charter communications. >> charter is proud to be recognized as one of the best internet providers. we are just getting started. the 100,000 miles of new infrastructure to reach those who need it most. >> charter communication support c-span as a public service. giving you a front row seat to democracy. the crimina trial former president donald trump resumed in manhattan with this x lawyer michael cohen picking the stand to testify about t hush money deals he helped to arrange at the direction of his former boss in order to benefit mr. trump's 2016 presidential campaig according to the associated press mr. cohen told the jury everhing required mr. trump's sign off as he was questioned by prosecutors. cross-examination by the defense is still to come in the trial

five years ago michael cohen testified for house lawmakers house lawmakersabout his work fn president trump. highlighting the actions he took at the direction of his former boss here's a portion of the testimony. it runs about 45 minutes. >> raise your right hand. do you swear or affirm the testimony you are about to give is the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you god? let the record show the witness answered in the affirmative. thank you and you may be seated. the microphones are sensitive so please speak directly to them without objection or written statement will be made a part of the record it with that you are now recognized to give an oral presentation of your testimony.

is your mic on? >> yes. >> chairman cummings, ranking member jordan and members of the committee, thank you for inviting me here today. i've asked this committee to ensure that my family be protected from presidential threats. and that committee be sensitive to the questions pertaining to ongoing investigations. i thank you for your help and for yourng understanding. i am here under oath to correct the record to answer the committee's questions truthfully and to offer the american people what i know about president trump. i recognize that some of you may doubt and attack me on my credibility. it is for this reason i have incorporated into this opening statement documents that are irrefutable and demonstrate the

information you will hear is accurate and truthful. never in a million years did i imagine when i accepted a job in 2007 to work for donald trump that he would one day run for the presidency. to launch a campaign on a platform of hate and intolerance, and activelyn win. i regret the day i said yes to mr. trump. s i regret all the help and support i gave him along the way. i am ashamed of my own failings and publicly accepted responsibility for them. i plead guilty in the southern district of new york. i am ashamed of my weakness in my misplaced loyalty. of the things i did for mr. trump in an effort to protect and promote him. i am ashamed i chose to take

part in concealing mr. trump solicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. i am ashamed because i know what mr. trump is. he is a racist. he is a con man. and he is a cheat. he was a h presidential candidae who knew roger stone was talking about a wiki leak drop on democratic national committee e-mails.ks i will explain each in a few moments. i am providing the committee today with several documents these include a copy of a check mr. trump wrote from his personal bank account after he became president to reimburse me for the hush money payment i made to cover up his affair with an adult film star and to

prevent damage to his campaign. copies of financial statements of 2012 and 2013 she get to such institutions as deutsche bank. a copy of an article of mr. trump's handwriting on it portrait of himself. that he arrange for the bidder ahead of time and reimburse the bitter from the account of the nonprofit charitable foundation. a picture now hanging in one of his country clubs. copies of letters i wrote, at trump's direction that threatened his high school, colleges, and the college board not to release his grades for sat scores. i hope my appearance here today, my guilty plea and might work

with law enforcement agencies are steps along the path of redemption. that will restore faith in me and help this country understand our president better. and before going further, i want to apologize to each member and to congress as a whole. the last time i appeared before congress i came to protect mr. trump. today i'm here to tell the truth about t mr. trump. i like to congress or mr. trump stopped negotiating the moscow project in russia. i stated we stopped negotiating in january of 2016. that was false. our negotiations continue for months later during the campaign. mr. trump did not directly tell me too lie to congress. that is not how he operates.

in conversations we had during the campaign at the same time i was actively negotiating and russia for him he would look me in the eye and tell me there is no russian businesss and go on o lie to the american people might saying the same thing. in his way he was telling me too lie. there were at least half a dozen times between the iowa caucus in january 2016 in the end of june when he would ask me, how is it going at russia? referring to the moscow tower project. you need to know mr. trump's personal lawyers reviewed and edited my statement to congress about the timing of the moscow tower negotiations before i i ge itth. just to bee clear mr. trump knew of and directed the trump mosque out negotiations throughout the

campaign and lied about it. he lied about it because he never expected to win. she also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions ofo dollars on the moscow real estate projects. and so i lied about it to. because mr. trump had made clear to me there was personal statements to me that we both knew to be false and through his lies to the country that he wanted me too lie. and he made it clear to me because his personal attorneys reviewed my statement before i give it to congress. over the past two years i have been speared as a rep by the president of the united states. the truth is much different. let me take a brief moment to introduce myself.

my name is michael dean: i am a blessed husband of 24 years and a father to an incredible daughter and son. when i married my wife i promised her i would love her, and cherish her and i would protect her. as my father said countless times throughout my childhood you my wife and you my children are the air that i breathe. so too might lure and to my sammy into my jake there is nothing i would not do to protect you. i have always tried to live a life of loyalty, friendship, generosity and a compassion. my parents ingrained in my siblings and meet since childhood. my father survived the holocaust. thanks to the compassion and selfless acts of others. he was helped by many who put themselves in harms way to do

with they knew was right. that is why my first instinct has always been to help those in need mom and dad, i am sorry i let you down. as that many people who know me best would say, i am the person the cult 3:00 a.m. if they need help. i proudly remember being the emergency contact for many of my children's friends when they were growing up because their parents knew i would drop everything and care for them as if they were my own. yet last fall i pled guilty in federal court to felonies for the benefit of at the direction of and in coordination with individual number one.

and for the record individual number one is president donald j trump. it is painful to admit i was motivated by ambition at times. many times i ignored my conscience and acted loyal to a man when i should not have. sitting here today it seems unbelievable i was so mesmerized by donald trump i was willing to do things for him that i knew were absolute wrong. for that reason i have come here to apologize to my family, to my government, and to the american people.. accordingly let me now tell you about mr. trump. i got to know him very well. working very closely with him for more than 10 years as as executive vice president and special counsel. then as personal attorney and he

became president. when i first met mr. trump he was a successful entrepreneur. a real estate giant and an icon. being around mr. trump was intoxicating when you were in his presence you felt you were involved in something greater than yourself you're somehow changing the world i counted the trump narrative for over a decade, that was my job. always stay on message. always defend. it monopolized my life. at first i worked mostly on real estate developments and other business transactions. shortly there after mr. trump brought me into his personal life and private dealings. over time i saw his true character revealed. mr. trump is an enigma. he is complicated, as am i.

he is both good and bad as do we all. but the bad far outweighs the good and since taking office he has become the worst version of himself. he is capable of behaving kindly but he is not kind. he is capable of creating acts of generosity but he is not generous. he's capable of being loyal donald trump is a man who ran for office who made his and brand great not to make our country great. he had no desire or intention to lead this nation only to market himself and build his wealth and power. mr. trump would often say this campaign was going to be the greatest infomercial or in political history. he never expected to win the primary. he never expected to win the general election.

the campaign for him was always a marketing opportunity. >> and early on in my work for mr. trump he would direct me too lie to further his business interests. i am d ashamed to say for real estate mogul in the private sector i considered it trivial as the president i consider significant and dangerous but in the mix line for mr. trump was normalized and no one around him questioned it. in fairness no one around him today questions it either. a lot of people asked me about whether mr. trump knew about the release of the hacked documents, democratic national committee e-mail ahead of time?

the answer is yes. as i earlier stated mr. trump knew from roger stone in advance about the drop of e-mails. in july of 2016 days before the democratic convention i was in mr. trump's office when his secretary announced roger stone was on the phone. mr. trump but mr.'s stone on the speakerphone he told mr. trump had just gotten off the phot with julian and told mr. stone that within a couple of days there would be a massive dump of e-mails that would damage hilary clinton's campaign. mr. trump responded by stating to the effect, wouldn't that be great. mr. trump is a racist. the country has seen mr. trump court white supremacists and

bigots. you have heard him call poor countries. his in private he is even worse. he once asked me if i could name a country run by a a black persn that was not an s whole. this is when barack obama was president of the united states. what we were once driving through struggling neighborhood in chicago he commented that only black people could live pwothat way. and he told me black people would never vote for him because they were took stupid. and yet i continue to work for him. mr. trump is a cheat. as previously stated i am giving to the committee today three years of mr. trump's personal financial statements from 2011,

2012, 2013 which he gave to deutsche bank to inquire about a loan to buy the buffalo bills and to forbes these are exhibits 1a, 1b and one seat to my testimony it was my experience mr. trump inflated his total assets when it serves his purposes such as trying to be listed amongst the wealthiest people in forbes deflated his assets to reduce his real estate taxes. i am assuring with you to newspaper article side-by-side that are examples of mr. trump inflating and deflating his assets. as i said to sue is these are

exhibit two to my testimony. as i noted i'm giving the committee an article he wrote on and sent me report on auction of a portrait of mr. trump this is exhibit 3a to my testimony. mr. trump directed me too find to purchase a portrait of him that was being auctioned off at it hurt hamptons events. the objective was to ensure this portrait which was going to be auction last go for the highest price that portrait was purchased by the fake bidder for $60000. mr. trump directed the trump foundation, which is supposed to be a charitable organization to

repay the fakeo bidder despite keeping the art for himself. please see exhibit 3b to my testimony. it should come as no surprise that one of my more common responsibilities was mr. trump directed me too call business owners. many of whom are small businesses that were owed money for their services and told them no payment or a reduced payment would be coming when i asked mrd mr. trump of my success he actually reveled in it. and yet i continue to work for him. mr. trump is a con man. he asked me too pay off an adult film star with whom he had an

affair and to lie about it to his wife which i did. lying to the first lady is one of my biggest regrets because she is a kind good person and i respect her greatly. she did not deserve that. i am giving the committee today a copy of the wonder 30,000 wire transfer from me too miss clifford's attorney during the closing days of the presidential campaign that was demanded by ms. clifford to maintain her silence about her affair with mr. trump. this is exhibit four to my testimony. mr. trump directed me too use my own personal funds from the home equity line of credit to avoid any money being traced back to him that could negatively impact

his campaign. and i did that too without bothering to consider whether that was improper. much less whether it was the right thing to do or how it would impact me, my family, or the public. i am going tohi jail in part because of my decision to help mr. trump hide that payment from the american people before they voted a few days later. as exhibit 582 my testimony shows, i am providing a copy of a $35000 check that president trump personally signed from his personal bank account on august 1 of 2017. when he was president of the united states pursuant to the cover up which was the basis of my guilty plea to reimburse me the words used by it mr. trump's tv lawyer for the illegal hush money i paid on his behalf. this $35000 check was one of 11 check installments that was paid

throughout the p year while he s president. other checks to reimburse me for the hush moneyte payments are signed by donald trump junior and alan. that example is 5b. the president of the united states thus wrote a personal check for the payment of the hush money as part of the criminal scheme to violate finance campaign laws. you can find the details of that scheme directed by mr. trump in the pleadings and the u.s. district court for the southern district of new york. so picture this scene.

in february 2017 for 1 month into his presidency visiting president trump in the oval office for the firstol time it s truly awe-inspiring. he is showing me all around and pointing to different paintings. he says to me something to the effect of don't worry, michael, your genuine fabric reimbursement checks are coming. they were fed asked from new york it takes a while for that to get through the white house system as he promised, i received the first check for that reimbursement of $70000 not long thereafter. when i say conmen i'm talking about a man who declares himself brilliantde but directed me too threaten his high school, his colleges, and the college board

to never release his grades or sat scores. as i mentioned i'm giving the committee today copies of a letter i sent mr. trump's direction threatening these schools with civil and criminal actions if mr. thompson grades or sat scores were ever disclosed without his permission. these are under exhibit six. the irony was not lost on me the time that mr. trump in 2011 had strongly criticized president obama for not releasing his grades. as you can see in exhibit seven mr. trump declared what him show his record after showing president obama i never miss a

mr. thompson thing in private clubs are nationwide to make itt better in fact he did the opposite. in 2008 or 2009 he was cutting employee salaries and half including mine he showed me what he claims 10 million-dollar irs tax refund he could not believe how stupid the government was forgiving someone like him having that much back he did not consider vietnam veteran prisoner of war senator john mccain to be a hero because he likes people who were captured.

at the same time mr. trump asked me too handle the negative press surrounding his medical deferment from the vietnam draft. mr. trump claimed it was because of a bone spur when i asked for medical records he gave me none. and said there was no surgery. he told me not to answer the specific questions by m reportes but rather offer simply the fact that he received a medical deferment. he finished the conversation with the following comment do you think i'm stupid? i am not going to vietnam. i find it ironic, mr. president that you are in vietnam right now.

and yet i continue to work for him. questions have been raised about whether i know of direct i evidence that mr. trump or his campaign colluded with russia. i do not. and i want to be clear but i h have my suspicions. sometime in the summer of 2017 i read all over the media there'd been a meeting in trump tower in june of 2016 involving don junior and others on the campaign with the russians. including a representative of the russian government and an e-mail setting up the meeting with the subject line dirt on hilary clinton. something clicked in my mind i render being in the room with mr. trump probably early in june of 2016 when something peculiar happens.

don trump junior came into the room and walked behind his father's desk which in and of itself was unusual. people did not just walk behind mr. trump's desk to talk to him. i recalled don junior leaning over his father and speaking in a low voice which i could clearly hear and saying that meeting is all set. i remember mr. trump saying okay, good, let me know. what struck me as i look back and thought about the exchange between don junior and his father was first that mr. trump had frequently told me and others that his son don junior had the worst judgment of anyone in the world. and also that don junior would never set up any meeting of significance alone and certainly

not without checking without his father. i also knew that nothing went on in trump world especially the campaign without mr. trump's knowledge and approval. so i concluded don junior was referring to the june 2016 trump tower meeting about dirt on hilary with the russian representatives when he walked behind his dad's desk that day. and mr. trump knew that was the meeting don junior was talking about when he said that is good, let me know. she is in real soul-searching i see now my ambition and the intoxication of trump power ahead but she does the bad decision in part that i made. to you and other members of this

committee and members of the house and senate, i am sorry for my lies and for lying to congress. and to our nation, i'm sorry for actively working to hide from you the truth about mr. trump when you neededha it most. for those who question my motives for being here today, i understand. i have lied. but i am not a liar. i have done bad things but i am

not a bad o man. i have fixed things but am no longer your fixer, mr. trump.pe i am going to prison and i have shattered the safety and security that i tried so hard to provide for my family. my testimony certainly does not diminish the pain that i've caused my family and my friends. nothing can do that. i have never asked for, nor would i accept a pardon from president trump. and by coming today i've caused myy family to being the target f personal attacks by the president and his lawyer. trying to intimidate me from appearing before this panel.

mr. trump called me a rat for choosing to tell the. truth much like a mobster would do when one of his men decides to cooperate with the government. as exhibit eight shows, i provided the committee with copies of tweets that mr. trump posted attacking me and my family. someone bearing his head in the sand would not recognize them for what theyt are. encouragement to someone to do harm to me and myhi family. i never imagined that he would engage in ambitious both attacks on my family.

and unleashes tv lawyer to do theer same. i hope this committee and all members of congress on both sides of make it clear that as a nation you should not tolerate attempts to intimidate witnesses before congress and attacks on family are out of balance it and not acceptable. i wish to especially thank speaker pelosi per statements that as exhibit nine to protected this institution and me the chairman of the house permanent select committee on intelligence adam schiff a new chairman cummings for likewise defend thehe institution and my family gets attacks by mr. trump and anish the president as well. i am not a perfect man. i have done things i'm not proud of and i will live with the consequences of my actions for

the rest of my life. but today i get to decide the example i set for my children and how i attempt to change. i may not be able to change the past can do right by the american people they pretensions requests thank you i now recognize myself. mr. cohen, before icily understand something. into congress to the variable to prison for it. and do you come mr. cohen, recognize the gravity of your fence as your lawyer, right? as of yesterday i am no longer a lawyer i have lost my law license amongst other things protect you understand the gravity of this multimedia mr. chairman. >> a way to really hear this.

we will not tolerate congress. by anybody. so i do. >> the presidents also made numerous statements that turned out to be inaccurate. for example he said he knew nothingho about hush money payments to ms. clifford his 2017 financial disclosure form said he had never owed money to reimburse you for those payments. yet, in your testimony you have said you met with the president in the oval office in february 2017 discussed his plans to reimburse you for money

you paid. don't worry michael generate favorite reimbursement checks are coming. is that accurate? was that in the oval office. >> the statement is accurate. but the discussions regarding the reimburse he became president. could you explain that. >> back in 2017, apologized in 2016 prior to the election protected by keith davidson who was the attorney was the attorney or the stormy daniels.

after several rounds about purchasing her life rights for $100 what i did each and as straight into mr. trump's office discussed the issueis with him. this ultimately determined this was days before the election that mr. trump was going to pay the 130,000 dollars the office with me was the chief financial or of the trump organization. he acknowledged to allen he was going to pay the

130,000 andno allen and i should go back to hisr office and figure out how o do it. so yes, sir i stand by the statement that i gave to history to it. you said you bought sex? you. [inaudible] >> you bought checks. trust can you tell me who signed this i believe the top signature is donald trump jude the bodies balance. >> can you tell me the data that check. >> march 172,017. >> wait, hold up. the date on the check is after president trump held his big

press conference control of his businesses. the president have arranged for wasto get this if he supposedly playing a role in this business? >> the payments were designed to be paid over the course of 12 months it was declared to be for services the year. parts of the retainer agreement her boxers and a retainer agreement. have more information about that were about the entire20 discussn and negotiations for the election and would have cursory

information this one appears to be some himself. is that his signature? what size donald trump signal. >> let me make sure to a check out of his personal wiki was serving as president of the united states of adversity for hush money paint you are telling the american people today? >> yes. >> one final question. the president claims he knew nothing c about these payments. he owed nothing to you. based on your conversations with them is there any doubt in yourr minde present trump knew exacty what he was paying for? >> there is no doubt in my mind i truly believe that isis of

america. this corroborates what so make sure you and i meet one day will we are in the courthouse either every penny you still do not have and i will come after your daily beat and everyone else you possibly know. so i am warning you tread very lightly because what i'm going to do to you is going to be discussing do you understand me? mr. cohen, who said that? >> i did for. >> as you say that mr. cohen and your testimonial you did things for mr. trump i just read that you admitted to sink mark. >> i did it to protect mr. trump, donald trump junior, yvon cook trump and eric trump sink statement back in december in front of the judge's can be characterized as a blind loyalty to jon alina loyalty that led me too choose a path of darkness is

that accurate mr. cohen to mark. >> i wrote that fact. limit read a few of the things we filed a false tax return in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, line loyalty to the president? >> no it was not. >> and you failed to report or million and income to the internal revenue service do that to protect donald trump? what failed to pay 1.4 million in taxes i got consists of don't like that in a lifetime when you failed of treasury was not out of some blind loyalty to the present united states? >> it was not for the number was 1.38 and change i have paid that money back to the irs. >> american people appreciate one point course of five years approximately. >> that is what i said it in, that's five years. >> got you made false statements to financial institutions concerning home equity line of credit, taxing the park avenue apartment 2013 come to thousand 142,015 you pled guilty to

making a false statements to those banks was that all done to protect the present snow is not. >> how about this one. you crave the fakete twitter account women four: paid a firm too post 21 a world of lies, deception and fraud we appreciate the honest guy tgif # handsome # is that done to protect the president? >> i did not set that it was done by a young lady that worked for finch during the was somewhat crazy and wild we were

having fun that is what it was we were having fun. >> would done to protect the president? >> those not done to protect the president. >> owes a real twitter account it exists. >> i did update the firm it was done by a young lady was works for the firm. againn sir we were having fun. during asm stressful time. >> a point is that you like to protect the president or to help yourself quick to not sure how that would help me, sir progressive not sure how did either. click selected note the more than half the people on that site are meant too. >> here is the point the chairman gave you a 30 minute opening statement you have a history of flying over and over and over again.

don't take my word for it take what the court said tick with the southern district of new york said to crimes that were an that permeated hisf deception professional life these crimes were distinct in theirar the very common set of circumstances that deception were east each motivated by personal greed and ambition. a patte o deception for personal greed and ambition your minutes of it opening semi- trash the presidentfhe niceties of america. >> how long did y wk for donald trump? >> approximately a decade. >> 10 years? what's it is correct. >> you said all these bad things about the president in the last 30 minutes and yet you worked

r him that long quote bad things if it's that that i can see working for them for 10 maybe 10 weeks it worked for them for 10 years. mr. come to work in the white house? >> never worked in the white house. >> as the point is it? works no syrup or yes wanted to work in the white house. it brought to the dance brickwork to go to the white house. i was offered jobs mr. trump a job when mr. trump wanted me too which is working with don at the white house general counsel. >> you work once i'm i brought a lawyer in sui should not go in

because there would be no attorney-client privilege and in order to handle some of the matters i talked about it best suited for me not to go in and every president. >> here is what i think. i work for 10 years your trash and value work did not get a job in the white house and now you haven just like everyone else who got fired and did not get the job they want like james had a selfish motivation after you dip that is what i see here today that is what i got personal attorney year of my son in high school waiting for my daughter who is going back to

new york. >> exactly what you want? >> a receive exactly what i want. >> a gentleman's time has expired. >> "new york times" reporting jury selection started in manhattan and the corruption trial for new jersey senator bob menendez. the jurors will be selected from manhattan, the bronx, one of several new york counties north of the city. senator menendez on his wife and two other new jersey businessmen have pleaded not guilty for their alleged role in international bribery scheme bold bars, cash and mercedes-benz. prosecutors with the u.s. attorney's office for the southern district of new york has said they expect to take as many as six weeks to present their case against the lawmaker. who said he believes he will be exonerated also guilty of running for reelection as it. [inaudible] >> is a scam is a terrible thing happening. we have one stay back and pass

love jd vance what's going on today. persuading the respected front of the free world will be. politics is no place in this this is all politics. great legal analyst none of this is a leak there is nothing illegal. they are person who once it is he is conflicted. check that out.

everyone is saying there is no crime. bread of evidence i participated in a bank records hiding a campaign estate the doing great the cap numeral three however four weeks the numbers just came out of the "new york times" we discussed. let me put this as a singly as possible there is no crime state or federal with which to link donald trump or anyone else this is a legal basis there is none. there is no crime. again jd vance these american voters who are watching this you speak up against this sham prosecution and save the

american people. the federal law under federal law that is why we do have authority for obsolete no action they take no action against me. only when they did ta braggs almost eight years ago my presidential campaign he said we

go back take a look was turned down and was angry because of what took place. when he saw the grinch use the scan even michael of cnn for five weeks into the trial or that is not for one simple reason. there is no crime. matt would president off the campaign trail. it's not hush money. the majority of voters in savannah, michigan say trump cannot get a fair trial.

exactly what is having second thoughts. to prove he did not come close to proving fraud or any fraud is taken place there is no fraud here. there is no crime here this is four weeks of keeping me for my campaign. not be embarrassed by what happens. this is truly going to go down park legal system which is true the whole world for new york weapon eisen system. watching this unfold in the