Michael Cohen’s new lawyer cited President Trump’s interactions with former national security adviser Michael Flynn in stating that lying about an abuse of power could be an impeachable offense.
Lanny Davis made the remarks during an interview that aired Wednesday on Hill.TV’s “Rising” with Buck Sexton and Krystal Ball.
He referenced testimony by former FBI Director James Comey, who told Congress that before he was fired by Trump, the president had asked him to drop the investigation into Flynn during an Oval Office meeting on Feb. 14, 2017.
“When you have a president lying about abuse of power such as lying about asking Michael Flynn not to be prosecuted, in that case, I believe James Comey and not Mr. Trump, that type of lie is an abuse of power and could be an impeachable offense,” Davis said.
Lawyers for Trump have pushed back at Comey’s account of the meeting.
Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in December.
Legal experts have speculated that if the president knew Flynn had lied to the FBI and then asked Comey to drop the investigation, it could constitute obstruction of justice.
Trump said last year that he fired Flynn because he had lied to the vice president about his contact with a Russian official.
Trump said in a tweet, reportedly written by his then-lawyer John Dowd, late last year that he “had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the vice president and the FBI.”
The tweet was sent after Flynn pleaded guilty.
Cohen hired Davis last week. Davis is a longtime Washington insider who worked as a special counsel to former President Clinton. He is also a former columnist for The Hill.
— Julia Manchester
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