U.S. President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty in New York on Tuesday to campaign finance violations and other charges, saying he made payments to influence the 2016 election at the direction of a candidate for federal office.
Cohen, 51, appearing in federal court in Manhattan, pleaded guilty to one count of willfully causing an unlawful corporate campaign contribution and one count of making an excessive campaign contribution.
He said he arranged to make payments “for (the) principal purpose of influencing (the) election” at the direction of a candidate for federal office. He did not give the candidate’s name.
WATCH: Attorney details felony charges in Michael Cohen case
![Click to play video: 'Attorney details felony charges in Michael Cohen case'](https://i0.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/97/999/2018-08-21T21-18-45.866Z--1280x720.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)
Cohen, who agreed to a plea bargain with federal prosecutors earlier in the day, also pleaded guilty to five counts of tax fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution.
Cohen’s deal includes a possible prison sentence of up to five years and three months, Judge William Pauley III said during the hearing. Pauley scheduled sentencing for Dec. 12 and set bail at $500,000.
![For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.](https://globalnews.ca/wp-content/themes/shaw-globalnews/images/skyline/national.jpg)
Get breaking National news
WATCH: Michael Cohen leaves court after pleading guilty to federal charges
![Click to play video: 'Michael Cohen leaves court after pleading guilty to federal charges'](https://i0.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/80/407/2018-08-21T21-09-33.666Z--1280x720.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)
The guilty pleas came in the same hour that a federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia, convicted former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort of eight charges of tax and bank fraud and failing to disclose foreign bank accounts.
The Manafort conviction resulted from U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible coordination with the Trump campaign.
WATCH: Giuliani says Cohen recorded 183 conversations, ’11 or 12′ mention Trump
![Click to play video: 'Giuliani says Cohen recorded 183 Conversations, ’11 or 12′ mention Trump'](https://i0.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/507/798/guiliani_848x480_1287947331675.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)
The probe also led to a referral from Mueller about Cohen to federal prosecutors in New York, who began their own probe of the longtime Trump lawyer.
Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion and has called the Mueller investigation a witch hunt. Russia has denied meddling in the election. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded Moscow interfered.
WATCH: Prosecutor says Cohen will face ‘very serious price’ following guilty plea
![Click to play video: 'Prosecutor says Cohen will face ‘very serious price’ following guilty plea'](https://i0.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/170/747/19606469_848x480_1303707715783.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)
Cohen was one of Trump’s closest associates for more than a decade. He worked as his personal attorney at the Trump Organization and continued to advise the president after the election. But their relationship had frayed in recent months.
In court on Tuesday, Cohen’s voice cracked as he answered questions from Pauley.
WATCH: Michael Cohen surrenders to FBI as reports surface about possible plea deal
![Click to play video: 'Michael Cohen surrenders to FBI as reports surface about possible plea deal'](https://i0.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/1012/615/TU_MICHAEL_COHEN_AUG_21_848x480_1303514691544.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)
Asked a standard question about whether he had consumed any alcohol or drugs before making his guilty plea, Cohen said he had had only a glass of 12-year-old Glenlivet, single-malt scotch with dinner the night before.
— Reporting by Brendan Pierson and Jonathan Stempel. Writing by Jonathan Oatis. Editing by Susan Thomas and James Dalgleish.
- Japanese gymnastics captain, 19, out of Olympics for smoking, drinking
- Will Kamala Harris make a good president? Most Democrats think so, poll shows
- Top UN court says Israel’s presence in occupied Palestinian territories is illegal
- Donald Trump urges unity in RNC speech, but sticks to populist message
Comments