Michael Cohen left an MSNBC panel stunned Saturday when he suggested that former FBI Director James Comey “likely committed a crime.”
Cohen, once Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, reacted to the news of Comey’s indictment while appearing with panelists Elise Jordan, Ayman Mohyeldin, and Molly Jong-Fast.
"I believe likely he will be found guilty," Cohen said, prompting Jordan to reply, "Well, that’s interesting," and Jong-Fast to interject, "Wait, what?"
Cohen doubled down: "I believe likely he committed a crime. I don’t know what that crime is, but there are hundreds of thousands of documents, and the government has each and every one of them, all they need to find is that one. I’ve been through this system. I know better than anybody what a weaponized DOJ looks like and feels like. It is insurmountable."
Jordan pressed Cohen on whether he was drawing from personal experience, since he himself pleaded guilty to multiple charges in 2018. Cohen acknowledged that, saying he understood firsthand how prosecutors operate.
When Mohyeldin asked if Cohen thought the DOJ had been weaponized under Trump, Cohen responded that the Justice Department had been politicized “for as long as it’s been around.” Jordan clarified that Cohen was essentially arguing Comey weaponized the DOJ against Trump — and Cohen agreed. "I couldn’t have said it better myself," he said.
Comey was indicted on two counts: making false statements within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. He is expected to surrender Friday, with arraignment set for Oct. 9 at 10 a.m. in Alexandria Courtroom 600 before Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.