Trump lawyer's guilty pleas likely include understanding of cooperation with Mueller investigation, expert says

LAWRENCE — Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, pleaded guilty Tuesday to eight federal crimes, including campaign finance violations “at the direction of the candidate.” The development, including the implication of a sitting president in a federal crime, marks a turning point in the Trump presidency.

Mark Johnson, an election law and First Amendment expert at the University of Kansas, said that while the Cohen plea agreement was not made as part of the Robert Mueller investigation and did not include cooperation language, it will still play a major part in both that inquiry and the remainder of Trump’s time in office. 

“It is quite likely that the plea agreement includes an understanding that Cohen will cooperate with the Mueller investigations and other federal investigations, providing information that could be of material interest. The crimes to which Cohen pleaded guilty are quite serious and carry the potential of significant prison sentences. Cohen stated at his plea hearing that he made payments for the purpose of advancing the interests of a candidate for federal office, a violation of federal campaign finance laws.”

The payments arranged by Cohen to ensure the silence of two women who claimed to have affairs with Trump shortly before the 2016 presidential election will likely lead to several years in prison for Cohen. Johnson, who teaches election law classes, can discuss the payments, Cohen’s plea agreement, the connection of the payments to Trump, what the implications are for Trump, campaign finance law and related topics. Johnson has taught election and campaign law classes in KU’s School of Law as well as First Amendment classes in the William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications. He holds a law degree from Harvard Law School and a degree in history from Yale University, and he is a founder of the Kansas City office of Dentons US LLP, an international law firm.

To schedule an interview, contact Mike Krings at 785-864-8860 or mkrings@ku.edu.