Washington, D.C. - Chairwoman Elise Stefanik led a criminal referral along with House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH), demanding that Attorney General Merrick Garland immediately launch a criminal investigation into whether Michael D. Cohen committed perjury and knowingly making false statements while testifying under oath during his deposition before Congress on February 28, 2019.
“The Biden Justice Department must take off its partisan blinders and investigate disgraced fraudster and disbarred attorney Michael Cohen, a felon previously convicted for lying to Congress, who just admitted to lying again to Congress,” stated Chairwoman Stefanik.
The criminal referral states: “We write to refer compelling evidence that Michael D. Cohen appears to have committed perjury and knowingly made false statements while testifying under oath during his deposition before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (“Committee”) on February 28, 2019. Specifically, on October 25, 2023, while testifying in the trial People of the State of New York v. Donald J. Trump et al., No. 452564/2022 (N.Y. Sup. Ct.), Mr. Cohen admitted that the testimony he gave before the Committee in 2019 was knowingly and intentionally false.”
The criminal referral continues: “Mr. Cohen’s testimony at the New York trial is inconsistent with his testimony before the Committee. That Mr. Cohen was willing to openly and brazenly state at trial that he lied to Congress on this specific issue is startling. His willingness to make such a statement alone should necessitate an investigation. In sum, Mr. Cohen’s testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on February 28, 2019 is contradicted by his reported recent testimony on October 25, 2023. Mr. Cohen’s prior conviction for lying to Congress merits a heightened suspicion that he has yet again testified falsely before Congress. We therefore request that the Department investigate whether any of Mr. Cohen’s testimony warrants another charge for the violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1001 or 1621.”
Find the full criminal referral HERE.
