BuzzFeed’s latest bombshell that 72-year-old President Donald Trump told his convicted felon personal attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about the Moscow Trump Tower project epitomizes what Trump calls fake news: Sensational stories that use anonymous sourcing, making the facts of the story impossible to verify. With Special Counsel Robert Mueller playing his cards close to the vest, there’s wild speculation in the media about what he’ll find in his final report to the Attorney General. Not only is the BuzzFeed story anonymously sourced, it’s author Jason Leopold has a checkered past, having been accused of plagiarism and factually incorrect reporting while a freelancer for online Salon Magazine in 2007. But apart from Leopold’s credibility, his main source of information is Trump’s personal attorney, now convicted of perjury and other serious felonies, facing three-years in jail.
Leopold’s report says the Trump directed Cohen to perjury himself to Congress regarding certain details of a speculative real estate venture in Moscow. Leopold’s unnamed sources tell him Trump ordered Cohen to lie to Congress, especially about a deal to give Russian President Vladimir Putin a $50 million dollar penthouse in exchange for getting the permits to build Trump Tower Moscow. CNN jumped all over Leopold’s story calling it the “smoking gun,” proving Trump Russian collusion. Given Mueller’s last stage of the investigation, fake news outlets want to grab headlines, especially when it comes to finding Trump’s wrongdoing. “The allegation that the President of the United States may have suborned perjury before out committee in an effort to curtail the investigation and cover up his business dealings with Russia is among the most serious to day,” said Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
Now the head of the House Intelligence Committee, Schiff wants to interview Cohen before he goes to jail this March. Forget about Cohen’s credibility or that of Leopold, Schiff’s the most partisan, anti-Trump Democrat in Congress, even more so tham Rep. Maxine Watters (D-Calif.) who routinely calls for Trump’s impeachment. Trump has denied ordering Cohen to lie to Congress or anyone else, prompting Cohen to admit in his sentencing hearing that he made bad mistakes. Media outlets like BuzzFeed and CNN only want to report that Cohen was convicted of violating campaign finance laws, paying off porn star Stormy Daniels or former Playboy centerfold Susan McDougal for alleged affairs with Trump. Cohen’s three-year sentence was more for income tax evasion, illegal sales of taxi medallions, bank and wire fraud, than for paying hush money to Trump’s alleged mistresses.
Minimizing Cohen’s real crimes helps give him more credibility when it comes to impeaching Trump or high-crimes-and-misdemeanors. No responsible media outlet would tout the testimony of convicted felons to grab their “smoking gun” against the president. “Lying to reduce his jail time!” Trump tweeted, discrediting Cohen, who’s now signing like a canary, ratting Trump out. Reporting BuzzFeed’s bombshell, USA Today admitted they could not independently verify Leopold’s story, especially citing anonymous sources, the hallmark of fake news. Cohen plea-bargained with Mueller on perjury related to when he stopped talking to the Russians about a Trump Tower project. Cohen told Congress he stopped talking to Russia in December 2016 when he actually stopped conversations in June 2017. Regardless of Leopold’s sourcing or what’s known by Mueller, they can’t prove Trump told Cohen to lie.
Cohen was licensed by New York State’s Bar, sworn to uphold appropriate professional standards. Blaming his malfeasance on Trump only says that Cohen can’t accept responsibility for his own actions, despite telling Judge William H. Pauley III that he’s accountable for his own crimes. When it comes to Trump’s business dealing with Russia, it has little to do with Mueller investigation, trying to prove that he colluded with the Kremlin to win the 2016 presidential elections. Democrats want to prove that Trump or his campaign was responsible for the Russian hack on the Democratic National Committee and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s former Campaign Chairman John D. Podesta. Focusing on Trump’s business dealing before taking office gives CNN or other anti-Trump media outlets its “smoking gun,” but says nothing about Russian collusion in the 2016 election.
BuzzFeed stands by Leopold’s story, insisting, without naming sources, that Mueller has corroborating witnesses and testimony proving Trump ordered Cohen to lie to Congress. “If Mueller does have multiple sources confirming Trump directed Cohen to lie to Congress, then we need to know this ASAP,” wrote Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Twitter. If Mueller had proof of anything he’d be indicting the appropriate persons, including Trump. “If the @BuzzFeed story is true, President Trump must resign or be impeached,” said Rep. Joaquin Castro (R-Tx.), a member of the House Intelligence Committee. Democrats and the anti-Trump media are more than willing to leap to conclusions without evidence to call for Trump’s impeachment or indictment. Cohen refused to answer reporters’ questions about BuzzFeed’s bombshell, pushing the fake news cycle that dominates the headlines.
