Judge grants Cohen 60-day delay before starting prison sentence

A federal judge in Manhattan has granted Michael Cohen’s request to delay the date he is scheduled to report to prison by 60 days, meaning the former Trump attorney will not go to jail until early May.

Cohen’s attorneys had requested the 60-day delay, citing his need to recover from recent shoulder surgery and prepare for anticipated congressional testimony before three committees later this month.

{mosads}U.S. District Judge William Pauley III granted the request Wednesday, pushing back Cohen’s surrender date to May 6.

Cohen has been sentenced to three years in prison for a series of crimes he committed while working for President Trump, including campaign finance violations stemming from a scheme to pay off women who alleged affairs with then-candidate Donald Trump before the 2016 election.

Cohen has attracted massive attention since he pleaded guilty to the offenses in August in a deal with federal prosecutors in New York. He separately pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about discussions within the Trump Organization about building a property in Moscow, and agreed to cooperate in special counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing investigation into Russia’s election interference.

Cohen was a longtime ally of Trump but their relationship quickly turned sour last year after Cohen implicated Trump in the plan to pay off the women. Trump has denied wrongdoing and lambasted Cohen as a liar.

“We thank the court for granting the postponement of Mr. Cohen’s surrender date to May 6,” his attorneys said in a statement “As we have previously stated, Mr. Cohen underwent serious shoulder surgery and this extra time allows Mr. Cohen to continue his physical therapy.  In addition, he will be able to prepare for the expected testimony next week before Congressional Committees, which he welcomes.”

Cohen is expected to testify before the House Oversight and Reform and House Intelligence committees before he reports to prison, as well as the Senate Intelligence Committee, which has subpoenaed the former Trump attorney to compel his appearance before the panel in private. The House Intelligence Committee has scheduled his closed-door appearance for Feb. 28, but the other appearance dates have not been publicly announced. Cohen is expected to testify before the Oversight committee in public but limit his comments so as not to discuss ongoing investigations.

Pauley originally ordered Cohen to report to prison on March 6, however his attorney Michael Monico requested the 60-day delay in a letter released by the court Wednesday.

“Defendant makes the request because he recently underwent a serious surgical procedure and he needs to undergo intensive post-surgical physical therapy and be monitored by his physician for recovery,” Monico wrote.

“Mr. Cohen also anticipates being called to testify before three (3) Congressional committees at the end of the month,” Monico wrote. “Doing so will require Mr. Cohen to spend substantial time in preparation that will limit the time he has to get his affairs in order and spend time with his family, especially given such a short period between the anticipated hearings and the present reporting date.”

Monico noted that Cohen had submitted a “more fulsome letter” to the court on Feb. 12 detailing the request under seal. 

Wednesday’s letter was signed by Pauley, thereby granting the request.

Updated at 1:37 p.m.