Political Mayhem Thursday: The Cohen Testimony

What a day it was yesterday! Michael Cohen's testimony overshadowed all other news, including his former boss's appearance in Vietnam with Kim Jong Un of North Korea. Here were the highlights (at least the ones that might relate most directly to the ongoing investigations):

1)  Cohen said that Donald Trump continued to work actively on the Trump Tower Moscow project well into 2016, just before his election as President. This matters because it creates a motive to work with Russia. Moreover, it shows a willingness to work with Russia in secret, as shown by the fact that Trump lied about it.

2) Trump reimbursed Cohen for the hush money paid to Stormy Daniels. That may be part of a case that could be, even now, under investigation in the Southern District of New York for illegal aid to a campaign.

3)  Cohen reported that he was there when Roger Stone called and told Trump (over speakerphone!) that Wikileaks was about to release thousands of emails that would be embarrassing to the Clinton campaign. That matters because it shows a link--before the data dump--between Trump and the Wikileaks operation. If Trump claimed that there was no contact with Stone regarding Wikileaks in his sworn statement to Mueller, that would be perjury.

4)  Trump apparently used funds from his charity to buy--through a straw purchaser-- a portrait of himself. (That's gotta be about the most Trump thing that Trump ever did). It's not a big-ticket offense, but it would be improper use of charitable funds.

Of course, there is lots lots more. And in the closed-door sessions there will be much more revealed, I'm sure, and without the showboating and distractions that marked yesterday's circus.

One key question is this: should anyone believe what Cohen says, given that he has already been charged and convicted of lying about these very issues?

It's a good question. And it make corroboration of what Cohen said all the more important. If documents and what others are saying match up with Cohen's account, that will matter. And right now only Mueller's team (and another in SDNY) can see the rest of that puzzle.

Suffice it to say that Cohen's claims will be valuable only insofar as they match what comes in from more credible sources.

My own hunch is that such a match will be found.