U.S. Department of Justice _Assorney Wr Bret Mey Contam Miteriat Protected Fed -Erie Ps} dismiss the idea ofa substantial connection between Trump and Russia Cohen sui that he iscussed the talking points with Trump but that he didnot explicitly tell Trump he thought they ‘were untrue because Tramp already knew they were untrue." Cohen thought itwas important to ‘say the deal was done in January 2016, rather than acknowledge that talks continued in May and June 2016, because it limited the period when candidate Trump could be alleged to have a ‘lationship with Russia to an early point in the campaign, before Trump had Become the party's presumptive nominee.** 3. Cohen Submits False Statements to Congress Minimizing the Trump tower ‘Moscow Preeti Assotdance with the Party Line In early May 2017, Cohen received requests from Congress to provide testimony and ‘documents in connection with congressional investigations of Russian interference in the 2016 election At that time, Coben understood Congress's interest in him to be focused of the allegations inthe Stele sporting conceminga meeting Cohen allegedly had with Russian officials in Prague during the campaign.” Cohen had never traveled to Prague and was not concered about those allegations, which he believed were provably fase. On May 18,2017, Cohen met With the President to discuss the request from Congress, and the President instructed Cohen that he should cooperate because there was nothing there ‘Cohen eventually entered into joint defense agreement (DA) with the President and other viduals who were part of the Russia investigation.” In the months leading up to his ‘congressional testimony, Cohen fequeatly spoke withthe President's personal counsel" Cohen Cohen 9/8/18 302, a 56. Cohen 918/18 302, ot 6. * Cohen 912/18 302, at 10. * p.0-000000528 (5/9/17 eter, HPSCI to Cohen; P-$CO.000000331 (5/12/17 Lett, SSCI to Coten) ° Cohen 11/20/18 302, 123. ° Cohen 11/00/18 302, 2.3 ° Coen 1/12/18 302, t 2; Cohen 11/2019 302, a3. ° Cohen 11/2/18 302, 2, °° Cohen 11/12/18 302, at 23; Cohen 1120/18, at 2-6. Cohen told investigators abou his conversations with the Presidents personal counsel afer waiving any privilege of his own and afer tis ‘ice advised hs course nore provide any communications th woul be covered by any her ieee, inching communications protected by a joint defense or carmen intrest privilege. As aresl most of ‘whit Cohen tlds about hs conversions with de Presidents persoral counsel concered wat Cohen ‘a coramuniatd tothe Presidents personal counsel, and ot What Was sid in espase. Cohen described certain statements made bythe Pesden's personal counsel, however, tat are set rh inthis section Cote and his counsel were ber positioned han this Office to evaluie whether any pelvlege protected those ttemens because they had krowledge of the scope oftheir jolt defese agreement ac access to ‘ivleged communications datmay have provided contet fr evaluating the statements thy share Aer Interviewing Cohen abou thee mates, we asked the President's personal counsel ithe wished o provide information os abou his conversations with Cohen related to Cohen's congressional testimony about 139U.S, Department of Justice _Assomey tor Pradet ! Mey- Contain Material Protected: tinder ed-Rt-Crim-P-64e} ‘suid that in those conversations the Presidents personal counsel would sometimes say that he had Just boon withthe President Cohen recalled that the President's personal counsel told him the DA was working well together and assured him tha here was nothing there andifthey stayed on ‘message the investigations would come to an end soon ”® At that ime, Cohen’s legal ills were being. paid by the Trump Organization and Cohen was told not to worry because the investigations would be over by summer or fall of 2017." Cohen said thatthe President's ‘personal counsel also conveyed that, as part ofthe JDA, Cohen was protected, which he would not be i he “went rogue," Coben recalled thatthe President’ personal counsel reminded him that “the President loves you” and old him that he ayes on message, the President had his back." In August 2017, Cohen began drafting «statement about Trump Tower Moscow to submit to Congress along with his document produetion* The final version ofthe statement contained ‘several ale statements about the project. First, lthough the Trump Organization eontinued to pursue the project until at least June 2016, the statement sad, “The proposal was under ‘cansderaton atthe Tramp Organization from September 2015 until the end of January 2016. By ‘the end of Ianuary 2016, I determined thatthe proposal was not feasible fora variety of business reasons and should not be pursued further. Based on my business determinations, the Trump Organization abandoned the proposal"®™” Second, although Cohen and candidate Trump had siscussed possible travel to Russia by Trump to pursue the venture, the statement sad, “Despite ‘overtures by Me. Sate, I never considered asking Mr. Trump to travel to Russia in connection with, this proposal. T told Me. Sater that Mr. Trump would not travel to Russa unless there was @ definitive agreement in place" Third, although Cohen had regularly briefed Trump on the status ‘Tramp Tower Moscow. The Presents personal counse! declined and, hough his own counsel indicted ‘hat he could nt disgaregate information he ha obuined from Cahon fom information he had obtained ftom ster partes inthe IDA. In view of the admonition ths Office pave to Cohen's counsel to withhold ‘communication that could be covered by privilege, the Presents personal course's uncerunty about ‘he provenance of his own knowledge, the burden ona privilege older to establish the elements to support ‘claim of privilege, andthe substance ofthe sateen themselves, we have inched relevant statements ‘Cohen provided fn this report, Ifthe statements were lobe used ina context beyond this repr, further analysis could be warranted, °° Cohen 11/20/18 302, 6. Cohen 1/20/18 302,012, 4 Cohen 1/20/18 302, a4 2 Cohen 9/1W/8 302, 8; Cohen 11/20/18 302 23-4 °° Cohen {1/20/18 302, a4, Cohen 918/18 302, at LT; Cohen 11/20/18 302, a2. pss C0-0n0003680 and P-SCO-1900003687 (8/617 Ena an Atachment, Michal Cohen's ‘Counsel to Coben, Cohen sad it vas nathis dea to write 2leterto Congress about Trump Tower Moseo¥. (Cohen 918/18 302, a7. 2° p.$C0-00000478 (Satement of Michel D, Cohen, Bs. (Aug, 28,2017) © p$0.00000478 (Statement of Michael D. Cote, sq. (Aug 28,2017). % p-$0-0000048 (Statement of Michael D. Cote, Esq. (Aug. 28, 2017) 40U.S. Department of Justice _Attomey Werk: Prduot / Mey-Gontein Materia Protected Hinder Fede R-Crim-P-6fe) ofthe projet and had numerous conversations about it the statement said, “Mr. Trump was never in contact with anyone about this proposal other than me on thre occasion, including signing a ‘non-binding letter of intent in 2015." Fourth although Cohen's outreach to Peskov in January 2016 had resulted in a lengthy phone call with representative from the Kremlin, the statement said that Cohen did “not reall any response to my email [t Peskos}, nor any other contacts by ‘me with Mr, Peskov or other Russian government officials about the proposal.” CCohen’s statement was circulated in advance to, and edited by, members of the IDA. efor the statement was finalized, earty drans contained a sentence stating, "The building project led me to make Himited contacts with Russian government officals."”? Tn the final version ofthe statement, that ine was deleted.” Cohen thought he was tld that it was a dession of the JDA to takeout that sentence, and he didnot push back oa the deletion" Cohen recalled that he told the President's personal counsel that he would not contest a decision ofthe JDA.”" Cohen also recalled that in drafting his statement for Congress, he spoke with the President's personal counsel about a different issue that connected eandidate Trump to Russia: Cohen's efforts to set up a meeting between Trump and Putin in New York during the 2015 United [Nations General Assembly" In September 2015, Cohen had suggested the meeting to Trump, ho told Cohen to reach out to Putin's office about it” Cohen spoke and emailed with Russian official bout a possible meeting, and recalled that Trump asked him multiple times for updates on the proposed meeting with Putin. When Cohen called the Russian offical a second time, she told him it would not fllow proper protocol for Putin tomeet with Trump, and Cohen relayed that 6 P-$C0-00000478 (Statement of Michael D. Cohen, Es, (Aug. 28,2017). > p.$0-00008478 (Statement of Michael D. Cohen, Eg. (Aug. 28,2017). 7 Cohen 9/12/18 302, a 89. Cohen also testified in Congress thatthe President's counsel reviewed and edited the statement. Hearing om lence Related to Tramp Organization Before the House (Oversight and Reform Commitee |\6* Cog, (Fb. 27, 2019) (CQ Cong Transits, 24-25) testimony hy Michael Cohen}. Because of concerns abou the common ners privilege, we didnot btn or review All dats of Cohen's statement. Based onthe dra that were released through this Office's filter proces sppeas thatthe substance ofthe four principal false statemens described above were cntsned in an carly dat prepared by Cohen an his counsel, P-SCO-O000003680 and P-SCO-0000003687 (8/1617 Email and Attachment, Cohen's counsel to Chen}. £2 p$0-0000003687 (8/16/17 Dat Statement of Michal Cohen); Cohen 11/2018 302, a4 > Cohen 1/20/18 30, a A different ine stating hat Cohen dit recall any response to my ceil (to Peskov ia January 2016), nor any other cones by me with Mr. Peskov or otber Russian fvernnentaeals abou the propor” remained fm se daft. See P-SCO-0O00000478 (Statenet ot ‘Michac! D. Cohen, Esq. (Aug 28,2017), Cohen 1/2018 302, 4 Cohen 1120118302, 5. Cohen IRI 302, a 10411 "Cohen 918/18 302, at 1; Cohen 11/12/18 302, a 4 °°" Coen 918/18 302, at 1; Coen 11/12/18 302, a ut