Michael Cohen goes completely bonkers

| 11:46 pm EDT June 14, 2018
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Michael Cohen is preparing to cut a plea deal, and he’s days away from being arrested if he doesn’t complete the deal in time, according to various major news outlets. Now that he’s facing the most fateful moments of his life, how’s he handling things? Not well, apparently. This evening Cohen made a completely bonkers move which suggests that he’s melting down under the pressure of what’s about to happen to him.

In a bizarre last minute move, Michael Cohen has decided to file a restraining order against Stormy Daniels’ attorney Michael Avenatti. It’s not the kind of restraining order that would physically keep Avenatti away from him, but rather the kind that would prevent Avenatti from being able to publicly talk about him. Cohen’s argument in the court filing, according to Katy Tur of MSNBC, is that Avenatti’s television interviews are interfering with Cohen’s legal prospects. This is too weird for words, and it may give away something.

Two reasons come to mind as to why Michael Cohen would make a weird move like this. One would be that he’s hedging his bets about cutting that plea deal, and he’s floating this restraining order as a last ditch effort at seeing if there’s any hope left when it comes to tilting his trial prospects in his favor (hint: there isn’t). The other would be that Cohen has indeed decided to cut a plea deal, but as his last move before surrendering, he wants to stick it to his rival Avenatti. It gets even weirder.

As best anyone knows, after having reportedly parted ways with his legal team earlier this week, Michael Cohen no longer has any lawyers representing him at all. Unless he’s hired a new lawyer and hasn’t told anyone, he’s filing this petty and bizarre restraining order all by himself. Who’s advising him on any of this? Presumably no one. This could spiral downward quickly for him. This comes even as he faces an evidence deadline tomorrow which could result in his arrest if he hasn’t cut a plea deal by then. Stay tuned.