The law enforcement officials told BuzzFeed that Trump directed Cohen to claim negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow ended months earlier than they actually did. The law enforcement sources told BuzzFeed that Cohen confirmed to special counsel Robert Mueller’s team that Trump issued the order to lie to Congress.
CNN has not corroborated the BuzzFeed report.
Mueller’s office learned Trump directed Cohen to lie to Congress through interviews with multiple witnesses from the Trump Organization, internal company emails, text messages, and other documents, Buzzfeed reports.
When asked for comment, Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani told CNN, “If you believe Cohen I can get you a great deal on the Brooklyn Bridge.”
Cohen declined to comment to BuzzFeed, as did a spokesperson for the special counsel’s office.
Trump supported a plan to personally visit Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign, BuzzFeed reports, to personally meet with President Vladimir Putin to negotiate. According to BuzzFeed, Trump said to Cohen, “Make it happen.”
The law enforcement sources told BuzzFeed that Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. received regular, detailed updates from Cohen about the Moscow project.
CNN previously obtained a document showing Donald Trump had signed a letter of intent to move forward with negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Russia, despite Giuliani initially claiming the document was never signed. After the report, Giuliani admitted he was incorrect and told CNN, “I probably meant to say there was never a deal much less a signed one.”
Cohen previously said talks about the Moscow project had ended in January 2016. He said he lied out of a sense of obligation to Trump.
Cohen is cooperating with Mueller and has spoken with the special counsel’s office for more than 70 hours on topics beyond the proposed Moscow project, a source with knowledge of the discussions told CNN.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
Source : Nbcnewyork
