Sen. Patrick Leahy said it's the responsibility of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary to follow up on allegations raised by President Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen.
In a plea deal this week, Cohen charged that Trump directed him to pay off two women during the campaign to keep them from speaking out about affairs that they said they had had with Trump.
Leahy said the cases of Cohen and of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort — who was convicted of eight counts of tax fraud by a jury in Virginia — represent a major turning point in the investigation of possible wrongdoing by Trump and members of his White House during the 2016 presidential campaign.
More information from NPR reporters:
- "Donald Trump's Attorney And Fixer Michael Cohen Pleads Guilty To 8 Federal Counts"
- "Jury Finds Paul Manafort Guilty In Federal Tax And Bank Fraud Trial"
Leahy thinks the issues raised by Cohen's plea deal are a matter for the Senate Judiciary committee; he is the senior member of that panel.
"But we should also be investigating now what has come out," Leahy said. "And we have a role in the Judiciary Committee to be looking at it."
Leahy said any talk of impeaching the president must wait until Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation has been completed. But he said Cohen's charges, if true, would indicate the president had committed a felony.
"Based on the evidence, that could rise to — as they did with Richard Nixon — to having the president as an 'unindicted conspirator,'" Leahy said. "If that happened then the whole game changes."
Leahy's Senate floor comments [Wednesday, Aug. 22]:
BREAKING: Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On The Guilty Plea Of Michael Cohen And Conviction Of Paul Manafort https://t.co/X016ckcHG9 pic.twitter.com/u0Mlkvxw6B
— Sen. Patrick Leahy (@SenatorLeahy) August 22, 2018
Leahy said Congress needs to take immediate steps to protect the integrity of the investigation being conducted by Mueller. The senator said he's concerned that Trump will to try to derail the investigation as more details are made public.
And Leahy is also calling on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to immediately schedule a vote on bipartisan legislation that would block Trump from firing Mueller.
"That's why we have to protect Mueller," Leahy said. "You know, you can't have a situation like Nixon did when he fired the Watergate prosecutor."
Leahy said Congress needs to follow these cases very closely because "the Russia investigation is the most pressing national security investigation of our time."
What is the rest of Vermont's delegation saying?
Sen. Bernie Sanders tweeted about Manafort and Cohen on Wednesday morning:
Americans deserve to know the truth about the 2016 election. Any attempt by the president to interfere with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation or pardon Cohen or Manafort would be a very serious offense.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) August 22, 2018
Sanders then provided the following statement to VPR via email Wednesday afternoon:
"This is a serious development. President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty to committing criminal campaign finance violations at the direction of then-candidate Trump just before the election in 2016. And Trump’s former campaign chairman has been convicted of financial fraud.
"So far, President Trump’s campaign chairman, deputy campaign chairman, lawyer, national security advisor and foreign policy advisors have all pleaded guilty to or been convicted of serious crimes.
"The American people deserve to know the truth about the 2016 election. Congress must make certain that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation is allowed to go forward unimpeded. Any attempt by the president to interfere or pardon Cohen or Manafort would be a very serious offense."
Rep. Peter Welch was not available for an interview with VPR, but did provide the following statement via email Wednesday afternoon:
“The conviction of Paul Manafort and the guilty pleas of Michael Cohen are important victories for the rule of law in America. In spite of withering efforts by the president and his allies to undermine and discredit his investigation, Robert Mueller is credibly and methodically following the facts to determine the truth about unlawful efforts to influence the 2016 election.
This is not a witch hunt. The facts speak for themselves: President Trump’s former campaign chairman, former national security advisor, former personal attorney, and two former campaign aides have either been convicted of crimes or pleaded guilty to crimes. 28 others have been indicted, including 13 Russian nationals and 12 Russian intelligence officers. And Mr. Cohen’s admission to his role in violating campaign finance laws directly implicates President Trump.
It is vital that Mr. Mueller complete his investigation without intimidation or interference and that every individual who he concludes broke the law is held accountable. No one in this country is above the law, including the president.
The most important thing that Congress and the American people can do at this time is ensure that neither the president nor any member of his administration acts to derail this investigation. Doing so, in my view, would be an impeachable offense.”