Congressional Committee Investigations: Will Genuine, Downright “Truth” Prevail?

Michael Cohen, the ex Donald Trump personal attorney sentenced to serve three years in prison for pleading guilty to several charges, including lying to Congress,  had once again testified in different Congressional Committee hearings.

As a backgrounder, Cohen’s guilty plea was said to be a result of a cooperation deal, entered into with a team of lawyer working with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The latter, is the former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (2001-2013). He has beeb tasked by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to oversee ongoing investigations into accusations about Russia’s pivotal interference in the 2016 presidential elections won by Donald Trump.

Senate and House Committee Hearings

Recently, Cohen had spent three consecutive days giving testimonies in support of damning allegations raised by Special Counsel Mueller against Donald Trump.

The first and third were Intelligence Committee hearings held by the Senate and the House, on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. The two separate investigations are also delving deeper into Trump’s involvement in certain private dealings (Moscow Trump Tower) with certain Russian officials.

Inasmuch as it was a closed-door hearing, both Republican and Democratic committee members present in the hearings, refused to give specific details on the results of their investigations.

Summary of House Committee on Oversight and Reform Proceedings

On Wednesday, Cohen testified at the hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Unlike the Intelligence Committee hearings, the event last Wednesday was televised nationwide. Millions of Americans heard Cohen’s testimony and had glimpses of documents he presented as evidences against Donald Trump.

Among evidences presented included checks signed by Donald Trump, which the latter denied to have paid as hush-money, and after announcing that he no longer had control over the string of Trump businesses. Cohen also presented email related to a meeting called by Trump, as well as drafts of the statements Cohen was to falsely testify during the House Committee Investigation in 2017.

Other proofs submitted were the overstated financial statements submitted by Donald Trump to suit a business purpose, which were also understated for IRS taxation purposes.

Will Cohen’s Testimony and Evidences Hold Water in Ending Trump’s Presidency?

Cohen’s testimonies are largely under scrutiny as violations of lawyer-client relationship, and for his own admissions that he had previously lied to evade payment of large taxes.

In all three Congressional committee hearings, Trump’s Republican allies capitalized on Cohen’s previous lies which he later admitted as such. Democrats on the other hand believe that this time, Cohen is telling the truth. Cohen’s testimonies are mostly a case of his words pitted against Donald Trump’s, whose capability for telling the truth is just as questionable. Yet, according to some Democratic committee members, Cohen is only one of key witnesses they will call on.

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