Longtime Trump Organization lawyer Michael Cohen sits down with the Senate Intelligence behind closed doors this week, where he will faces questions about his communications with Vladimir Putin’s spokesman.
Cohen talks to the panel, which is investigating Russian interference in the presidential election, on Tuesday.
His appearance comes just weeks after Donald Trump Jr. spoke to Senate Judiciary Committee staff about his meeting at Trump Tower with a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer in June of 2016.
Cohen, in addition to facing general inquiries about anything he may know about links between Russians and the Trump campaign, is certain to get grilled about emails where he reached out to the Putin regime to discuss a Trump Tower Moscow – notwithstanding the president’s repeated claims that he had nothing to do with Russia.
Donald Trump pictured in 2012 with lawyer, Michael Cohen, right. Cohen will speak to the Senate Intelligence Committee
Cohen reached out to Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, asking him to intervene to help the tower project.
‘Over the past few months I have been working with a company based in Russia regarding the development of a Trump Tower-Moscow project in Moscow City,’ Cohen, a person familiar with the email told the Washington Post. ‘Without getting into lengthy specifics, the communication between our two sides has stalled.’
‘As this project is too important, I am hereby requesting your assistance. I respectfully request someone, preferably you, contact me so that I might discuss the specifics as well as arranging meetings with the appropriate individuals. I thank you in advance for your assistance and look forward to hearing from you soon,’ Cohen wrote.
Cohen told the paper he wrote the email at the suggestion of Russian-American businessman Felix Sater.
Donald Trump Jr. spoke to Senate Judiciary Committee staff
The timing of Cohen’s testimony was first reported by NBC. Cohen confirmed that he would testify to the committee on Tuesday and said he did not know whether it would be in a closed session or public.
Aides to the committee’s leaders did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Cohen said previously he had received a subpoena from at least one of the congressional committees investigating what U.S. intelligence has determined were Russia’s efforts to influence the election on Trump’s behalf, and whether Trump associates colluded with Russia.
Russia denies such activity. The White House denies any collusion, but concerns about the issue and Trump’s ties to Russia have shadowed the first months of the Republican’s presidency.
Cohen, a personal attorney to Trump, would be one of a series of close associates of the president to testify in Congress. Members of both the Senate and House of Representatives committees conducting investigations have said they expect to call more.
Trump’s oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month.