Transcript for Trump fires back at prosecutors investigating his presidency
Now to those bombshell court filings from federal prosecutors in New York and the Mueller investigation. One accusing president trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen of violating the law. For the first time directly implicating president trump in possible felonies. The fallout is far and wide. And the president is firing back. Lana Zak with more. Reporter: Tonight, president trump lashing out at special counsel Robert Mueller’s latest court filing in the Russia investigation, going as far as to say he’s clear of any blame. As far as the report that we see, according to everybody I’ve spoken to — I haven’t read it — there’s absolutely no collusion, which is very important. Reporter: But for the first time, a separate filing by the southern district of New York directly accuses trump of felonies. Involving hush payment money payments coordinated by Michael Cohen to Karen Mcdougal and stormy Daniels for alleged affairs. Cohen had claimed then-candidate trump directed those payments. Prosecutors now agree, saying — “In particular, and as Cohen himself has now admitted, with respect to both payments, he acted in coordination with and at the direction of individual 1.” Individual 1 being president trump. Though, the president has repeatedly has called Michael Cohen a liar. Said he would do anything to minimize his prison sentence. He’s a weak person and not a very smart person. He’s got himself a big prison sentence, and he’s trying to get a much lesser prison sentence by making up a story. Reporter: The Mueller sentencing memo says Cohen claimed a Russian national with ties to the Kremlin reached out to him back in 2015. Cohen told Mueller’s team that the Russian urged them to set up a meeting between trump and president Putin. “The person told Cohen that such a meeting could have a ‘phenomenal’ impact, “Not only in political but in a business dimension as well.” Cohen says he did not pursue the meeting. Today the president says he would have never wanted it. The last thing I want is help from Russia on a campaign. Reporter: Mueller also explaining why the plea deal with former trump campaign chairman Paul manafort fell apart. In a filing Mueller claims manafort lied about contacts with Russians, and that even after promising no contact with the trump administration, that they have evidence “Manafort had been in communication with a senior administration official up through February 2018.” I asked president trump today about those payments and the alleged felonies. He didn’t answer me but his attorney Rudy Giuliani is on Twitter saying that the president is not implicated in campaign finance violations and that no responsible prosecutor would bring a creditable case. Lana, thank you. And this programming note — much more on the investigations tomorrow on “This week” anchored by Martha Raddatz. Be sure to tune in.
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