UH-OH: Michael Cohen’s Partner May Be Ready to Roll

Last updated on: May 22, 2018 at 8:47 pm by Susan Wright

UH-OH: Michael Cohen’s Partner May Be Ready to Roll 2018-05-22T20:47:11-04:00 Susan Wright

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I brought up earlier today about the joyless, beaten life of Donald Trump’s longtime personal attorney and “fixer,” Michael Cohen.

Things aren’t getting any better for him.

In a story breaking today, it appears Cohen’s business partner, a Russian immigrant known as the “Taxi King” may have just rolled over on him.

From NBC News:

Evgeny Freidman, 47, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a low level felony in New York state court for stealing nearly $5 million in state taxes and has agreed to cooperate in state or federal investigations. The deal, in which he will pay the state $5 million but avoid jail time, was originally reported by the New York Times.

They consider $5 million as “low level”?

Friedman has, for years, managed Cohen’s taxi medallions.

Taxi medallions allows for owners to operate those yellow cabs in New York City.

So what does Friedman’s plea deal mean for Michael Cohen, and even further, how might this splash back on President Trump, if at all?

In the immediate, it means he may potentially be called to testify against Cohen.

Cohen’s home and offices were raided in April by federal investigators, searching, among other things, for information regarding the payment to Stormy Daniels that was funneled through his shell company, Essential Consultants, LLC.

He’s reportedly being investigated for bank fraud and potential campaign finance law violations.

After the New York Attorney General’s office announced the plea deal with Friedman, they didn’t specify if this was part of the ongoing investigation into Cohen’s potential shenanigans.

Freidman’s attorney, Patrick Egan of Fox Rothschild, also declined to comment about whether his client has agreed to cooperate in any investigation. His client was originally charged with five felonies, including tax fraud and grand larceny. Freidman pleaded guilty to evading $50,000 in taxes.

Earlier this month, Egan told CNN that Freidman considered Cohen “a great friend and a wonderful client.”

Newly installed state Attorney General Barbara Underwood said in a statement, “Freidman pocketed money that should have provided much-needed investment in our transit system – and he’ll now have to pay back every cent.”

Friedman was a lawyer, as well, but was disbarred earlier in May. That kind of tells you the career trajectory Friedman has been on.

Does any of this come back on President Trump, at this point?

It’s actually too early to tell, but it does strike particularly close, and it’s further proof that Donald Trump has had a long life of surrounding himself with the absolute shadiest of characters.

We can’t know exactly what federal authorities have gathered in their search of confiscated material from the home and office of Cohen. Considering the relationship between Cohen and Trump, however, it wouldn’t be out of line to believe that Trump’s name will turn up on more than a few instances.

It was recently reported that Cohen attempted use his connection to the president as leverage with companies like AT&T, Ford, Uber, Novartis, and Korea Aerospace Industries, promising access for a price.

Some of those companies he reached out to turned him down, but others, like AT&T and Novartis, dropped big bucks into his shell company, Essential Consultants, LLC.

If Friedman rolls on Cohen, is Cohen the type who can hold strong and not roll on a bigger fish?

I’m going to say that if there’s anything damaging to offer up, he cracks.

Buckle up. This ride is just getting started.

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