LEGAL/MICHAEL COHEN/NEW YORK/PAUL MANAFORT/TRUMP BUSINESS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WOMEN: “A week that began with bad news closed with worse news for President Donald Trump. According to the New York Times, the Manhattan district attorney’s office is currently investigating the Trump Organization. In particular, they are examining the source of the payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, and whether any laws were violated in the payout or reimbursement of Michael Cohen, who paid Daniels the $130,000 in question to buy her silence. Earlier this week, in a Virginia courtroom, Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, was convicted on eight felonies relating to fraud. Shockingly, the President’s response to Manfort’s conviction was to call him a ‘brave man’ for whom he feels very ‘sad.’ Making matters worse, Michael Cohen, Trump’s long-time fixer, also pleaded guilty to eight felonies in connection with fraud. In doing so, he explained to the judge during his plea, that he acted “in coordination and at the direction of” the President when he broke campaign finance laws. Following these shattering events, the President immediately began to gin up the spin. He tweeted his support of Manafort, and attacked Cohen, sending signals that he values and rewards loyalty. All of this, as Congressional Republicans have not even hinted that they will investigate Cohen’s claims regarding Trump’s actions. In fact, their silence is deafening as they continue to blindly support the President.”
–Joey Jackson, “Trump’s hideous legal landscape just got even worse,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, August 25, 2018 10:24 am