WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd August, 2018) US President Donald Trump said in a statement on Wednesday that his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen made up stories in order to get a deal deal when he pleaded guilty to criminal charges.
In a Twitter message, Trump praised his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort for going through a trial under tremendous pressure, saying "unlike Michael Cohen, he refused to 'break' - make up stories in order to get a 'deal.'"
Trump added that he had "such respect for a brave man [Manafort]."
Trump also noted in a separate Twitter message that the jury was unable to decide on 10 of the eight counts against Manafort, adding that this shows that the prosecution by Special Counsel Robert Mueller is a "witch hunt."
On Tuesday Cohen pleaded guilty to five counts of tax evasion, one count of making a false statement to a bank and two campaign finance violations.
As part of his plea deal, Cohen admitted to making payments to two women "in coordination and at the direction of a candidate for Federal office," court documents showed.
Also on Tuesday, a jury found Manafort guilty of eight out of 18 counts against him in his bank and tax fraud trial. The judge declared a mistrial on the other 10 counts.
Mueller charged Manafort under his mandate from the Justice Department which allowed him to prosecute any crimes found during his investigation of the 2016 election, Russian interference and alleged collusion between Moscow and the Trump Campaign, which is what happened in the case against Manafort.
Both Russia and Trump have repeatedly denied the allegations of collusion and Moscow has called accusations of interference in the election "absurd."
