CNN’s Toobin: ‘Impeachable offense’ if Trump pardons Cohen

CNN legal analyst Jeffery Toobin on Thursday said “there is absolutely no public interest in pardoning” President Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen, arguing that if the president did so, it would be “an impeachable offense.”

Toobin’s comments come following a Wednesday report that Cohen “is likely to cooperate with federal investigators” as the law firm that has been representing him is not expected to stay on board going forward. 

“There is absolutely no public interest in pardoning Michael Cohen,” Toobin said on CNN’s “New Day.”

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“There will be people who will assert that pardoning Michael Cohen alone is an impeachable offense. He has no public role. There is no claim that he has any sort of public interest,” he added. 

“He played a bit role in ‘Celebrity Apprentice,’ though,” joked CNN’s John Avlon, who joined the network on a full-time basis this month after serving as a contributor since 2010.

Toobin responded by saying, “That may be, but pardoning him would be close to an act of obstruction of justice in and of itself.”

“Obviously this is all speculative, but I think counting on a pardon of Cohen is tough.”

Cohen has not commented on the report publicly, nor has the White House. 

The FBI raided Cohen’s office in April, seizing emails, tax documents and records related to his $130,000 payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an affair with Trump in 2006.

Trump has acknowledged that he reimbursed Cohen for the payment, but he has denied that the affair with Daniels took place.

A federal judge ruled last week that Cohen’s legal team must publicly file any challenge they make against a special master’s decision on evidence seized from Cohen during the raid.

Only 162 of the hundreds of thousands of materials seized in the raid have been declared to have attorney–client protection.

Cohen has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime.