Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist Dickey Betts dies at 807 states, including Florida, with Salmonella infections linked to contaminated basil from Trader Joe’s
7 states, including Florida, with Salmonella infections linked to contaminated basil from Trader Joe’s
Michael Cohen, former lawyer to President Donald Trump, leaves his apartment building on New York’s Park Avenue, Friday, Dec. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen has been sentenced by a federal judge in Manhattan to three years in federal prison. Prosecutors had recommended a “substantial term of imprisonment” for Cohen, who pleaded guilty to both lying to Congress over a possible Trump Tower Moscow project, and to campaign finance violations for paying women who alleged affairs with Donald Trump. Cohen’s lawyers are asking that he serve no prison time. Cohen, according to the Associated Press, said in his defense that “blind loyalty” to Mr. Trump “led me to take a path of darkness instead of light.” Prosecutors say they believe Cohen committed illegal acts at the direction of Mr. Trump, named “Individual 1” in court filings. Mr. Trump has disowned Cohen, calling him “not very smart.” “Michael Cohen is lying and he’s trying to get a reduced sentence for things that have nothing to do with me,” the president told reporters on the White House South Lawn last week. Both special counsel Robert Mueller’s team and prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have leveled cases against Cohen, whose relationship with the president has soured as Cohen has turned on the president. When Cohen’s apartment and office were raided in April, the president called him a “good man,” and the raid, a “disgraceful situation.” Mr. Trump has given no indication that he would pardon Cohen, even as he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of pardoning his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort. Manafort has pleaded guilty to fraud counts related to his business transactions, but Mr. Trump has praised him. Cohen’s sentencing hearing began at 11 a.m., and the outcome can be viewed in the live player above.