Cohen to testify before Senate Intel on Tuesday

Michael Cohen is scheduled to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee for closed-door testimony Tuesday, a source familiar with the plans confirmed, teeing up a busy three days on Capitol Hill for President Trump’s former personal attorney.

Cohen is also slated to testify publicly before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday, an appearance that promises high drama as lawmakers question the onetime Trump confidant about money paid to women who alleged affairs with Trump before the election, the president’s business dealings and other matters.

{mosads}The former Trump lawyer will also appear before the House Intelligence Committee in a closed setting the following day as part of the panel’s revived and expanded investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. 

Cohen was spotted on Capitol Hill on Thursday ahead of his testimony, though it was not immediately clear why he was there. 

Reuters first reported that Cohen’s testimony before the Senate panel had been rescheduled for next Tuesday, after Cohen pushed it back last week for medical reasons arising from a recent shoulder surgery. A partner at Trident DMG, the public relations firm for Cohen spokesman and legal adviser Lanny Davis, subsequently confirmed the date to The Hill.

A spokeswoman for Sen. Mark Warner (Va.), the Intel committee’s top Democrat, declined to comment. A spokesman for Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Cohen has attracted significant attention since he pleaded guilty to several federal charges in August, including campaign finance violations stemming from the payments that Cohen has admitted were made in an effort to prevent negative information from surfacing about Trump during the campaign. Cohen has implicated the president in the scheme, however Trump has denied wrongdoing and accused his former lawyer of lying. 

Cohen separately pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow in connection with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, agreeing to cooperate with the probe in November.

Cohen has for weeks been expected to testify in front of Congress before he reports to prison to serve a three-year sentence. However, his appearances have periodically been pushed back. In January, Cohen postponed voluntary open testimony before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, citing threats from Trump and his attorney Rudy Giuliani.

On Wednesday, Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) announced that the public hearing had been rescheduled for next Wednesday. Cummings also released a memo laying out the scope of the hearing, which will cover several areas including Trump’s compliance with campaign finance and tax laws and his conflicts of interest, but will avoid questions in the purview of the House Intelligence Committee’s Russia investigation. 

Cohen is under subpoena to testify before the Senate panel as part of its own investigation into Russia’s election interference.

Cohen is expected to report to prison on May 6, after a federal judge in Manhattan agreed to delay his reporting date to allow him more time to receive physical therapy for his surgery and prepare for the congressional testimony.