Tag: witness tampering

Jury finds Stone guilty of lying to Congress

The Hill logoRoger Stone, the right-wing provocateur and longtime associate of President Trump, was convicted on Friday of lying to Congress and witness tampering related to his efforts to feed the Trump campaign inside information about WikiLeaks in 2016.

Jurors convicted Stone on all seven counts of obstruction, making false statements and witness tampering.

The verdict marks another high-profile victory for former Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose legal team alleged that Stone had tried to conceal from Congress his contacts with the Trump campaign and people he believed were feeding him inside information about WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign.

View the complete November 15 article by Harper Neidig on The Hill website here.

Matt Gaetz under investigation by Florida Bar over Cohen tweet

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-FL., watches as Michael Cohen, former attorney for President Donald Trump, testifies during the House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on Russian interference in the 2016 election on Feb. 27, 2019. Credit: Bill Clark, CQ Roll Call

Florida Republican says he has apologized to Cohen personally

The Florida Bar has opened an investigation into a tweet sent by Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz on Tuesday that appeared to be an attempt to intimidate President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen the day before he was to testify against his old boss.

The Florida Bar confirmed to Roll Call on Wednesday afternoon that it has begun investigating Gaetz’s tweet. It would not release any additional information, citing confidentiality rules.

“Any time the words or actions of a Florida lawyer result in complaints, The Florida Bar will fully investigate those complaints through its established grievance process to determine if Bar rules have been violated,” Florida Bar spokeswoman Francine Andía Walker said.

View the complete February 27 article by Chris Cioffi on The Roll Call website here.

Matt Gaetz apologizes and deletes tweet but insists he wasn’t threatening Michael Cohen

Michael Cohen, former attorney and fixer for President Trump, testifies before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Credit: Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

Hours after sending an incendiary tweet accusing Michael Cohen of infidelity, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) apologized late Tuesday, insisting he did not intend to threaten President Trump’s former lawyer on the eve of his highly anticipated testimony before Congress.

Without evidence, Gaetz suggested earlier Tuesday that Cohen, who is married, had multiple “girlfriends,” prompting some legal observers and Democrats to accuse the Florida Republican of engaging in witness tampering. About seven hours later, he issued a mea culpa in a tweet addressed to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

“While it is important 2 create context around the testimony of liars like Michael Cohen, it was NOT my intent to threaten, as some believe I did,” he wrote just before midnight. “I’m deleting the tweet & should have chosen words that better showed my intent. I’m sorry.”

View the complete February 27 article by Meagan Flynn and Rachael Bade on The Washington Post website here.

Republican Matt Gaetz threatens Cohen over ‘girlfriends’ on eve of testimony

Rep. Matt Gaetz takes a selfie with President Donald Trump after Trump’s State of the Union address in Washington D.C., on Jan. 30, 2018. Credit:: Tom Williams, CQ Roll Call, Getty Images

The Florida congressman asked Cohen on Twitter, ‘Do your wife & father-in-law know about your girlfriends?’

Rep. Matt Gaetz appeared to openly intimidate President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen less than 24 hours before Cohen publicly testifies against his old boss in the House Oversight and Reform Committee.

“Hey @MichaelCohen212 – Do your wife & father-in-law know about your girlfriends? Maybe tonight would be a good time for that chat. I wonder if she’ll remain faithful when you’re in prison. She’s about to learn a lot…” the Florida Republican tweeted Tuesday afternoon.

Hey @MichaelCohen212 – Do your wife & father-in-law know about your girlfriends? Maybe tonight would be a good time for that chat. I wonder if she’ll remain faithful when you’re in prison. She’s about to learn a lot…

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) February 26, 2019

Cohen is expected to testify before two separate House committees this week that Trump directed him to commit multiple crimes. They include sending illegal hush payments to two of the president’s former mistresses, and lying to Congress about the timeline of negotiations for a Trump Tower in Moscow.

View the complete February 26 article by Griffin Connolly on The Roll Call website here.

Paul Manafort ordered to jail after witness-tampering charges

The following article by Spencer S. Hsu, Ellen Nakashima and Devlin Barrett was posted on the Washington Post website June 15, 2018:

A federal judge ordered Paul Manafort to jail Friday over charges he tampered with witnesses while out on bail — a major blow for President Trump’s former campaign chairman as he awaits trial on federal conspiracy and money-laundering charges next month.

“You have abused the trust placed in you six months ago,” U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson told Manafort. “The government motion will be granted, and the defendant will be detained.” Continue reading “Paul Manafort ordered to jail after witness-tampering charges”

Mueller Accuses Paul Manafort of Attempted Witness Tampering

The following article by Matt Apuzzo was posted in the New York Times website June 4, 2018:

Paul Manafort, Pres. Trump’s former campaign chairman, tried to contact witnesses in the case against him by phone and through an encrypted messaging program, prosecutors said. Credit: Shawn Thew, EPA, via Shutterstock

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors on Monday accused President Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, of attempting to tamper with witnesses in his federal tax and money laundering case.

In court documents, prosecutors working for the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, said that violated the terms of Mr. Manafort’s release while he awaits trial. They asked a federal judge to revise those terms or send him to jail until trial. Continue reading “Mueller Accuses Paul Manafort of Attempted Witness Tampering”