Michael Cohen — who long served as former President Trump’s personal lawyer and fixer — warned Sunday of the potential risk of sending Trump back to the White House with mounting legal fees and financial liabilities.

“We need to be very careful about him as a potential president because he is for sale,” Cohen, now an outspoken critic of the former president, said in an interview on MSNBC’s “The Weekend” on Sunday.

“He needs to figure out where he is going to raise $500-plus million over a short period of time,” Cohen continued.

    • EvilBit@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Yes, but if this hurts his “successful businessman” image (just threw up in my mouth a little), then I’ll take it.

      • Billiam@lemmy.world
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        It won’t though. The people who would give him money haven’t yet stopped to wonder why a “billionaire” needs them to pay for his campaigns and legal defenses.

        • cowvin@kbin.social
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          This drives me nuts. Why do his moronic cult followers keep giving him money? He’s a “billionaire.” LOL

        • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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          These are the same dipshits that think this disgusting rapist and serial philanderer is sent by Jaysus himself.

          Logic is not their strong suit. And they don’t own a moral compass.

  • BoofStroke@sh.itjust.works
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    That is why background investigations for security clearances go deep into that stuff. Can’t be cleared? Shouldn’t hold office.

    • MsPenguinette@lemmy.world
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      Unfortunately the president gets security clearance inherently with the position. It’s kind of like asking the King/Queen to get a drivers license when those are issued “at their pleasure”.

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        Before being president, you are a citizen. If you can’t be cleared, you shouldn’t be eligible to run.

        • DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world
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          So you want CIA, NSA and the other intelligence agencies to have a full on veto power ower who can be president?

          As a reminder, its not that long since being gay/trans would disqalify you from getting clearence because “it made you vulnerable to blackmail”.

          • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
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            Similar to the issue of medical disqualification. Theoretically the parties themselves are supposed to vet these candidates, except the parties themselves have alzheimers and their party platforms are insanity themselves.

            I wonder how many of our elected officials could pass the psychological portions of an aviation medical exam. How many of them are too crazy to fly a Cessna by themselves but just can’t be removed from Congress.

          • prole@sh.itjust.works
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            4 months ago

            Legitimate question: could Jared Kushner be able to run then? He was denied clearance several times after Trump was initially elected in 2016… Anyone want to chime in to remind everyone what happened there?

              • prole@sh.itjust.works
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                4 months ago

                Yes it did…

                But back to the question: anyone remember what happened specifically with Jared Kushner’s security clearance after it was denied over and over and over by the US Intelligence Community?

                Ah fuck it, I’ll just spoil it myself: Trump was able to override it and give him the clearance anyway! Yay checks and balances!

                • DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world
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                  Presidents and politicians in general misusing their power is always an issue. That being said, there is nothing wrong with an elected representative of the people (president) overriding an unelected official who is his employee. At least presidents are accountable to the people in theory.

          • uis@lemm.ee
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            So you want CIA, NSA and the other intelligence agencies to have a full on veto power ower who can be president?

            FSB seems to have. GRU too.

      • gregorum@lemm.ee
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        Wasn’t Queen Elizabeth II famous for never having gotten a drivers license and refusing to get one? Iirc, she skated by by only ever driving in private roads.

        • HikingVet@lemmy.ca
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          From her Wikipedia article

          She trained as a driver and mechanic and was given the rank of honorary junior commander (female equivalent of captain at the time) five months later.[34]

          • gregorum@lemm.ee
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            yes, she did do that.

            I was referring to her ever getting a civilian driver license, which I believe she famously refused to do. Of course it never mattered because she never drove herself on public roads.

        • deadbeef79000
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          I believe that she’d essentially be giving herself a license (and passport).

          Also, for a person who is always driven or flown somewhere by very special people,who would need one?

          • gregorum@lemm.ee
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            a driver license and passport are different.

            also, she didn’t need a driver license because she never drove herself except during her military service or on her own properties when/where a license wasn’t required. otherwise, she was always driven.

            • Tangent5280@lemmy.world
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              I’m thinking if she’s ever asked for a passport she would’ve just taken a napkin, sneezed into it and consecrated it as a valid license “by direct decree of the queen”

    • prole@sh.itjust.works
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      Just like how Jared Kushner couldn’t be cleared, right? Like 20 fucking times? Until Trump literally, personally overrode that and he got it anyway?

      That shit only works for us plebs.

  • Treczoks@lemm.ee
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    Trump was never “not for sale”. He sold a list of American agents to Putin. What worse could he get?

    EDIT: I agree, he could still get a lot worse.

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    I’m not really sure why people consider Michael Cohen an authority on anything. He was an unethical lawyer who got disbarred. He is definitely not an unbiased source about anything to do with Trump since he obviously has a personal vendetta after being thrown under the bus. While I don’t disagree that the headline is true, I don’t think attaching Michael Cohen’s name to it makes the argument stronger.

    • Dkarma@lemmy.world
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      Because he was trumps attorney and basically an inside man for what, decades? But yeah you’re right it’s not like his testimony literally brought down Trump’s business in NY.

      Oh wait… actually it did.

  • OldWoodFrame@lemm.ee
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    He has properties he can sell or mortgage. He’s not like broke. He’s for sale because he cares more about money than loyalty and duty to his country, that hasn’t changed from his first term. It’s not about the fines.

    • Dkarma@lemmy.world
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      You think he owns all the properties with the trump name on them??? You think even if they’re in his name that aren’t all underwater due to the mortgages/ loans??

      Interesting.

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        He licensed out his name to be used, so no he doesn’t own “all” the properties with his name on them, but he owns “some” yes. And it’s real estate, it has value.

        The guy sucks and lies all the time, he is probably poorer than he says. That doesn’t mean he has no money. And the asset he owns a lot of (real estate) has appreciated in value a good amount over the last 10 years, it wouldn’t be “underwater” unless both the value went down and the loan didn’t get paid off by as much.

        • Dkarma@lemmy.world
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          Haha dude ur under water any time what you owe is more than the property is worth. If you think Trump isn’t leveraged to the tits I’ve got a bridge for ya.

          For the stuff he owns and there aren’t more creditors than value then maybe there’s something but that’s doubtful imo.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldB
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    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    Cohen’s warning comes as Trump, the leading 2024 GOP presidential candidate, was found liable Friday for nearly $355 million in penalties in a civil fraud case in New York that delivered a severe blow to his family business.

    New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) sued Trump and his business in 2022, alleging the former president falsely altered his net worth on key financial statements to receive tax and insurance benefits.

    James also alleged that Trump sometimes adjusted his assets’ value to obtain more favorable loans and deals, which the state points to as evidence of fraud.

    Last month, a federal jury in a different civil case ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million for defaming E. Jean Carroll, adding to the $5 million verdict in an earlier trial that found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her in separate comments.

    When MSNBC host Symone Sanders-Townsend suggested Trump “is open to the highest bidder at this point because the tab keeps being run up,” floating “the Saudis, the Russians,” as options, Cohen agreed.

    Trump was also indicted in four criminal cases, two of which were brought by special counsel Jack Smith, with another each in Georgia and New York.


    The original article contains 329 words, the summary contains 200 words. Saved 39%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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    You mean that there is yet another reason why he’s for sale. Throw it on the pile, I’d say.

    • Chocrates@lemmy.world
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      He is a key witness in one of the trials, and his credibility is going to be a big issue.

      Not sure why journalists care, but prosecutors need to figure out how to make him credible.

      Media is just looking for eyes

  • Red_October@lemmy.world
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    Yeah, yeah that’s what makes him compromised. Not all the other things. Not the rampant greed, not the corruption, not the pee pee tape, just the legal fees.