Amid all of the noise surrounding the guilty verdict for Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen’s plea deal with federal prosecutors, talk show host and attorney Ben Shapiro gives his analysis of what Cohen’s move means for team Trump.
So, let's assume that Cohen will plead guilty to campaign finance violations for paying off Trump's former lovers, as is being reported. Here's what that could mean. (1/)
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 21, 2018
The following scenario would be less than doomsday for Trump.
First, it could mean that Cohen is pleading guilty to giving an in-kind contribution without reporting to the FEC. He'd be on the hook; it's not clear Trump would be, because Trump could claim he didn't know about it, as he has. (2/)
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 21, 2018
This, however, would be the worst-case scenario for Trump.
Second, it could mean that Cohen is pleading guilty to giving cash as an emissary of the Trump campaign, which would implicate Trump himself in campaign finance violations. (3/)
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 21, 2018
And for comparison of that potential outcome, Shapiro references former vice presidential candidate John Edwards, who was indicted in 2011 for using illegal campaign donations to cover an affair.
We don't know what Cohen has told the feds yet. If it turns out that Trump funneled cash to former lovers to shut them up for campaign reasons, this looks an awful lot like John Edwards' case. (4/)
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 21, 2018
Edwards claimed that his supporters simply gave the cash to his mistress without ever being funneled through the campaign. He was charged, and the jury hung. No charges were refiled. (5/)
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 21, 2018
In essence, though, it probably won’t be the end of Trump, Shapiro says. But he needs to be very careful about how he proceeds when deciding whether to testify.
If the Left is hoping Trump's presidency ends over these charges, that's unlikely. With that said, Trump could be subpoenaed, and it's unclear whether he'd be forced to testify. Trump testifying is Team Trump's worst nightmare — he would obviously open himself to perjury. (END)
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 21, 2018
As for the question of whether Trump should pardon Michael Cohen…
Pardoning Michael Cohen won't help Trump here. That merely ensures that Cohen would have to testify since he could no longer plead the Fifth.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 21, 2018
Any way you slice it, today has not been a good day for the White House.
Live shot at the White House pic.twitter.com/2XmxIh4sEg
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 21, 2018
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