Donald Trump "is a racist. He's a crook. It's a cheat, "said former US President Michael Cohen's personal attorney, opening his explosive testimony Wednesday in front of the US Congress.
The tone was quickly given to the inquiry committee of the House of Representatives in Washington.
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Seriously, drawn, Michael Cohen claimed that Mr. Trump knew ahead of WikiLeaks' revelations about rival Hillary Clinton.
"We wondered if I knew of any direct evidence that Mr. Trump, or his campaign team, had conspired with Russia. I do not have any. I want to be clear. But I have suspicions, "said Michael Cohen.
He also explained how he was instructed by his former boss to lie about a real estate project in Russia in the middle of the 2016 presidential campaign.
Sign of political tensions surrounding the whole affair, the opening of the debates, broadcast live, was marked by a pass of arms between Republicans, allies of Donald Trump, and the democratic chairman of the commission, Elijah Cummings.
Before the dozens of members of the commission, Michael Cohen should, during several hours, speak in detail of the private affairs of the American president and its ties with Russia, which could have influenced his election in 2016.
His long statement paints a vivid portrait of the businessman who became 45th president of the United States, for whom 52-year-old Michael Cohen began work in 2007.
The trembling voice, Michael Cohen spoke of his family, apologizing for acting badly in the service of Donald Trump.
" He lies "
Since Tuesday and a first hearing, the White House and Donald Trump himself, traveling to Vietnam for his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un , attack the credibility of the former lawyer, sentenced in December. to three years in prison for tax evasion, perjury and violation of the electoral code. Withdrawn from the bar, he will be incarcerated on May 6.
"Michael Cohen was one of many lawyers who represented me (unfortunately)," tweeted Donald Trump on Wednesday. "He's lying to reduce his prison sentence," he said.
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According to CNN, Mr. Trump should watch the audition of his former faithful right hand man between the negotiations in Hanoi.
Early in the morning, Jackie Speier, a Democrat sitting on the Inquiry, said the word "impeachement" in an interview on NPR Public Radio, saying that if her testimony was "as explosive as the seems, "this could provide the foundation for the" beginning of impeachment "of the President.
On Tuesday, Mr. Cohen began three days of hearings with a marathon testimony (this one in camera) before the Senate Committee of Intelligence.
He explained his initial lies during a first hearing in 2017, including his contacts with Russian officials about the real estate project in Moscow in 2016.
Payments to a porn actress
On Wednesday, the members of the House's inquiry committee (which includes the left-wing elected and ultra-media figure of the Democratic party Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib) should question him on the finances of the Trump Organization, for which he worked for ten years, the promoter's tax returns, the doubtful accounts of his foundation and a construction project in Moscow in 2016.
Not to mention the 280,000 dollars he paid during the two-woman campaign, former pornographic actress Stormy Daniels and playmate Karen McDougal, to buy their silence on their supposed links with the billionaire.
Michael Cohen announced that he would present to parliamentarians "a copy of the check" which he said was from Mr. Trump's personal account and that Mr. Trump signed after becoming president in January 2017 to repay the payment to Stormy. Daniels.
The former lawyer also said: "During conversations we had during the campaign, even while I was negotiating in Russia for him, he looked me in the eyes and told me that there was no project in Russia then went out and lied to the Americans by repeating the same thing ".
"In his own way, he told me to lie," he goes on.
On racism, Cohen says Trump "is far worse" than he has shown. "Once, he asked me if I could name a country run by a black person who is not a" shitty country ". At the time Barack Obama was president of the United States.
On Thursday, Michael Cohen will testify in camera before the House Intelligence Committee.
He should not comment on the Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller's investigation, which he has collaborated with on the US president's suspicions of collusion and obstruction of justice.