Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen weighed in on whether the former president, if elected to office, would pardon several of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists who were sentenced.
What Happened: Trump would likely pardon several insurrectionists or commute their punishment in some way if he were to return to the White House, said Cohen in an interview with CNN on Wednesday.
Cohen’s comments came in the aftermath of the sentencing of Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was prosecuted for his role in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
“They are now seeing the damage that Donald Trump has caused to their lives,” Cohen said of those who have been prosecuted and sentenced.
“It should be a warning to all of the 18 co-defendants in the Georgia case that this is going to happen to them as well … The time period that these people are going to get is going to be significant,” he added, referencing the 18 people who, along with Trump, have been charged for their roles in attempting to overturn Trump’s 2020 loss in Georgia.
Speak Now: The sentences that are handed down so far are “real long sentences,” especially based on the crimes that have taken place, said Cohen, referring to the 22 years Tarrio received and the three years the former lawyer himself received.
“If they don’t want to be part of that club of people who spend basically the rest of their lives behind bars, my recommendation for them would be to speak now," Cohen said of Trump’s co-defendants.
"As soon as the guy next to you or the woman next to you starts speaking and spilling the beans, your information is not as important, it’s not as significant,” he said.
“So the person really who starts to speak first is the one that will get the benefit,” he added.
When asked whether former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who was indicted in the Georgia election subversion case, would consider turning against Trump, Cohen said, “If Mark has half a brain, then, yeah, he would be speaking right now because he knows that Donald will point the finger at him on any opportunity that he gets.”
“Donald doesn’t care about any one or anything other than himself. And he will point fingers and throw anyone under the bus to save himself,” Cohen said.
Cohen also weighed in on the possibility of Trump's co-defendants flipping due to the cash crunch they might face while fighting the Georgia case. “Unless you’re a billionaire, you can't afford to fight with the government because the government has unlimited resources and they continue to use them and they then expand upon them,” he said.
"So at the end of the day, you know, these people are sunk.”
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