Donald Trump’s criminal defense lawyer gave a damaging interview to ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that just completely buried his and Michael Cohen’s legal defense in the Stormy Daniels hush money case. (video below)
Daniels’ lawyer Michael Avenatti took to Twitter almost immediately afterward to celebrate Rudy Giuliani’s public admissions of illegal activities. Giuliani’s detailed inside description of Trump’s mental state could even be a violation of his duties under the attorney-client privilege if the President didn’t authorize today’s legally significant disclosures on Sunday morning TV.
Avenatti explained why Rudy Giuliani’s interview with ABC News about Donald Trump aka David Dennison’s knowledge of repayments for the hush money deal is fatally damaging in the federal lawsuit to break that contract.
This is why I love it every time Mr. Giuliani speaks. He just acknowledged that BEFORE he joined Mr. Trump’s team on Apr. 19, Trump was aware of the repayment to Cohen and lied about it. Rudy: under the law that’s called an “admission” and it’s very damaging. Pls keep talking. https://t.co/DJYMhYb0uh
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) June 3, 2018
When the President finally reported his loan to Cohen last month, the Office of Government Ethics immediately referred it to the Department of Justice for an investigation.
Former Office of Government Ethics Director Walter Shaub explained just what that referral means.
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This is tantamount to a criminal referral. OGE has effectively reported the president to DOJ for potentially committing a crime. Dave Apol comes through in the end!! https://t.co/8LhDQZS8pF
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) May 16, 2018
Stormy Daniels’ entire lawsuit to break the hush money deal with Trump is founded on the legal principle that all contracts must have a lawful purpose.
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But Michael Cohen’s hush money deal and the loan he extended to Donald Trump, appeared tailor-made to hide the payout from federal election reporting requirements and donation limits.
Regardless of the election law implications of the debt, the President’s failure to report it on his 2017 ethics disclosures is illegal, and Giuliani’s admission that it was a knowing omission should be more than enough to void the deal.
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It is a crime punishable by up to a year in jail and a $50,000 fine to knowingly and willingly falsify or fail to report required matters on a federal government ethics disclosure.
That’s why Michael Avenatti celebrated Giuliani’s first revelation on the Hannity show of Trump’s repayment of the hush money deal, which they lied about for months.
But today’s revelations by Rudy Giuliani would seem to be the final nail in the coffin because of their direct relation to the criminal investigation into President Trump’s ethics filings.
Watch the entire ABC interview with Rudy Giuliani right here:
Asked about shifting explanations for statement on Trump Tower meeting, Rudy Giuliani tells @GStephanopoulos:
"This is the reason you don't let the president testify. Our recollection keeps changing, or we're not even asked a question and somebody makes an assumption." pic.twitter.com/DLQsGbfGhA
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 3, 2018
