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Amid Arrest Rumors, Trump Allies Reportedly Just as Worried About Cohen as They Are About Mueller

 

Cohen face

According to unnamed friends, President Donald Trump‘s embattled, longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen knows that he’s going to be arrested soon and has been telling them as much. According to Cohen, that is WRONG!

Vanity Fair‘s Gabriel Sherman reported Tuesday, among other things, that Trump allies are just as worried about Cohen as they are that Special Counsel Robert Mueller‘s Russia probe is “going to hit the fan pretty soon” — that is, after the Singapore Summit wraps up.

In the course of reporting that, Sherman said Cohen has been telling his friends that he fears he will be arrested any day now. Apparently Cohen isn’t the only one who’s concerned.

“Donald is very worried,”  a Republican described as close to Trump said.

The report also says Trump allies regard Cohen’s legal issues as “at least as ominous as the obstruction investigation.”

A former White House official said, “Trump should be super worried about Michael Cohen [flipping].”

“If anyone can blow up Trump, it’s him,” the official said.

But Cohen channeled his longtime boss when he responded to Vanity Fair‘s request for comment. “Your alleged source is wrong!” he said over text.

Cohen has a federal case against him the Southern District of New York, reportedly over possible campaign finance violations and bank fraud. There’s also the separate (but currently stayed) civil case in California filed by Stormy Daniels and Michael Avenatti.

Questions have been raised about meetings Cohen had with big corporations after the election, and taking money in exchange for “access” to Trump and his administration. Cohen’s deal with Novartis, a Swiss-based company, placed him in particular jeopardy if it is determined that he violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

Cohen has been accused of anything from threatening Daniels to colluding with her ex-attorney Keith Davidson against Daniels’ interests, to violating campaign finance law with the $130,000 paid to Daniels in exchange for silence about a sexual relationship with Trump.

Law&Crime reached out to Cohen for further comment, but none was forthcoming at the time of publication.

[Image via Yana Paskova and Getty Images]

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Matt Naham is the Senior A.M. Editor of Law&Crime.