Michael Cohen talks about how close the Manhattan DA is to criminally indicting Donald Trump
When Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg leaked to the media weeks ago that he was finally presenting a criminal case against Donald Trump to a grand jury, the big question was how legitimate it was. After all, Bragg famously spent last year declining to charge Trump with anything.
But then the DA’s office started meeting with Michael Cohen, again and again, which is a big deal for a couple reasons. First, Cohen is a key inside witness in the specific charges that Bragg is reportedly seeking against Trump, relating to Stormy Daniels and campaign finance fraud. If Bragg is serious about bringing this kind of charge, Cohen is the person he should be talking to.
Second, Cohen has spent the past few years doing the right thing and earning the public’s trust. He also doesn’t hesitate to call out BS when he sees it. Thus far Cohen’s public statements about the Manhattan DA’s criminal case against Trump have all been positive – lending it some credibility. And on Thursday afternoon Cohen appeared on MSNBC and made clear just how serious things have gotten.
Cohen stated on air that he’s now met with the Manhattan DA’s office for the sixteenth time, and that these discussions are now getting down to the most specific of details in the criminal case against Trump. Cohen also stated that he believes the case against Trump is near completion, at least as it relates to Cohen’s involvement in it.
This is obviously positive news. Michael Cohen has been openly critical of various prosecutors in the past, whenever he’s felt that they weren’t doing their jobs legitimately. He even wrote a bestselling book, titled Revenge, about the subject. So it means something that Cohen is publicly endorsing the legitimacy of this criminal case, and that he says it’s as far along as it is.
But what arguably stands out more is what Cohen isn’t willing to talk about. He stated his expectation that Trump and a number of other people will be held accountable. But when Nicolle Wallace asked him about specific names, he declined to say “yes” or “no” about anyone. When Wallace asked Cohen if the Manhattan DA’s criminal case against Trump is broader than just the campaign finance fraud, Cohen also declined to say – while grinning from ear to ear the entire time.
When you have this kind of detailed inside information about a criminal case but you’re gleefully declining to publicly reveal those details, it’s because you don’t want to risk tainting any of the good stuff that’s about to happen. Michael Cohen is clearly thrilled about the prospects for justice being done in New York. That’s the strongest sign we’ve seen yet that the Manhattan DA really is gearing up to indict Donald Trump and finally take him down.
