Longtime Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen has dropped his libel action against Buzzfeed – although he still must contend with a criminal investigation and a separate lawsuit by porn star Stormy Daniels.
Cohen filed suit against the online publication after it published the infamous Steele dossier, while also suing Fusion GPS, the firm that hired an ex British intelligence officer to investigate claims against Trump.
But after the FBI raided Cohen’s law firm office, home, and a hotel where he was staying earlier this month, he has decided to withdraw the suit – citing the time and ‘resources’ it required.
‘The decision to voluntarily discontinue these cases was a difficult one,” Cohen lawyer David Schwartz said, Politico reported.
Michael Cohen has dropped his libel action against Buzzfeed and Fusion GPS claiming that he was libeled through publication of the Steele dossier
‘We believe the defendants defamed my client, and vindicating Mr. Cohen’s rights was — and still remains — important. But given the events that have unfolded, and the time, attention, and resources needed to prosecute these matters, we have dismissed the matters, despite their merits.’
Cohen has vigorously denied a claim in the dossier that he travelled to Prague during the campaign to meet with Russians – an action that if true could play into a narrative of ‘collusion.’
‘I have never been to Prague in my life. #fakenews,” he tweeted in early 2017, and even showed a reporter a copy of his passport, which lacked a stamp for the Czech Republic.
Cohen is also being sued by porn star Stormy Daniels, who is seeking to toss out a ‘hush’ agreement she inked with Cohen. She claims she had an affair with Donald Trump
Cohen likely would have faced questioning under oath about stipulations in the Steele dossier
McClatchy news reported last week that special counsel Robert Mueller has evidence Cohen was in Prague.
Cohen told CNN after the report, ‘No, I have never been to Prague,’ and tweeted that he was with his son in Los Angeles at the time of the alleged meeting.
Cohen’s suit could have exposed him some risky situations while he was fending off a criminal investigation.
The defense could have been subjected to discovery questions about claims in the dossier in order to try to substantiate the document.
He would likely have been questioned under oath about whether elements of the dossier was true.
Federal agents raided Cohen’s home, office, and the hotel where he is staying
‘That’s always a dodgy thing for Mr. Cohen, former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti told CNN.
‘If there’s one thing Democrats and Republicans agree on today, it’s that the dossier was an important part of the government’s investigation into potential collusion between the Trump Campaign and Russia,’ Buzzfeed said in a statement.
Fusion GPS responded dryly: ‘With his decision, it appears that Mr. Cohen can now focus on his many other legal travails.’