On Wednesday, President Donald Trump’s former attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, was sentenced to three years in prison by federal judge William Pauley for his role in the paying of hush money to women who said they had extramarital affairs with Trump.
But before his sentence was handed down, Cohen spoke in court and let the world know exactly how he felt about his client, the president, remarking:
“Recently the president tweeted a statement calling me weak, and it was correct but for a much different reason than he was implying. It was because time and time again I felt it was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds.”
Cohen also noted that he’s been living in a state of mental incarceration for years as a result of the actions he’s taken on behalf of Trump:
“This may seem hard to believe but today is one of the most meaningful days of my life. The irony is today is the day I get my freedom back. I have been leading a personal and mental incarceration ever since the fateful day that I accepted the offer to work for a famous real estate mogul whose business acumen I greatly admired.”
Most of all, Cohen told Judge Pauley, he regrets the pain he’s caused his family:
“There is no sentence that can supersede the suffering I live with on a daily basis knowing that my actions have brought undeserved pain and shame upon my family. I deserve that shame, they do not.”
And Cohen also got one last punch in at Trump, saying he took full responsibility “for each act that I pled guilty to: The personal ones to me and those involving the President of the United States of America.”
The actions that involve the president should be of special concern to Trump, because they could well lead to his impeachment and significant prison time when he leaves office, even if he’s pardoned. That’s because Trump is also being investigated by state prosecutors in New York, where a presidential pardon would do him no good.
But on Wednesday, Michael Cohen made it clear that Donald Trump is also facing his day in court, and may well be standing in the same spot he was today.
Featured Image Via CNBC Screenshot
