Rep. Elijah Cummings sympathizes with Michael Cohen, bringing him to tears
The Maryland congressman showed empathy to President Trump's former lawyer who sat for several hours under grilling from the House Oversight Committee
On Wednesday, as Michael Cohen testified against President Trump before the House Oversight Committee, it was contentious as lawmakers bickered back and forth, trying to get Cohen off his mark as he managed to remain calm in very testy waters.
But there was one moment that moved Cohen to tears when committee chairman, Baltimore Congressman Elijah Cummings, empathized with what he has endured in his quest to tell his truth about Trump.
“I know it’s painful being called a rat,” Cummings said in his closing statement. “I live in the inner city of Baltimore,” the congressman continued. “When you call someone a rat, that’s one of the worst things you can call them … because that means snitch.”
Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney, who is expected to surrender to federal authorities in May and begin his sentence for his past lies to Congress, held up as he offered insight into his 10-year controversial relationship with Trump, The Baltimore Sun reports.
In his opening statements, Cohen tore into Trump and called him flatly a “racist,” “conman” and “cheat,” who ordered him to lie, scam those he owed money and cover-up an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels, as well as issue hush money payments out of his own account.
It was a hard pill to swallow for Cohen to come clean and because of it, he said his family has been hit with death threats and his life has been topsy-turvy ever since.
Cohen wiped away tears as Cummings offered up sympathy.
“I mean that from the depths of my heart. When we’re dancing with the angels, the question will be asked: In 2019, what did we do to make sure we kept our democracy intact?”
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Cohen was sentenced in December to three years in prison for several federal crimes that include violating campaign finance laws during the 2016 presidential race; lying to Congress about it during past testimony; tax evasion, and what a judge called a “smorgasbord” of other crimes connected to the president’s campaign.
The hearing however starting out more like a shouting match with Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan trying to stop Cummings from moving forward to the proceedings. “Mr. Chairman, here we go. Here we go. Your first big hearing, your first big witness: Michael Cohen … a guy who is going to prison in two months for lying to Congress.”
Members of the committee voted to hear Cohen’s testimony. Thursday marks Cohen’s third and final day of testimony.
