MLI Research Advisory Board member Elliot Tepper joined Ottawa Today with Mark Sutcliffe on 1310 News to discuss the implications of the convictions of Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen, two formerly close associates of US President Donald Trump.
Manafort was Trump’s former campaign manager and was convicted of 8 counts of bank and tax fraud. Cohen, formerly the President’s personal lawyer, pled guilty to tax evasion, making a false statement to a financial institution, and failing to report a campaign contribution.
Tepper stated that while these convictions were damning in the court of public opinion, the President was not yet in legal jeopardy. Although the violation of campaign finance rules by Michael Cohen appeared to implicate Trump, a President cannot be charged by prosecutors while sitting in office.
This may not be the end of the President’s legal difficulties, Tepper stated however, as the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into allegations of obstruction of justice by the President and collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign is still ongoing.
