Judiciary Dems seize on report that Trump told Cohen to lie before Congress

Leading Democrats and members of the House Judiciary Committee tweeted late Thursday that President Donald Trump would have obstructed justice if he instructed his former personal attorney to lie before Congress.

“If the President directed [Michael] Cohen to lie to Congress, that is obstruction of justice. Period. Full stop,” Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island wrote online.

That post came less than half an hour after the publication of a report by BuzzFeed News stating that the president ordered his longtime ex-fixer to lie to lawmakers about negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, citing two law enforcement officials involved in the investigation of the matter.

“THIS IS OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE,” tweeted Rep. Ted Lieu of California.

“This stunning Trump Tower Moscow story establishes a clear case of Obstruction of Justice, a felony. I’ve lost count now how many times @realDonaldTrump has engaged in Obstruction of Justice,” Lieu wrote in another post, adding: “Oh, fyi the first Article of Impeachment for Richard Nixon was Obstruction of Justice.”

As chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, Cicilline is charged with overseeing House Democrats’ policy and messaging arm. Lieu is a co-chair of the committee.

Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani dismissed the story Thursday evening, telling various media outlets: “If you believe Cohen I can get you a good all cash deal on the Brooklyn Bridge.”

Cohen is scheduled to testify publicly to the House Oversight Committee on Feb. 7.

Former Attorney General William Barr, Trump’s nominee to lead the Justice Department, said earlier this week at his confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee that a president persuading a witness to commit perjury or change his or her testimony would constitute an obstruction of justice.

Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine

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Source: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/17/democrats-trump-obstruction-of-justice-1110673
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The Article Was Written/Published By: qforgey@politico.com (Quint Forgey)

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