Tom Emmer calls Michael Cohen 'a pathological liar' as he urges DOJ to prosecute disgraced lawyer over false statements

House Majority Whip Tom Emmet also sought an inquiry into prosecutor Matthew Colangelo
PUBLISHED MAY 22, 2024
Tom Emmer requests DOJ to prosecute Michael Cohen (Getty Images)
Tom Emmer requests DOJ to prosecute Michael Cohen (Getty Images)

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: House Majority Whip Tom Emmer is calling on the Justice Department to prosecute Michael Cohen, accusing him of making a string of alleged lies during the criminal trial of Donald Trump.

Emmer's demand is outlined in a letter sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday, May 22, as obtained by Fox News.

Tom Emmer calls for immediate action against Michael Cohen

In the letter, Emmer demanded DOJ "take immediate action" against Cohen over the multiple criminal referrals concerning the former Trump lawyer's testimony.


WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 30: Republican Whip Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) speaks during a news conference with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Capitol Hill on April 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. Johnson, who took questions on a variety of topics including the protests at Columbia University, has just gained support to stay on as Speaker from House Democrats who's leadership has announced that they would move to prevent a potential motion to vacate, a simmering threat from some conservative Republicans. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Tom Emmer calls for immediate action against Michael Cohen (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

He also sought information on Manhattan prosecutor Matthew Colangelo who previously served as a senior Justice Department official in the Biden administration before he joined Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's team.

In the hush money criminal trial against Trump who denied any wrongdoings and pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, Cohen was Bragg's "star witness." 

(Getty Images)
Michael Cohen was a key witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial (Getty Images)

Detailing his concerns in the letter, Emmer said Cohen "has proven to be a pathological liar, particularly to Congress." 

"In November 2018, Mr. Cohen pled guilty to lying to the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence," he wrote.

"Since then, he has been referred to the US Department of Justice on at least three separate occasions by Republicans on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and House Committee on the Judiciary for committing perjury and knowingly making false statements during his testimony at a congressional hearing and deposition," Emmer added.

Multiple criminal referrals for Michael Cohen

To prove Cohen has committed perjury during a 2019 deposition, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, R-Ohio, and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-NY, sent a criminal referral to the DOJ with evidence.

Another criminal referral for the disgraced lawyer's alleged false statements during a separate 2019 deposition was sent by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio in May.


 
 
 
 
 
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Michael Cohen's string of alleged lies

Emmer claimed that during Cohen's testimony in 2019 before the House Oversight Committee, the former Trump lawyer "repeatedly claimed that he did not seek employment in President Trump’s White House, despite evidence from the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York demonstrating that ‘Cohen privately told friends… that he expected to be given a prominent role and title in the new administration.’"

On the stand, Cohen admitted that he "had conversations with a lot of people about working with President Trump in the White House" and shared that he "would have liked to be considered" for chief of staff "for ego purposes."

As MEAWW previously reported, during Cohen's testimony in the hush money trial in May, he also testified that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from the Trump Organization.

"In other words, the prosecution’s star witness admitted to a more significant felony than what the prosecution has charged former President Trump with," the House Majority Whip wrote to Garland.

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