Opinion: The Vilification of Michael Cohen
The media and legal commentators seem to have developed a collective amnesia about Michael Cohen’s history. Observing the daily disparagements of Cohen as a “serial liar” and predictions of what a terrible witness he will be, an uninformed consumer of the news would likely believe that Cohen is a uniquely bad witness who carries enormously heavy baggage. In fact, his “baggage” is well within standard size and weight limits for a cooperating witness’ “carry-on” luggage.
Media coverage has become so accustomed to casually disparaging Cohen as a “convicted liar” that most in the public could be forgiven for not even knowing what Cohen was convicted of lying about. Cohen, who was former President Donald Trump’s lawyer and “fixer,” was convicted for making false statements to a bank to get a home equity loan for $500,000, concealing $4 million from the IRS, lying to Congress by claiming a Russian business project had not been pursued after Trump became the Republican nominee in 2016, and violating campaign finance laws by arranging for the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels to keep her silent in an effort to aid the Trump 2016 campaign.
Consistently missing from the media coverage is the reminder to viewers that all but two of Cohen’s convictions came in service of Trump and allegedly at his direction.