Donald Trump‘s former personal lawyer, who played a crucial role as a witness in the ex-president’s criminal case in New York, was denied early release from probation on Friday.
What Happened: Manhattan District Judge Jesse M. Furman denied Michael Cohen‘s request for early release from court supervision, citing his recent comments in a book and television appearance, reported the Associated Press.
See Also: Trump Taps Florida GOP-Connected Lawyer For Defense: Politico
Furman said granting Cohen early release would not guarantee rehabilitation and deterrence from future criminal activities.
Cohen’s credibility will face scrutiny if a jury proceeds with the state criminal case against Trump in which Cohen alleged that he made payments on Trump’s behalf to silence two women who claimed to have had affairs with the ex-president before his presidency.
Prosecutors argued that Cohen provided false information in his book regarding tax fraud, claiming that the charges were "all 100 percent inaccurate" and that he was "threatened" by prosecutors to plead guilty. During his plea hearings, the prosecutors pointed out that Cohen admitted to the crimes under oath and stated that he was not threatened or forced to plead guilty. They also alleged that Cohen lied during a television interview conducted in March.
In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to various charges, including lying to Congress, violating campaign finance laws, making false bank statements and evading income taxes. He was sentenced to three years in prison. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was released after serving approximately two-thirds of his sentence under home confinement.
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