"I am here
under oath to correct the record, to answer the Committee’s questions
truthfully, and to offer the American people what I know about President Trump.
I recognize
that some of you may doubt and attack me on my credibility. It is for this
reason that I have incorporated into this opening statement documents that are
irrefutable, and demonstrate that the information you will hear is accurate and
truthful.
Never in a
million years did I imagine, when I accepted a job in 2007 to work for Donald
Trump, that he would one day run for the presidency, to launch a campaign on a
platform of hate and intolerance, and actively win. I regret the day I said
“yes” to Mr. Trump. I regret all the help and support I gave him along the way.
I am
ashamed of my own failings and publicly accepted responsibility for them by
pleading guilty in the Southern District of New York.
I am
ashamed of my weakness and my misplaced loyalty – of the things I did for Mr.
Trump in an effort to protect and promote him.
I am
ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump’s illicit acts rather
than listening to my own conscience.
I am
ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a con man. And
he is a cheat.
He was a
presidential candidate who knew that Roger Stone was talking with Julian
Assange about a WikiLeaks drop of Democratic National Committee emails."
Quelle: Michael Cohen, US-amerikanische Rechtsanwalt, Ex-Rechtsberater von Präsident Donald Trump, in einer Anhörung im Kongress am 27. Februar 2019. Cohens Statement im Wortlaut bei Politico und beim Time Magazine. TV-Aufnahme seiner Aussage bei Guardian News.
