Left-wing MSNBC on Wednesday offered a truly astonishing assessment of the trial of former President Donald Trump and the prosecution’s star witness, his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen.
“How Michael Cohen’s past lies make him a more credible witness,” stated the headline over an opinion column posted by one of the network’s columnists.
But on Capitol Hill, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz was noting what anyone who is not a hardened anti-Trump leftist understands: that in court, proven liars with a well-known reputation for lying are indeed not the most credible witnesses to a jury.
Read: Georgia Voters Tell MSNBC Trump’s Legal Issues Make Them ‘Support Him More’
The Fort Walton Beach Republican ripped Cohen, and by extension those who back him, during a hearing by the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. The hearing explored how Democrats use “lawfare” to hammer their political opponents, primarily Trump.
Trump’s lawyers this week in New York City have shredded Cohen’s credibility in the alleged election tampering case brought by Democratic Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Bragg has stretched legal theory to try to sell a claim that Trump undermined federal election law by paying porn star Stormy Daniels to remain quiet about an alleged affair for which he falsified business records.
Some legal analysts say, however, that Bragg has yet to prove the central crime was committed.
Read: MSNBC Panel Laughs About Trump Forcibly Having ‘His Mouth Shut’ During Trial Despite Campaign
On Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Gaetz, during his opportunity to question the witnesses, worked to expose how Cohen has rarely been honest during his effort to bring down his former client.
He opened by reading a quote from previous testimony by Robert Costello, Cohen’s former lawyer.
“These days you see individuals running for prospective office who claim that if you elect me I will bring down this public figure or that public figure who disagrees with my political philosophy,” Costello had told the committee.
“Understand that to destroy that political rival you need not convict that person of a crime. All you must do is leak the fact that the individual is being investigated for a particular crime, thereby destroying his or her reputation and causing that individual to incur legal fees to defend themselves.”
“If you can destroy their reputation and bankrupt them with legal fees you have effectively eliminated or canceled your opposition without ever convicting them of a crime or getting a civil judgment against them.”
Gaetz then told Costello that he felt “seen” by Costello’s comments.
The congressman then asked Costello if Cohen is a liar. “That doesn’t even begin to describe him,” said the witness, a former federal prosecutor. “He lies at every opportunity when it is in his favor.
As one example, reported by The Washington Times, Costello noted that Cohen, who now claims to have the goods on Trump, once told him, “I swear to God, Bob, I don’t have anything on Donald Trump.”
In another example, again to the Times, Cohen testified this week that everything he did required Trump’s authorization. Costello said Cohen told him that he was able to act on his own and personally took care of Daniels’ threat to go public to protect Melania Trump.
Costello also said he tried to warn Bragg that Cohen was an “inveterate liar.” Yet Bragg refused to meet with him.
The Times noited that Costello may now become a defense witness.
“Is there a single branch of government that Michael Cohen hasn’t lied to?” Gaetz subsequently asked. “I think there isn’t,” said Costello.
Read: CNN Legal Analyst Predicts Michael Cohen’s Secret Trump Tape Will ‘Come Back To Bite Him’
“You really have to work hard to hit the hat trick,” Gaetz replied, referencing lies Cohen has told investigators, lawmakers, and judges.
“It’s not every day you see someone’s former lawyer having to come forward and say, ‘I regrettably have to inform the Congress, the court, whomever, that my own client, I am aware, is a liar.”
“I guess his lies are defined by his other lies. … And this liar should not be able to hold our elections hostage,” said Gaetz.
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