THIS STORY IS DEVELOPING AND WILL BE UPDATED: Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former lawyer, has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors investigating payments he made to women on behalf of Trump.
Cohen is expected to plead guilty to multiple counts of bank and tax fraud charges and campaign finance violations. For months, prosecutors in New York have been scrutinizing him for those crimes and focusing on his role in helping to arrange financial deals to secure the silence of women who said they had affairs with Trump.
Even though Cohen is not cooperating with prosecutors, his decision to plead guilty is a political blow to Trump. Cohen had been the president’s longtime fixer, handling his most sensitive business and personal matters. He once said he would take a bullet for Trump.
The investigation of Cohen has focused in part on his role helping to arrange financial deals to secure the silence of women who said they had affairs with Trump, including Stephanie Clifford, an adult film actress better known as Stormy Daniels.