WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Michael Cohen, a former personal lawyer for President Donald Trump, has agreed to provide testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on February 7, Chairman Elijah Cummings said in a statement on Thursday.
“I thank Michael Cohen for agreeing to testify before the Oversight Committee voluntarily,” Cummings said.
The scheduled specified the hearing will be held Thursday, February 7, 2019.
Cohen said in a statement that he looks forward to having the privilege of giving an opportunity to provide a “full and credible account” of events. He referred to his work for US President Donald Trump, including his knowledge of talks during the 2016 presidential campaign about the Trump Tower project in Moscow, Russia.
Cummings emphasized that the Committee has no intention to meddle in the investigation into allegations of Trump-Russia collusion and Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential election, and will, therefore, consult with the Special Counsel’s Office and provide additional information in the next weeks.
Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff welcomed Cohen’s decision to testify and said it will it will be necessary for him “to answer questions pertaining to the Russia investigation.”
Schiff expressed hope that Cohen will also testify before the Intelligence Committee in the foreseeable future.
A US federal judge sentenced Cohen to 36 months in prison for campaign finance violations, tax evasion, making false statements to a bank in connection with a case brought by the Southern District Court of New York and lying to Congress in connection with the Special Counsel’s investigation of the 2016 US presidential election.
The sentence came as part of a plea deal Cohen reached with US attorneys and the Special Counsel’s office.
Trump has denied any collusion with Russia, saying the investigation is a political witch hunt that has not produced evidence in two years. Russian officials have repeatedly denied meddling in the US election, saying the allegations have been invented to excuse the election loss of a presidential candidate as well as deflect public attention from actual instances of election fraud and corruption.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
