My point, and I did have one, in placing the Michael Cohen plea agreement and related charges before readers here yesterday morning, was to note “the trouble down the road for others,” as I put it. First and foremost of “the others” I had in mind was the Trump Organization. Now the New York Times reports that the Manhattan district attorney’s office is mulling over charges against the Trump Organization and two senior company officials in connection with Cohen’s hush money payment to “an adult film actress,” as the Times now refers to Stormy Daniels (Stephanie Clifford).
The Times is of course pretty excited by the prospect and the possibilities. The story notes, for example: “State charges against the company or its executives could be significant because Mr. Trump has talked about pardoning some of his current or former aides who have faced federal charges. As president, he has no power to pardon people and corporate entities convicted of state crimes.”
The supposed counterintelligence investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election now has more spinoffs than Happy Days without ever getting to the alleged campaign collusion that prompted it. Just because it’s obvious doesn’t mean this shouldn’t be said or reiterated. Every day it becomes clearer that the true object of the investigation taken over by Robert Mueller is the removal of President Trump from office.
UPDATE: And now comes word that Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg was granted immunity in the course of the investigation of the Cohen matter by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
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