other Russian Nationals to reach the Trump Campaign. According to the memo, quote, cohen spoke with a Russian National who claimed to be a trusted person in the Russian Federation who could offer the campaign heres a phrase political synergy, working together, trump and russia against hillary. Prosecutors say cohen provided useful information providing certain disskreetd russiarelated matters according to its investigation that he obtained by virtue of his regular contact with Company Executives. That was Trump Company executives. Thats how cohen got the information he has been using to try to save himself. And cohen also provided relevant and useful informat