Michael Cohen was back in court this week and it did not go well. The former fixer for Donald Trump was in court seeking a reduction in his federal sentence and to answer for his use of Google’s AI chatbot to submit arguments with fake case authority. However, things went off the rails when his counsel cited his prior testimony as evidence of his rehabilitation. U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman called the argument “perverse” and noted that Cohen is clearly a serial perjurer and cited the need for continued “deterrence.” That is hardly a promising review before Cohen appears as the star witness for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in the prosecution of former president Donald Trump.
If lying were an art form, former Trump fixer Michael Cohen would be its Rembrandt.
Throughout his career, the disbarred lawyer has found powerful clients who valued his reputation for supporting any side that offered the biggest payback.
For full disclosure, I have been a critic of Cohen for years, including columns when he was still representing Trump.
Cohen has been repeatedly accused of perjury. For example, after Cohen turned on Trump, he went from being a pariah to a hero for many Democrats. Yet, he continued the same pattern. When he was called before the House to testify against Trump soon after his plea agreement with the Justice Department, Cohen was again accused of perjury:
The House Oversight Committee chairman, Elijah Cummings, a Democrat from Maryland, began his questioning by noting that he told him that he had better testify truthfully this time or be nailed to the cross. “Didn’t I tell you that?” Cummings asked. “Yes, you did, more than once,” Cohen replied.
Then Cohen went forward and claimed he had cared nothing about jobs or pardons from Donald Trump. However, a number of news organizations reported that Cohen was upset after lobbying for the White House counsel, chief of staff, or other jobs in the administration. Despite a multitude of such sources, Cohen has insisted, “I was extremely proud to be the personal attorney for the president of the United States of America. I did not want to go to the White House. I was offered jobs.” There is little ambiguity here. Either multiple witnesses lied or Cohen once again lied to Congress.
Then Cohen stated, “I have never asked for, nor would I accept, a pardon from President Trump.” That also directly contradicts multiple sources who say his lawyer pressed the White House for a pardon, and that Cohen unsuccessfully sought a presidential pardon after FBI raids on his office and residences last year. (Roughly a month later, he decided to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller.).
Even after being stripped of his bar license and sentenced to three years in prison, Cohen continued the pattern. In 2019, Cohen failed to appear to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee, citing the inability to travel due to a medical surgery. However, he was seen partying before the hearing date with five friends with no apparent problems.
Even in jail, Cohen was accused of lying to a court in violation of an order for early release due to medical problems. He was ordered back into custody after being spotted at a high-end restaurant.
After Cohen admitted to various criminal acts in federal court to secure his plea agreement, he then declared that he lied. In his 2018 guilty plea before U.S. District Judge William Henry Pauley III, Cohen admitted to this conduct under oath.
Cohen was later asked by Trump counsel “Did you lie to Judge Pauley when you said that you were guilty of the counts that you said under oath that you were guilty of? Did you lie to Judge Pauley?”
Cohen matter-of-factly responded “yes.” He was then again asked “So you lied when you said that you evaded taxes to a judge under oath; is that correct?” He again responded “yes.”
Despite just admitting to a federal crime of perjury, the Justice Department and specifically the Southern District of New York’s U.S. Attorney’s office declined to prosecute.
Cohen was useful again and had found powerful allies who valued his curious skill set of being able to say anything at any time to help his patrons.
One judge, however, had had enough. In his court order, U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman stated:
“It gives rise to two possibilities: one, Cohen committed perjury when he pleaded guilty before Judge Pauley or, two, Cohen committed perjury in his October 2023 testimony. Either way, it is perverse to cite the testimony, as Schwartz did, as evidence of Cohen’s ‘commitment to upholding the law.’”
He went on to criticize Cohen’s other lawyer, E. Danya Perry, in trying to excuse his perjury:
“These efforts to turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse fall flat. Cohen’s testimony was not, as Perry contends, a ‘clumsy’ or ‘poorly worded’ attempt to argue that… the government abused its prosecutorial discretion in charging those crimes. To the contrary, he unambiguously testified that he ‘didn’t’ commit tax evasion and that he ‘lied’ to Judge Pauley when he said that he had…Moreover, when given multiple opportunities to retreat from or clarify that testimony later, he stuck to his guns.”
He added that
“Specifically, Cohen repeatedly and unambiguously testified at the state court trial that he was not guilty of tax evasion and that he had lied under oath to Judge Pauley when he pleaded guilty to those crimes…This testimony is more troubling than the statements that Cohen had previously made in his book and on television — statements that the Court had specifically cited in denying Cohen’s third motion for early termination of supervised release… because it was given under oath…Either way, it is perverse to cite the testimony, as Schwartz did, as evidence of Cohen’s ‘commitment to upholding the law.'”
Indeed, that is the unique perversity of Michael Cohen. He has continued to game the system and play the media to his own advantage. Even admitting perjury on the stand did not produce a criminal charge. He has found new allies who need his unique ability to support their cause without the burden of accuracy or veracity.
What will be truly amazing is to see Bragg call Cohen to the stand in light of this record. Bragg’s weak criminal case will turn in great part on a serial liar and disbarred lawyer. Defense counsel need only read from past transcripts to establish a self-impeaching record of contradictions and lies. For Bragg to present Cohen as credible is incredible, particularly given this latest finding in 2024 by a federal judge. It is hard to present a witness as a redemptive sinner when he does not have a single redemptive moment to show a jury.
None of this may matter to a New York jury. Cohen learned long ago that you need to know your audience. No one looks to Michael Cohen for the truth. They look to him to say what needs to be said to rationalize a result. What is most perverse about Michael Cohen is the continued perverse need for Michael Cohen.
N.B.: Cohen responded to a tweet yesterday where I incorrectly referenced Judge Pauley rather than Judge Furman. I later deleted the tweet. Cohen however objected “Wrong you idiot (@JonathanTurley). Judge Pauley didn’t make the statement, Judge Jesse Furman did.” Indeed, you are right Michael, I did confuse the two names on X. It was Judge Furman who called you a perjurer. Of course, I have long admitted to being a serial offender of “Twitter” typos. That is bad but it is not quite as bad as being accused of being a serial perjurer.
What does it tell us when Trump gives years of free rein to the likes of Anthony Fauci, James Comey, Roger Stone, Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort, John Eastman and their kind?
It tells us that all four starting linebackers on the 1959 Baltimore Colts had an ‘e’ in their middle name and drove General Motors products.
James Comey was FIRED by Trump less than 4 months after Trump was inaugurated. Nobody who’s not on crack would claim that Trump gave him “years of free rein.”
Fauci was the carreer head of NIH and at the time he was spreading lies to the american people Trump had little reason to disbeleive him.
Trump is not an epidemeologist and Fauxi and other Experts were giving him bad advice in an emergency where he had no opertunity to rapidly assess that they were corrupt. Trump did not apoint Fauci.
Trump did NOT appoint James Comey and fired him shortly after taking office which Trigger the infamous apointment of Mueller as Special Counsel.
Micheal Cohen should quite obvioulsy by now be understood as a bit player in Trump world. Of all of the legal issues that Trump has dealt with prior to becoming President – Cohen handled ONE, and tried to interject himself into another non-legal issue.
Cohen was given the cold shoulder when Trump became president.
Roger Stone is a political operative – he is little different from James Carville or David Axlerod, nor is his actual conduct in anyway different from that of Carvill or Axelrod. Paul Manafort was a successful political campaign manager – though I believe he has worked more for the right than the left, he has managed campaigns for both parties – as well as for foreign politicians.
If you have a major problem with Manafort – you should have a major problem with most every significant political campaign manager that ever was. Most of us want as little as possible to do with People like Manafort or Stone – or Carville or Axlerod – or Stephanopolis – who was Clinton’s political hit man. Trump has filed a defamation claim against him In Florida. If the same rules are followed that have been followed in NY the case will automatically be assigned to Cannon – as Cannon has the Trump brief. Though there is another Clinton appointed Judge that has been a major problem for Trump in prior defamation cases – protecting the clintons when he should have recused himself.
Regardless if this gets to Court – Stephanoplis is in REAL Trouble – his past history as one of the Hit men in the Clinton campaign targeting women who alleged sexual Assault and rape by Bill Clinton will likely be admissible as prior bad acts.
Stephanopolis has tried to rehabilitate himself as a talking head, and mostly managed to avoid being targeted in the #metoo movement.
But he has real baggage and may well have walked into a buzz saw. If Trump can get this infront of a FL Jury – they may will look to take revenge on NYC for the Carroll judgement. ABC News could face a Billion dollar verdict.
Eastman is a respected constitutional law expert – atleast until the woke defamation machine went after him.
Further the alleged challenge to the certification fo the 2020 election that he proposed was OPENLY modeled after the plan of another major constitutional law professor from the left – Lawrence Trump’s plan for Clinton.
The odds of succeeding were poor – this was a hail marry. But it was still perfectly legal and constitution – and had actually succeeded in the election of 1876 – which strongly mirrored the 2020 election – with allegations of ballot fraud, and alternate electors from multiple states.
This is common with those on the left – normalizing what has never been done before, or pretending what has occured in some form in every single presidential election is magically criminal when Trump does it.
Trump has made some bad choices with respect to those he has ACTUALLY hired as opposed to Fauxi who he inherited.
He has also made some excellent choices.
I would further note – and this was amplified by some recent reporting regarding the CIA,
that Trump ran critical aspects of the executive branch with a very small and close circle of people in the WH
often contracting out rather than relying on traditional government sources.
As an example there is recent government reporting that Trump very quickly decided correctly that the CIA and other intelligencies were out to get him and that he could not trust them. He also could not get rid of them, but he did not need to listen to them. But he did need global intelligence. So he aparently bought intelligence from private intelligence sources – these are actually a big thing now, corporations are paying intelligence and security experts for the same kind of information that the CIA and NSA produce for the president.
As an example – the PRIVATE intelligence businesses have been WAY ahead of CIA/NSA in assessing North Korea’s capabilities.
These people are mostly former Governmetn intelligence people, who are now doing the same jobs, far more efficiently and accurately with far less bureacracy and extrremely cheaply while making a great deal of money. The cost was so low that Trump was able to replace what he was getting from CIA out of WH Discretionary spending.
The point is that While the federal govenrment is huge and Trump made some good and some bad appointments.
Most of the important work of the Trump administration was being done outside those agencies.
The Abraham accords as an example were primarily negotiated by Kushner operating out of the WH – The state department was out of the loop.
Expect to see even more of that in 2025.
When he is elected Trump has alot to Prove. He will inherit a MESS from Biden.
It is probable that inflation can not be cleared without a recession. If there is not one before or immediately after the election expect a recession int he first year of Trump’s presidency – as that is a requirement to leave in 2028 with a booming economy.
I expect Trump’s focus from Day one will be turning the country arround in every possible way in 4 years to make CLEAR that Obama and Biden were disasters and that Trump is one of the great presidents.
To be clear – I do not think Trump was a great president – just far better than any other president in the 21st century – a pathetically low bar.
But those on the left that claim Trump has an enormous ego are correct – and he is absolutely looking to leave a positive permanent mark
“𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧”: 𝐑𝐢𝐨𝐭 𝐄𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐔𝐒 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬
Shocking scenes were caught on tape in El Paso – which technically is in Texas but may as well be in Mexico – on Thursday afternoon when a massive swarm of angry illegal aliens stormed the key chokepoint to the US southern border, breaking through the border wall and steamrolling National Guard troops.
For those still unconvinced, this nation is being invaded, this video of illegals storming the border today should convince you otherwise.
The illegal immigrants are seen pulling the barrier open as four National Guardsmen try to keep them from crossing the border in the video posted on X by New York Post reporter Jennie Taer Thursday. The illegal immigrants rush through the gap opened, almost tramping the National Guard personnel, until coming up against a second, sturdier barrier.
By: Tyler Durden ~ Thursday, Mar 21, 2024
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/migrant-swarm-breaches-us-southern-border-riot-erupts-us-national-guard-members-left
@JennieSTaer
This is the moment when TX National Guard became overrun by migrants rioting to get across the border here in El Paso today
We were there and saw it all happen. Absolute chaos here.
By: Jennie Taer – 𝕏 ~ Mar 21, 2024
[Link] twitter.com/JennieSTaer/status/1770886341879885952
Video:
https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1770886262372892672/vid/avc1/888×472/QXm-gcbyXwNw79bY.mp4?tag=14
First thing Trump must do is:
1. Cut all Cell Phone Communications OFF that go South of the Border.
{Why should the likes of Carlos Slim Helú be making billions off these communications)
2. Stop All Payments going South of the Border, Cut them off. Xoom, Western Union, PayPal, all of them – Off.
3. Mexico, it stops aiding these Migrants or no more Aid to Mexico.
4. If Mexico can not do it’s job, Annex the Mexican states along the US border; Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. Make them U.S. Territories, move in Forces and establish Marshal Law (Like Israel has done Gaza).
5. Imprison the Democrats that caused this to being with. Charge them with Treason for aiding and abetting the Invasion.
6. Begin the Deportations ASAP.
7. Make regime Leadership changes to Countries South of the Border that contributed to the Invasion.
8. Restrict Travel to Countries South of the Border.
9. De-fund NGOs that are responsible for this.
10. De-fund the U.N. Agencies that are responsible for this.
I agree with everything except point 4.
“As long as he’ll be lying for us, not them, we like the guy” -The Dems
There are a lot of weeds in the Turley comment garden. They are these whiny complainy comments that generally fall into three categories: (1) whatabout Trump, (2) Turley didn’t write about a topic I was hoping he’d write about, and (3) Turley is hypocritical for what he said about today’s topic. Earth to crybabies: we don’t care.
Floyd, why is it your concern what commenters write? Your just a ‘commenter’ yourself. Or are you something more than that?
Maybe you come clean and tell us your true status here.
If you want Floyd to see your question, you’ll probably have better luck attaching it to one of his comments (or is FDS now a thing?)
As for me, my name is Henry and I have a niece named Dorothy. But some people call me Ivan. Actually that just started today and I’m not sure why. Do you happen to know?
Best wishes,
Uncle Henry
And Toto, too?
Hi Anonymous!
OK, you caught me. I’ll come clean. I am from the planet, Centaur 4, and I came to Earth in 1954 to raise the overall intelligence level of human beings. In preparation for your First Contact with our civilization. But I failed, and I am stuck here now, until my people come back for me, somewhere around June 2042. You see, no one on my home planet realized exactly how stupid Earthlings were. My first attempt was as a political commentator, but no matter how much I tried, I could never get ahead of the Stupidity Curve. So, I “died”, and “came back” as a typical Earthling, after assuming the identity of a rather stupid young man who perished while chasing the Boggy Creek Monster. (actually, one of my pets from Centaur 5. The young man pulled out a shotgun, and Boffo was forced to knock his head off. We buried him in the swamp, and I became him.) I thought that if I lived a normal Earth life, I would be able to better understand the ridiculous workings of the Terran mind. Well, fast-forward 50 years, and I am still confused.
I have been keeping good notes, and when my Commander arrives, if I have expired in the real sense because I could not make it back to the Stasis Pod, he will be warned about the toxicity of high fructose corn syrup and tobacco products on our species. Boffo is well-trained, and he can live off blackberries, gator meat, and the occasional handful of bugs. He knows how to stay well-hidden.
So, that is the truth. Now, let me relay a message to you, from a more advanced species. Democrats are far dumber than Republicans. They have female minds, even the males, and they have a difficult time with abstract concepts. They are easily led, and will pretty much fall for anything as long as it pampers their ego, and makes them feel good and smart about themselves. Strangely, they will argue that they should be running the whole country, even though they can not adequately manage running a big city, or a whole state. They have a complete lack of self-introspection. There seems to be no fixing most of them, and I have suggested that my Commander begin surreptitiously euthanizing them, beginning with their leadership classes. That is the only way I see to raise the overall intelligence level of humanity. Do not worry, you will not feel a thing.
Sincerely,
Belahexel
Professor Turley Writes:
If lying were an art form, former Trump fixer Michael Cohen would be its Rembrandt.
***
Here Professor Turley ‘artfully’ describes Michael Cohen’s true nature. And this description corresponds with the paragraphs below:
Michael Cohen, 57, spent over a decade as one of Donald Trump’s most loyal employees starting in 2006. Many who were close to Trump saw that he often turned to Cohen to help clean up messes.
The tides for Cohen turned in 2018, when the FBI raided his Rockefeller Center office after a referral from special counsel Robert Mueller, then investigating possible connections between Trump and Russian election interference.
Cohen’s lawyer at the time called the search “completely inappropriate and unnecessary”. Trump accused his own justice department of perpetrating “a total witch hunt” – a term he adopted a year earlier – and described the FBI raid as “a whole new level of unfairness”.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/24/who-is-michael-cohen-former-trump-lawyer-fraud-trial-witness
…………………………………….
KEY PASSAGE ABOVE:
“Trump accused his own justice department of perpetrating ‘a total witch hunt'”.
***
Donald Trump employed Michael Cohen for 12 years! Cohen, a man Professor Turley describes as ‘the Rembrandt of liars”.
It takes no genius to determine that Cohen reflected Trump’s approach to business and legal dealings. And the fact that Trump just lost 2 huge lawsuits seems to confirm the moral bankruptcy that he and Cohen shared.
Yet Professor Turley sees no connection between Cohen’s moral bankruptcy and Trump’s. As though Trump is just some innocent who had no clue how sleazy Michael Cohen really was.
In this sense, Johnathan Turley could describe himself as ‘The Rembrandt of apologists’.
Nobody cares.
OT: AOC regrets asking the witness if he actually saw Biden commit a crime. Hint: the answer is “yes”
https://twitter.com/ExposingBiden/status/1770497016679797017
OT, Biden on the radio in Wisconsin today – with this incredibly lucid, probing analysis:
I mean, for example, you know, how many Black communities are in a situation where they’re, they come from a circumstance where they’re in difficult, that difficulty, where families are in real trouble, where you have people who, you know, how many, eager, even those families who are really poor don’t have any books in the house, the kids don’t hear an awful lot of conversation.
https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1770484203907428731
Say, what?
Exactly, and that’s the guy tge Dems think is mentally coherent enough to run for POTUS. smh
I’ve got to believe that the Dems are going for a last minute switch, or a post election switch upping Kamala to Pres. for his (et.al) pardons (assuming Biden does manage to get elected again).
Noted is the fact that Turley, once again, got his facts wrong–so after the comment below was published, Turley corrected his mistake, which he noted above, but downplayed it:
“Additionally, Michael Cohen himself reacted to Turley’s comment, writing, “Wrong you idiot (@JonathanTurley). Judge Pauley didn’t make the statement, Judge Jesse Furman did. Pauley is deceased. You’re as sloppy as the corrupt SDNY and MAGA morons. Read the decision of Judge Engoron (pg 43) that emphatically stated Michael Cohen Told The Truth. #PUTZ”
Cohen shared a screenshot of a statement from his lawyer E. Danya Perry, dated March 20, 2024. The statement reads:
While Judge Furman delivered an important win for Michael Cohen, we take exception to one aspect of Judge Furman’s decision as it relates to Mr. Cohen’s previous testimony. That characterization, although not a judicial determination, is both factually inaccurate and legally incorrect. Judge Furman did not have a front seat to the testimony at the lengthy trial before Judge Engoron, who emphatically declared that “Michael Cohen told the truth.” And Judge Furman ignores that Mr. Cohen has never disputed the underlying facts of his conduct, and also what many of Judge Furman’s own colleagues on the bench have long noted: that defendants often feel compelled to agree to coercive plea deals under severe pressure. That is exactly what happened.”
Yeah, Turley’s real upset about Michael Cohen lying, but he has nothing to say about Trump’s endless lying, lying, lying about everything. Michael Cohen got in trouble for lying–but WHO benefitted from his lying? It was for Trump, to cover up liaisons with Stormy Daniels and Karen MacDougal. Cohen made the hush money payments so the Evangelicals wouldn’t learn about what kind of man Trump really is. But, Turley doesn’t have anything negative to say about Trump’s extramarital shenanigans or taking campaign donations to pay off a porn actress and nude model, because that’s not what he’s paid to do. He’s paid to defend Trump by using his university credentials and law license to breathe credibility into his criticism of anyone and everyone who goes after Trump. So, Cohen’s lying on behalf of Trump is worse than Trump’s extramarital sexual liaisons, and using campaign donations as hush money. Tells you all you need to know about Turley. I really don’t know why the university doesn’t make Turley stop using its name and references to the Shapiro chairmanship to sell the slop he puts out. Citing the university makes it appear that it endorses Turley’s heavily-slanted and frequently factually-incorrect commentary–and that runs counter to the mission statements of most universities I’m aware of.
Oh, be serious. Professor Turley quoted the judge. What about, what about, what about…what are you, three?
@Gigi
The tax evasion for which Michael Cohen was being accused were false declarations to the IRS of PERSONAL TAXES between 2011 and 2016, which in principle had nothing to do with DJT.
I say in principle because the ACCUSATION of tax returns and evasion made to the IRS by Michaell Cohen WERE OF A PERSONAL NATURE for more than 4 million dollars and amounted to 40 years in prison:
5 Tax Evasion = 5 years in prison each
Making false statements to a federally insured bank = 30 years in prison
Causing an illegal corporate contribution = 5 years in prison
Instead, the prosecution offers him to ALSO plead guilty to $280,000 in Unlawful Campaign Contributions (5 years in prison), and only serve 3 years in prison, in exchange for being able to accuse Trump of illegality.
The charge of Unlawful Campaign Contributions IT IS FALSE since the SILENCE PAYMENT TO THESE WOMEN did not come from COMPANY CONTRIBUTIONS, it came from TRUMP’S POCKET and for your information
1- PAYING TO SILENCE SOMEONE IS NOT ILLEGAL
2- The Campaign Financing Law speaks of contributions from third parties, whether personal or entities, BUT THE CANDIDATE CAN CONTRIBUTE ALL THE PERSONAL MONEY THEY WISH TO THEIR CAMPAIGN.
3- The way in which Michaell Cohen refused to make those payments transparent for IRS purposes is what he pleads guilty to. TRUMP DIDN’T SEND HIM TO CREATE GHOST COMPANIES AND MUCH LESS TO CHARGE DOUBLE FOR THOSE SERVICES.
4- Lawyer Michaell Cohen told his client DJT, I will resolve and you will reimburse me later as expenses for legal advice, WHICH IS NOT A CRIME since that is exactly what he did.
5- Attorney Cohen at no time informed his client DJT of the illicit way in which he would do it.
@Gigi
The Tax Evasion Scheme
In late 2013, COHEN retained an accountant (“Accountant-1”) for the purpose of handling COHEN’s personal and entity tax returns. After being retained, Accountant-1 filed amended 2011 and 2012 Form 1040 tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). For tax years 2013 through 2016, Accountant-1 prepared individual returns for COHEN and returns for COHEN’s medallion and real estate entities. To confirm he had reviewed and approved these returns, both COHEN and his wife signed a Form 8879 for tax years 2013 through 2016, and filed manually for tax year 2012. Between 2012 and the end of 2016, COHEN earned more than $2.4 million in income from a series of personal loans made by COHEN to a taxi operator to whom COHEN leased certain of his Chicago taxi medallions (“Taxi Operator-1”), none of which he disclosed to the IRS.
As a further part of the scheme to evade paying income taxes, COHEN also concealed more than $1.3 million in income he received from another taxi operator to whom COHEN leased certain of his New York medallions (“Taxi Operator-2”). This income took two forms. First, COHEN did not report the substantial majority of a bonus payment of at least $870,000, which was made by Taxi Operator-2 in 2012 to induce COHEN to allow Taxi Operator-2 to operate certain of COHEN’s medallions. Second, between 2012 and 2016, COHEN concealed nearly $1 million in taxable income he received from Taxi Operator-2’s operation of certain of COHEN’s taxi medallions.
To ensure the concealment of this additional operator income, COHEN arranged to receive a portion of the medallion income personally, as opposed to having the income paid to COHEN’s medallion entities. Paying the medallion entities would have alerted Accountant-1, who prepared the returns for those entities, to the existence of the income such that it would have been included on COHEN’s tax returns.
As a further part of his scheme to evade taxes, COHEN also hid the following additional sources of income from Accountant-1 and the IRS:
A $100,000 payment received, in 2014, for brokering the sale of a piece of property in a private aviation community in Ocala, Florida.
Approximately $30,000 in profit made, in 2014, for brokering the sale of a Birkin Bag, a highly coveted French handbag that retails for between $11,900 to $300,000, depending on the type of leather or animal skin used.
More than $200,000 in consulting income earned in 2016 from an assisted living company purportedly for COHEN’s “consulting” on real estate and other projects.
In total, COHEN failed to report more than $4 million in income, resulting in the avoidance of taxes of more than $1.4 million due to the IRS.
False Statements to a Bank
In 2010, COHEN, through companies he controlled, executed a $6.4 million promissory note with a bank (“Bank-1”), collateralized by COHEN’s taxi medallions and personally guaranteed by COHEN. A year later, in 2011, COHEN personally obtained a $6 million line of credit from Bank-1 (the “Line of Credit”), also collateralized by his taxi medallions. By February 2013, COHEN had increased the Line of Credit from $6 million to $14 million, thereby increasing COHEN’s personal medallion liabilities at Bank-1 to more than $20 million.
In November 2014, COHEN refinanced his medallion debt at Bank-1 with another bank (“Bank-2”), who shared the debt with a New York-based credit union (the “Credit Union”). The transaction was structured as a package of individual loans to the entities that owned COHEN’s New York medallions. Following the loans’ closing, COHEN’s medallion debt at Bank-1 was paid off with funds from Bank-2 and the Credit Union, and the Line of Credit with Bank-1 was closed.
In 2013, in connection with a successful application for a mortgage from another Bank (“Bank-3”) for his Park Avenue condominium (the “2013 Application”), COHEN disclosed only the $6.4 million medallion loan he had with Bank-1 at the time. As noted above, COHEN also had a larger, $14 million Line of Credit with Bank-1 secured by his medallions, which COHEN did not disclose in the 2013 Application.
In February 2015, COHEN, in an attempt to secure financing from Bank-3 to purchase a summer home for approximately $8.5 million, again concealed the $14 million Line of Credit. Specifically, in connection with this proposed transaction, Bank-3 obtained a 2014 personal financial statement COHEN had provided to Bank-2 while refinancing his medallion debt. Bank-3 questioned COHEN about the $14 million Line of Credit reflected on that personal financial statement, because COHEN had omitted that debt from the 2013 Application to Bank-3. COHEN misled Bank-3, stating, in writing, that the $14 million Line of Credit was undrawn and that he would close it. In truth and in fact, COHEN had effectively overdrawn the Line of Credit, having swapped it out for a fully drawn, larger loan shared by Bank-2 and the Credit Union upon refinancing his medallion debt. When Bank-3 informed COHEN that it would only provide financing if COHEN closed the Line of Credit, COHEN lied again, misleadingly stating in an email: “The medallion line was closed in the middle of November 2014.”
In December 2015, COHEN contacted Bank-3 to apply for a home equity line of credit (“HELOC”). In so doing, COHEN again significantly understated his medallion debt. Specifically, in the HELOC application, COHEN, together with his wife, represented a positive net worth of more than $40 million, again omitting the $14 million in medallion debt with Bank-2 and the Credit Union. Because COHEN had previously confirmed in writing to Bank-3 that the $14 million Line of Credit had been closed, Bank-3 had no reason to question COHEN about the omission of this liability on the HELOC application. In addition, in seeking the HELOC, COHEN substantially and materially understated his monthly expenses to Bank-3 by omitting at least $70,000 in monthly interest payments due to Bank-2 on the true amount of his medallion debt.
In April 2016, Bank-3 approved COHEN for a $500,000 HELOC. By fraudulently concealing truthful information about his financial condition, COHEN obtained a HELOC that Bank-3 would otherwise not have approved.
THE ALLEGED ACCUSATION THAT MICHAEL COHEN AGREED TO PLED GUILTY
Campaign Finance Violations
The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended, Title 52, United States Code, Section 30101, et seq., (the “Election Act”), regulates the influence of money on politics. At all relevant times, the Election Act set certain limitations and prohibitions, among them: (a) individual contributions to any presidential candidate, including expenditures coordinated with a candidate or his political committee, were limited to $2,700 per election, and presidential candidates and their committees were prohibited from accepting contributions from individuals in excess of this limit; and (b) Corporations were prohibited from making contributions directly to presidential candidates, including expenditures coordinated with candidates or their committees, and candidates were prohibited from accepting corporate contributions.
On June 16, 2015, Individual-1 began his presidential campaign. While COHEN continued to work at the Company and did not have a formal title with the campaign, he had a campaign email address and, at various times, advised the campaign, including on matters of interest to the press, and made televised and media appearances on behalf of the campaign.
In August 2015, the Chairman and Chief Executive of Corporation-1, a media company that owns, among other things, a popular tabloid magazine (“Chairman-1” and “Magazine-1,” respectively”), in coordination with COHEN and one or more members of the campaign, offered to help deal with negative stories about Individual-1’s relationships with women by, among other things, assisting the campaign in identifying such stories so they could be purchased and their publication avoided. Chairman-1 agreed to keep COHEN apprised of any such negative stories.
Consistent with the agreement described above, Corporation-1 advised COHEN of negative stories during the course of the campaign, and COHEN, with the assistance of Corporation-1, was able to arrange for the purchase of two stories so as to suppress them and prevent them from influencing the election.
First, in June 2016, a model and actress (“Woman-1”) began attempting to sell her story of her alleged extramarital affair with Individual-1 that had taken place in 2006 and 2007, knowing the story would be of considerable value because of the election. Woman-1 retained an attorney (“Attorney-1”), who in turn contacted the editor-in-chief of Magazine-1 (“Editor-1”), and offered to sell Woman-1’s story to Magazine-1. Chairman-1 and Editor-1 informed COHEN of the story. At COHEN’s urging and subject to COHEN’s promise that Corporation-1 would be reimbursed, Editor-1 ultimately began negotiating for the purchase of the story.
On August 5, 2016, Corporation-1 entered into an agreement with Woman-1 to acquire her “limited life rights” to the story of her relationship with “any then-married man,” in exchange for $150,000 and a commitment to feature her on two magazine covers and publish more than 100 magazine articles authored by her. Despite the cover and article features to the agreement, its principal purpose, as understood by those involved, including COHEN, was to suppress Woman-1’s story so as to prevent it from influencing the election.
Between late August 2016 and September 2016, COHEN agreed with Chairman-1 to assign the rights to the non-disclosure portion of Corporation-1’s agreement with Woman-1 to COHEN for $125,000. COHEN incorporated a shell entity called “Resolution Consultants LLC” for use in the transaction. Both Chairman-1 and COHEN ultimately signed the agreement, and a consultant for Corporation-1, using his own shell entity, provided COHEN with an invoice for the payment of $125,000. However, in early October 2016, after the assignment agreement was signed but before COHEN had paid the $125,000, Chairman-1 contacted COHEN and told him, in substance, that the deal was off and that COHEN should tear up the assignment agreement.
Second, on October 8, 2016, an agent for an adult film actress (“Woman-2”) informed Editor-1 that Woman-2 was willing to make public statements and confirm on the record her alleged past affair with Individual-1. Chairman-1 and Editor-1 then contacted COHEN and put him in touch with Attorney-1, who was also representing Woman-2. Over the course of the next few days, COHEN negotiated a $130,000 agreement with Attorney-1 to himself purchase Woman-2’s silence, and received a signed confidential settlement agreement and a separate side letter agreement from Attorney-1.
COHEN did not immediately execute the agreement, nor did he pay Woman-2. On the evening of October 25, 2016, with no deal with Woman-2 finalized, Attorney-1 told Editor-1 that Woman-2 was close to completing a deal with another outlet to make her story public. Editor-1, in turn, texted COHEN that “[w]e have to coordinate something on the matter [Attorney-1 is] calling you about or it could look awfully bad for everyone.” Chairman-1 and Editor-1 then called COHEN through an encrypted telephone application. COHEN agreed to make the payment, and then called Attorney-1 to finalize the deal.
The next day, on October 26, 2016, COHEN emailed an incorporating service to obtain the corporate formation documents for another shell corporation, Essential Consultants LLC, which COHEN had incorporated a few days prior. Later that afternoon, COHEN drew down $131,000 from the fraudulently obtained HELOC and requested that it be deposited into a bank account COHEN had just opened in the name of Essential Consultants. The next morning, on October 27, 2016, COHEN went to Bank-3 and wired approximately $130,000 from Essential Consultants to Attorney-1. On the bank form to complete the wire, COHEN falsely indicated that the “purpose of wire being sent” was “retainer.” On November 1, 2016, COHEN received from Attorney-1 copies of the final, signed confidential settlement agreement and side letter agreement.
COHEN caused and made the payments described herein in order to influence the 2016 presidential election. In so doing, he coordinated with one or more members of the campaign, including through meetings and phone calls, about the fact, nature, and timing of the payments. As a result of the payments solicited and made by COHEN, neither Woman-1 nor Woman-2 spoke to the press prior to the election.
In January 2017, COHEN in seeking reimbursement for election-related expenses, presented executives of the Company with a copy of a bank statement from the Essential Consultants bank account, which reflected the $130,000 payment COHEN had made to the bank account of Attorney-1 in order to keep Woman-2 silent in advance of the election, plus a $35 wire fee, adding, in handwriting, an additional “$50,000.” The $50,000 represented a claimed payment for “tech services,” which in fact related to work COHEN had solicited from a technology company during and in connection with the campaign. COHEN added these amounts to a sum of $180,035. After receiving this document, executives of the Company “grossed up” for tax purposes COHEN’s requested reimbursement of $180,000 to $360,000, and then added a bonus of $60,000 so that COHEN would be paid $420,000 in total. Executives of the Company also determined that the $420,000 would be paid to COHEN in monthly amounts of $35,000 over the course of 12 months, and that COHEN should send invoices for these payments.
On February 14, 2017, COHEN sent an executive of the Company (“Executive-1”) the first of his monthly invoices, requesting “[p]ursuant to [a] retainer agreement, . . . payment for services rendered for the months of January and February, 2017.” The invoice listed $35,000 for each of those two months. Executive-1 forwarded the invoice to another executive of the Company (“Executive-2”) the same day by email, and it was approved. Executive-1 forwarded that email to another employee at the Company, stating: “Please pay from the Trust. Post to legal expenses. Put ‘retainer for the months of January and February 2017’ in the description.”
Throughout 2017, COHEN sent to one or more representatives of the Company monthly invoices, which stated, “Pursuant to the retainer agreement, kindly remit payment for services rendered for” the relevant month in 2017, and sought $35,000 per month. The Company accounted for these payments as legal expenses. In truth and in fact, there was no such retainer agreement, and the monthly invoices COHEN submitted were not in connection with any legal services he had provided in 2017.
During 2017, pursuant to the invoices described above, COHEN received monthly $35,000 reimbursement checks, totaling $420,000.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/michael-cohen-pleads-guilty-manhattan-federal-court-eight-counts-including-criminal-tax
Jonathan: I get it. The upcoming trial over the Stormy Daniels hush money payments and election interference is not about the criminal conduct of DJT. It’s, in your words, the “perversity” of Michael Cohen. He is the one who should be standing trial. You think a jury should not believe anything Cohen might say on the witness stand. DJT tried to get his case dismissed claiming Both Cohen and Stormy Daniels are “liars”. Judge Merchon rejected those claims.
Everything about Michael Cohen is on the public record–his lying to a Congressional Committee, his conviction and jail time and the loss of his law license. DA Alvin Bragg pointed out in a recent filing that his office turned over everything it had on Michael Cohen to DJT a year and a half ago–his conviction and related misconduct. DJT didn’t complain back then that Bragg was not forth coming about Cohen related docs.
Now DJT wants another 90 days to review the over 70,000 pages of the USAO that have now been turned over. Bragg requested those docs over a year ago but the USAO refused the request. So DJT waited until January of this year to subpoena those docs. Now DJT wants to blame Alvin Bragg for the delays in getting the USAO docs when DJT could have asked for the docs over a year ago. It’s all part of DJT’s continued attempts a strategic delays.
And what do the USAO docs show? In the same court filing Bragg points out: “This production [the first 30,000 pages] contains only limited material relevant to the subject matter [Michael Cohen] of this case and have previously been disclosed to Defendant: fewer than an estimated 270 documents, most of which are inculpatory [of DJT] and corroboration of existing evidence”. Judge Merchon has delayed DJT’s trial until sometime in April so he can review the USAO docs and the contentions of the parties. But it’s pretty clear. Judge Merchon is not going to grant a 90 delay in the trial.
So back to Michael Cohen. He is not the only one to testify. There are a lot of other witnesses. Yes, Cohen’s credibility will be tested. But that’s up to a jury to decide based on their common sense about whether Cohen makes a credible witness. It’s not up to you to try to convince a potential jury pool that Cohen’s “perversity” makes him not credible. Leave it to the jury to make that judgment!
Pay attention: the subject is Michael Cohen’s serial perjury.
. So DJT waited until January of this year to subpoena those docs.
The Defense is not required to subpoena anything. The law requires the Prosecution hand over all pertinent documents. The Prosecution is the one in the wrong.
What Brag claims is in the documents is less than meaningless. Bragg is not running the defense, he is the Prosecutor.
The defense will take as much time as is needed to go through over 100,000 documents.
Iowan2: You are as bad as John Say. You know about as much about the law as he does–and that’s next to nothing! Here’s the law:
(1) A criminal defendant has the right to request a subpoena to a third party for relevant information and docs to provide a defense.
(2) Alvin Bragg turned over everything he had in his possession re Michael Cohen about a year and a half ago. That was his only obligation under discovery. DJT never objected to the material turned over in discovery–that it was incomplete. DJT waited until January of this year to ask for a subpoena to get the docs from the USAO. That’s what we call “foot dragging” in the discovery process.
(3) DJT can’t “take as much time as is needed to go through” all the docs. Judge Merchon is the only one who can grant the time. He has already delayed the trial 30 days but don’t expect him to grant further delays. DJT can demand further time to examine the docs but that is in the sole discretion of the judge.
Frankly, I should report you for trying to practice law without a license!
Dennis – What is the “criminal conduct” of Trump? Please cite to your authority.
Why Turley Ran This Column
The Manhattan district attorney’s office said in court papers Thursday that a large cache of newly disclosed documents contained little that might influence or delay the criminal trial of Donald J. Trump, which is scheduled to begin in mid-April.
In a surprising move, the district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, agreed last week to allow a short delay in the trial to give Mr. Trump’s lawyers time to review the records. The documents had been turned over by federal prosecutors who had previously investigated Michael Cohen, the former president’s longtime fixer who is expected to be a key witness in Mr. Bragg’s prosecution.
Mr. Trump’s lawyers had cast the documents as a potential game-changing development in the intensely litigated case, which had been set to go to trial on March 25. But in Thursday’s filing, Mr. Bragg’s office downplayed the documents’ import, though it said its review was continuing.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/21/nyregion/trump-trial-delay-bragg.html
…………………………………
Trump’s lawyers demand either a delay or dismissal of Alvin Bragg’s fraud case involving the Stormy Daniels pay-off by claiming this cache of newly disclosed documents is a major game-changer.
But after previewing said documents, Bragg’s office has found little of urgent relevance. Yet Professor Turley thought he’d help out by reminding us again what an awful person Michael Cohen happens to be.
@Anon…
Of course they’ll downplay the doc dump.
Depending on the judge… this could force the case to be dismissed due to prosecutorial misconduct.
(The Prosecution knew of the existence of the docs long before the delivery. )
Trump’s attorneys could demand a longer delay.
Especially if they have to go back and do more work than review these docs.
Free clue… 30K docs dumped… with more coming.
Feds didn’t go after Trump… why? Not enough evidence in these 30K docs?
Or some exculpatory evidence?
The defense has the right to inspect and review these docs.
The lies coming out of Braggs office have no influence on the time needed by the Defense to examine over 100,000 documents. These are the documents generated by Federal Prosecutors deciding there was no case to prosecute. So, yes those documents are relevant to the Defense.
Well, what else would you expect Mr. Bragg’s office to say?
“. . . Bragg’s office has found little of urgent relevance.”
So according to the Left, our adversarial system of justice is not adversarial, at all. It’s prosecutorial. At least for Trump.
Someone on this website mentioned Agrippa so I went to read the Wikipedia article about him. Caesar Augustas’ right-hand man!
Thank you for the mention.
Dear Prof Turley,
As you may, or may not, know, I’ve always considered the Stormy affair the best (i.e. most legitimate) case against Trump. Clearly, Stormy is Trump’s ‘type’ and, worse, Trump then hired Cohen esq. to ‘hush’ it up. Money poorly spent, both times imo.
I’ve always said Trump, if nothing else, has long demonstrated a poor judge of character. And as they say in NY, a fool billionaire and his money is soon parted.
*and I, at least, as a stalwart ‘speech’ advocate, will continue to defend Trump’s right to be a foolish lizard-eyed billionaire .. . against all odds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcTpuf9us4c
Stormy’s getting a lot of mileage off a One-Night-Stand. The ‘extortion’ of Trump’s matrimonial & political vanity for; Money, Publicity, and Political gain,
is still extortion, by legal means or not. This thing has crossed that line.
To be sure, You don’t want your One-Night-Stands to come back to haunt you.
That lying liar I hired to lie for me and do fraud for me is now testifying against me? How can anyone believe a liar like that? Don’t they see all the lies he has made in the past on my behalf?
– Donald Trump
I read somewhere that Cohen, a registered lawyer and member of the Bar, told Trump, “don’t worry, I know how, I’ll take care of this for you.” –And he did, and pretty fast, so that Trump would pay him. Trump trusted that Cohen knew what he was doing (legally, ethically).
-Esther
I like that scene in Dante’s “Inferno” where the hypocrites in Circle 8 have to process through Hell marching over the staked bodies of Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin while wearing golden robes made out of lead as flames dance at their feet. Wonder how Mike looks in Hot Gold?
It’s me again.
Maybe he cannot help himself. Maybe Cohen is a pathological liar.
Or maybe he cannot help himself because the devil made him do it . . . ?
Just a wee little bit ….
OT
“Apple expected to be sued by feds over antitrust violations in Biden admin’s latest big tech fight: report”
– New York Post
___________________
“Take” Google Search, Apple’s monopoly aspects et al. for standardization as basic infrastructure (general Welfare – all well proceed), and public use under eminent domain.
Antitrust legislation is illicit and unconstitutional per enumerated powers, Article 1, Section 8 and the 5th Amendment absolute right to private property (if the right to private property is not absolute, America is communist, which, of course, it is not).
In the “land of the free,” of freedom, free enterprise, and free markets, competition is always the resolution.
Congress has no power to regulate or “claim and exercise” any degree of dominion over private property, including through the employment of unconstitutional “antitrust” concepts.
As private sector resolution of monopolies, corporations must compete; industries must self-regulate.
Consumers may litigate through the courts.
I have heard Apple is not paying the Danegeld.
Garland most likely sent a DoJ prosecutor, and delivered the message, “nice little company you have here, pity if a little anti trust fire happened.” The palms in DC were not sufficiently greased.
@George
This has been true of Silicon Valley writ large for at least 15 years. Where was everybody then, when some of us were very vocal at the time?
As we all know, Professor, flawlessly publishing on a daily basis is a virtual impossibility. . Because everything we produce is initially little more than “rough draft.” What you really need is a proofreader, an experienced wordsmith, capable of doing good copy quickly.
There’s a stray period after your first sentence.
Most of us have not the funds (nor available help, like hirable students) to proofread our comments. And a stray period is not the same at all as factual errors, nor the regular typos Professor Turley lets into his columns. It often seems as if he barely takes a second look at all.
That said, I think this a valuable website.
Oh I do too. I just thought the stray period was funny is all.
If we total up the Cost (Judgments/Pymts) of Trumps encounters with Stormy Daniels, E. Jean Carroll and any Other improprieties finding an Average ($) and use that Number as a basis, multiplied by the amount of times Bill Clinton had made improprieties (Monica & Visits to Epstein’s Island and Others) for a total of amount Due.
How much would the Clinton’s have left ?
When Trump retakes the Oval Office the bill will come due for Billy’s Willy
Daniels and Avenatti BOTH had to pay large Settlements TO Trump – back when judges followed the law.
The Stephanapolis CNN lawsuit is much more interesting.
I am not sure what Venue Trump filed in – but the Defamation occured on the air, and that means Trump SHOULD be able to file against CNN/Stephanopolis in the reddest place in the country he can think of – Why wouldn’t a Republican judge and Jury find that Stepahopolis and CNN liable for say a Billion dollars ?
FFrankly it is time for scotus to go beyond NYT v sulivan and severaly restrict or eliminate Defamation claims.
Eliminate is probably best. If we KNOW that people can not be sured for defamation – we KNOW they have no fear of lying, and we should therefore take what they say with a grain of salt.
Regardless, Stephaopolis’s conduct was absolutely repugnant and will not play well outside of Wokestan.
Badgering a Rape victime on National TV for supporting someone who was FALSELY accused of Rape and Staphanopolis KNEW that.
Personally I want to see this defamation nonense entirely ended – but if it takes multiple billion dollar awards against the left in deep red courts – I am OK with that.
Turn about is fair play.
If we can not fix the law – and the left is going to weaponize it politically – then those who live by the sword must die by the sword
No, it won’t. No way anyone named Clinton will ever be held to account. Likely no-one named Biden will, either – they have the magical get out of jail free card – the big, big D. (See William Schwenck Gilbert’s and Arthur Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore for the reference.)
Everything has been a clown show since 2016. Obama was the agent of change, alright. I pray we can right the course, I think Elon Musk is right: the coming election is our last chance, and that has GOT to resonate with even the most liberal non-wealthy voter. If you’re fed up with Biden, you’re voting for Trump, and that’s it, unless you’d like to write someone in, and you should probably come to terms with that. Hold your nose while doing so if you must, but that’s pretty much all there is to it. We will not survive another four years of dem rule, not any of us, and if dem voters decide to get really honest, they will see that the party of their forebears simply no longer exists. It is smoke on the wind, a whisper in time. Personally, I don’t think it ever did, there were just exceptions along the way. Dems have by and large always leaned towards fascism and big government, and securing privileges for themselves at the expense of everyone else.
Off-topic — although this MIGHT relate to Michael Cohen:
“Surgeons transplant genetically-edited pig kidney into man in groundbreaking procedure”
https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/health/surgeons-transplant-genetically-edited-pig-kidney-man-groundbreaking
So far the patient is doing well, except for an uncontrollable urge to eat garbage and roll around in the mud.
Pigs also eat their own feces…
Common to lots of animals
Original Anonymous here: I can’t believe you Turleyville MORONS took what was intended as a light-hearted jest and turned it into a serious discussion of what pigs eat.
Turley needs to send you people to a shrink after having made you all CRAZY and STUPID.
@Anonymous
‘Original Anonymous’? As in O.G.? Could you spare us already? Do you think you have some kind of cred in this scenario? Day after day you reinforce everything the vast majority think is wrong with what you represent; you are doing a great job of ensuring leftist rule is never a thing in the United States. If you aren’t paid, why are you here? Are you really that bored and without purpose or responsibilities in your own life? Most of us are here because we are interested, and we *make* the time to participate. And I grant that sometimes my own comments are really stupid or incoherent because of the haste.
If you aren’t paid though, sitting in a room with a hundreds other comment bombing trolls amidst a sea of hot computers, you need help. Most here with some tenure just scroll past you without a thought, whoever you are. Touch some grass. Get a better job that actually serves other humans. Actually do something that requires personal effort beyond tapping the screen of your phone, and see how that connection to real life makes you feel inside. Instead of posting here, buy a guy sleeping in front of Great Clips a hamburger. Posting on this site, you got nothin’. We are all in our various endeavors and capacities too world-wise to do anything but spank you as you drift to the side like the petulant child you are. That you missed the analogy of the pig is all anyone needs to know regarding your comments, right here, today. Do you have kids? If you do, I would be surprised if they weren’t ashamed of you and had moved far, far away, with a phone call maybe every six months.
There is no “original anonymous”
All anonymous posts stand alone.
If you wish to post such that you get credit (or blame) for prior posts, if you wich to claim prior posts,
USE A NAME.
You are absolutely free to post anonymously – you are NOT entitled to the credibility and the history that comes with posting under a name.
Choices have consequences.
If you pose anonymously – you post will be evaluated solely by the 4 corners of the post – not the thread not other posts, not your claims regarding other posts.
In fact OTHERS can blame you for other anoymous posts – and are free to completely ignore your claims or diclaims regarding other anonymous posts.
@Anonymous
Pigs will eat literally anything you put in front of them, including other pigs. I have been around farms. I’d like to think we’re more elevated than that, and given that, no one should feel bad about eating bacon. just like turkeys, and modern DNC voters, pigs run on base instinct, not smarts, and devour whatever you feed them, whatever it is. They are bottom feeders, basically.
Nonkosher – Do Not eat creatures that are ‘bottom-feeders’ (eat feces or the dead).
Kosher Animals:
https://www.cypraleigh.org/kosher#animals
The biblical food restrictions are very much founded on science, not yet known. Strange yes? Hand of God in those food restrictions?
Today of course, Hog are raised in inside, and always have fresh water and fresh feed. Hog are actually very clean. Put new pigs in a new pen, they will quickly identify an area, away from feed and water, as the place to defecate.
Fairly recently, the FDA has lowered the temp to cook pork. Because it is rare hog pick up any parasites, the way they are raised today.
@(whichever)Anonymous
All wild animals, even if domesticated, will seem ‘nice’ if they are not hungry. Presumably people feed their pets, whatever their stripe, but rest assured, with wild animals taken into a home, if they were hungry enough, they would try to hunt and eat you, they don’t give two s***s about your virtue signaling. This ascribing of human reasoning to animals that do not have a human cortex is flipping absurd. I can respect and appreciate that some people have ethical considerations with eating animals, I really can, but for the younger crew that think they can be ‘friends’ with feral animals – enjoy having your head eaten by your pet cheetah/python/wolf the first time you forget to feed it. It doesn’t care, you are just fresh meat that is very, very convenient. And yes, Anonymous the seemingly retarded, that goes for pigs, too. They will be perfectly happy to eat your a**. But since I’m guessing you are white, soft, skinny-fat, and privileged, it wouldn’t be much of a meal.
James,
I am NOT directing this at you per say, but for the over all conversation as it has veered into my territory.
I have raised, slaughter, butchered and processed over 20 hogs.
Given enough fresh water, things to eat, not stressed, pigs are very clean animals. I raise mine on pasture. After they have rooted up a paddock, I then move them to the next one. They organize where they defecate. After a few days, maggots appear and then the wild turkeys come in, scratch up the manure spreading it and eat the maggots.
Same with cow manure.
As for our resident ATS, well, if anyone spews crap it is him.
U F – thanks for standing up for pigs. I have read that they are intelligent. I saw a YouTube video of a pig in China coming to the aid of another pig.
All well and correct – but the most important point I think that James is making is that Other animals do NOT have the same moral constraints as humans.
That is incredibly important.
We often use things like sentient, or self aware to describe the differences between humans and other animals.
It is possible that the core differences derive from self awreness or sentience.
But almost every allegedly uniquely human attribute save one is present in other animals.
That ONE difference is the recognition of the free will of others.
There are animals that seem to exhibit free will.
There are no other animals that respect free will in others.
This even goes back to the story of the garden of eden.
The “knowledge of good and evil” is the accepting as morally wrong the use of force to violated the rights of another for our own benefit.
This is also why Humans can do things to other animals that they will not do to humans.
Under dire enough circumstances all animals – and most humans will kill others including their own for food.
But only Humans see that as Wrong.
UpstateFarmer said: “After a few days, maggots appear and then the wild turkeys come in, scratch up the manure spreading it and eat the maggots.”
That would seem to indicate a contradiction in the kosher food list refered to by an anonymous poster earlier, since turkeys are specifically mentioned as being kosher. I know, you said the turkeys eat the maggots, not the manure, but the maggots have eaten the manure, and I doubt they wash and purge the maggots before dining on them 🙂