Republican Reps. Elise Stefanik of New York and Mike Turner of Ohio sent a criminal complaint against Michael Cohen to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday, citing comments Cohen made under oath during former President Donald Trump’s New York trial.
In the letter, obtained by the Daily Caller, the two lawmakers allege Cohen committed perjury by knowingly making false statements while testifying under oath before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Feb. 28, 2019. Turner currently chairs the committee, though at the time of Cohen’s testimony, it was chaired by Democratic California Rep. Adam Schiff.
The lawmakers specifically mention Democratic New York Rep. Daniel Goldman’s exchange with Cohen regarding then-President Donald Trump’s personal finances. During that exchange, Cohen testified that he did not recall Trump asking him to inflate numbers.
“During Mr. Cohen’s testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on February 28, 2019, he was asked about the personal financial statement of then-President Donald Trump. Mr. Cohen testified: MR. GOLDMAN: Did Mr. Trump direct you or Mr. Weiselberg to inflate the numbers for his personal statement? MR. COHEN: I’m sorry. Did he ask me to inflate the numbers? Not that I recall,” the letter reads. (RELATED: Federal Judge Seals Trump’s Planned Deposition In Lawsuit Against Michael Cohen)
“We write to refer compelling evidence that Michael D. Cohen appears to have committed perjury and knowingly made false statements while testifying under oath during his deposition before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (‘Committee’) on February 28, 2019,” the lawmakers wrote. “Specifically, on October 25, 2023, while testifying in the trial People of the State of New York v. Donald J. Trump … Mr. Cohen admitted that the testimony he gave before the Committee in 2019 was knowingly and intentionally false.” (RELATED: Trump Sues Michael Cohen)
READ THE LETTER HERE:
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
The lawmakers then quote Cohen’s testimony in the New York trial:
MS. HABBA: Mr. Cohen, were you being honest in front of the Permanent Select Committee when you testified on February 28, 18 2019?
MR. COHEN: No.
MS. HABBA: So you lied under oath in February of 2019? Is that your testimony?
MR. COHEN: Yes.
“Mr. Cohen’s testimony at the New York trial is inconsistent with his testimony before the Committee,” Stefanik and Turner conclude in the letter. “That Mr. Cohen was willing to openly and brazenly state at trial that he lied to Congress on this specific issue is startling. His willingness to make such a statement alone should necessitate an investigation.”