Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen‘s legal counsel, David M. Schwartz, has been accused of incorporating fictitious cases in a legal submission, a federal judge alleged.
What Happened: On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman raised doubts about the authenticity of cases mentioned in a November filing by Schwartz, The Hill reported.
The document was intended to terminate Cohen's supervised release early. Cohen, who admitted guilt to charges including tax evasion and campaign finance violations in 2018, served slightly more than a year of a three-year prison term.
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Furman highlighted three cases mentioned in Schwartz’s November document, stating, “As far as the Court can tell, none of these cases exist.” The judge has instructed Schwartz to supply copies of the cited decisions by Dec. 19.
"In light of the foregoing, Mr. Schwartz shall, no later than Dec. 19, 2023, provide copies of the three cited decisions to the Court," Furman said.
Why It Matters: This order was reminiscent of a June incident where two lawyers and their law firm were fined $5,000 by a federal judge in New York City for presenting a brief with fictitious cases.
Cohen is currently on supervised release after admitting to campaign finance violations, and bank and tax fraud in 2018. Perry, who is now Cohen’s representative, thinks that there are numerous cases that back Cohen’s appeal for an end to supervised release.
Cohen, former a Trump ally, has turned into a critic in recent years. Amid his legal troubles, Cohen has lashed out at his ex-boss, even reproaching Trump for not testifying in his New York civil fraud trial. Trump, who was anticipated to testify at the commencement of the trial, rescinded his decision to do so. He later professed in a Truth Social post to have “very successfully & conclusively testified” in the trial against him.
This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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