WITHOUT OBJECTION. SO ORDERED.
SO ORDERED. WHERE ARE WE?
MISS OSCASIO-CORTEZ.
MISS OSCASIO-CORTEZ. >> MUST, MR. CHAIR.
MR. COHEN, I WOULD LIKE TO PICK
UP ON PREVIOUS LINES OF
QUESTIONING BEFORE GETTING INTO
MY OWN.
MY OWN. SO I MAY GO A LITTLE QUICKLY TO
GET IT IN, IN FIVE MINUTES.
FIRST MY COLLEAGUE FROM VERMONT
ASKED SEVERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT
AMI, AND THE PARENT COMPANY OF
THE "NATIONAL ENQUIRER."
IN THAT YOU MENTIONED A, QUOTE,
TREASURE TROVE OF DOCUMENTS IN
DAVID PECKER’S OFFICE RELATED TO
INFORMATION ASSEMBLED FROM ALL
OF THESE CATCH-AND-KILL
OPERATIONS FROM PEOPLE WHO
POTENTIALLY HAD DAMAGING
INFORMATION ON THE PRESIDENT.
YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE
PRESIDENT WAS VERY CONCERNED
ABOUT THE WHEREABOUTS OF THESE
DOCUMENTS AND WHO POSSESSED
THEM.
THEM. DOES THAT TREASURE TROVE OF
DOCUMENTS STILL EXIST?
>> I DON’T KNOW.
I ASKED DAVID PECKER FOR THEM.
>> YOU WOULD SAY THE PERSON WHO
KNOWS THE WHEREABOUTS OF THESE
DOCUMENTS WOULD BE DAVID BECKER?
>> DAVID PECKER, BARRY LEVINE OR
DYLAN HOWARD.
DYLAN HOWARD. >> THANK YOU.
SECONDLY, I WANT TO ASK A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT YOUR CONVERSATION WITH
MY COLLEAGUE FROM MISSOURI ABOUT
ACID INFLATION.
ACID INFLATION. TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE, DID THE
PRESIDENT EVER PROVIDE INFLATED
ASSETS TO INSURANCE COMPANIES?
>> YES.
>> YES. >> WHO ELSE KNOWS THAT THE
PRESIDENT DID THIS?
>> ALLEN WEISSELBERG, RON
LIEBERMAN AND MATTHEW CALAMARI.
>> WHERE WOULD THE COMMITTEE
FIND MORE INFORMATION ON THIS?
DO YOU THINK WE NEED TO REVIEW
HIS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND HIS
TAX RETURNS TO COMPARE THEM?
>> YES, AND YOU WOULD FIND IT AT
THE TRUMP BOARD.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THE LAST THING HERE, THE TRUMP
GOLF ORGANIZATION ARE CURRENTLY
HAS A GOLF COURSE IN MY HOME
BOROUGH OF THE BRONX, TRUMP
LINKS.
LINKS. DRIVE PAST IT EVERY DAY GOING
BETWEEN THE BRONX AND QUEENS.
IN FACT, "THE WASHINGTON POST"
REPORTED ON THE TRUMP LINKS
BRONX COURSE IN AN ARTICLE
ENTITLED "TAXPAYERS BUILT THIS
NEW YORK GOLF COURSE AND TRUMP
REAPS THE REWARDS."
THAT ARTICLE WHERE MANY NEW
YORKERS AND MANY IN THE COUNTRY
LEARNED THAT TAXPAYERS SPENT
$127 MILLION TO BUILD TRUMP
LINKS IN A, QUOTE, GENEROUS DEAL
ALLOWING PRESIDENT TRUMP TO KEEP
ALMOST EVERY DOLLAR THAT FLOWS
IN ON THE GOLF COURSE BUILT
THROUGH PUBLIC FUNDS.
AND IT DOESN’T SEEM TO BE THE
ONLY TIME THE PRESIDENT HAD
BENEFITED AT THE EXPENSE OF THE
PUBLIC.
PUBLIC. MR. COHEN, I WANT TO ASK YOU
ABOUT YOUR ASSERTION THE
PRESIDENT MAY HAVE IMPROPERLY
DEVALUED HIS ASSETS TO AVOID
PAYING TAXES.
PAYING TAXES. ACCORDING TO AN AUGUST 21, 2016
REPORT BY "THE WASHINGTON POST,"
WHILE THE PRESIDENT CLAIMED IN
FM DISCLOSURE FORMS THAT TRUMP
NATIONAL GOLF CLUB IN JUPITER,
FLORIDA, WAS WORTH MORE THAN $50
MILLION, HE HAD REPORTED
OTHERWISE TO LOCAL TAX
AUTHORITIES THAT THE COURSE WAS
WORTH, QUOTE, NO MORE THAN $5
MILLION.
MILLION. MR. COHEN, DO YOU KNOW WHETHER
THIS SPECIFIC REPORT IS
ACCURATE?
ACCURATE? >> IT’S IDENTICAL TO WHAT HE DID
AT TRUMP NATIONAL GOLF CLUB AND
BRIARCLIFF MANNER.
BRIARCLIFF MANNER. >> TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE WAS THE
PRESIDENT INTERESTED IN REDUCING
HIS LOCAL REAL ESTATE BILLS, TAX
BILLS?
BILLS? >> YES.
>> YES. >> HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
>> WHAT YOU DO IS DEFLATE THE
VALUE OF THE ASSET AND PUT IN A
REQUEST TO THE TAX DEPARTMENT
FOR A DEDUCTION.
>> THANK YOU.
NOW, IN OCTOBER 2018, "THE NEW
YORK TIMES" REVEALED THAT,
QUOTE, PRESIDENT TRUMP
PARTICIPATED IN DUBIOUS TAX
SCHEMES DURING THE 1990s,
INCLUDING INSTANCES OF OUTRIGHT
FRAUD THAT GREATLY INCREASED THE
FORTUNES HE RECEIVED FROM HIS
PARENTS.
PARENTS. IT FURNL STATED FROM MR. TRUMP,
QUOTE, HE ALSO HELPED FORM LATE
A STRATEGY TO UNDER VALUE HIS
PARENTS REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS ON
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS,
WHEN THOSE PROPERTIES WERE
TRANSFERRED TO HIM AND HIS
SIBLINGS.
SIBLINGS. MR. COHEN, DO YOU KNOW WHETHER
THAT SPECIFIC REPORT IS AK SPLIT
ACCURATE?
ACCURATE? >> I DON’T.
I WASN’T THERE IN 1990.
>> WHO WOULD KNOW THE ANSWER TO
THAT?
THAT? >> ALLEN WEISSELBERG.
>> WOULD IT HELP FOR THE
COMMITTEE TO OBTAIN FRAHM STATE
TAX RETURNS TO ADDRESS THAT?
>> I BELIEVE SO.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME TO
THE CHAIR.
THE CHAIR. >> MISS PRESSLEY.
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
ONE MORE TIME, MR. CHAIRMAN, I
JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR
LEADERSHIP AND THE WAY IN WHICH
YOU COMPORT YOURSELF.
I KNOW THERE ARE SOME WOULD HAVE
YOU BELIEVE THE MORE YOU SAY
SOMETHING, THE MORE TRUE IT IS.
BUT IN FACT THIS COMMITTEE
THANKS TO YOUR LEADERSHIP AND
DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY HAS BEEN
DOING THE WORK OF THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE ALONE, WE
LOOKED AT THE ISSUE OF MAKING
ELECTION DAY A FEDERAL HOLIDAY,
REDUCING DRUG PRICING AND
PURSUED SUBPOENAS TO REUNITE
FAMILIES AND JUST RECENTLY
BEFORE WE RETURNED HERE, TRIED
TO PASS A UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND
CHECK GUN BILL.
SO WE’RE DOING THE BUSINESS OF
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, INCLUDING
TODAY.
TODAY. IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT THE BEST
SUNLIGHT, SUNLIGHT IS SAID TO BE
THE BEST OF DISINFECTANTS.
ELECTRIC LIGHT IS THE MOST
EFFICIENT POLICEMEN.
EFFICIENT POLICEMEN. WELL, LET THERE BE LIGHT.
BECAUSE THE POINT OF OVERSIGHT
IS FOR US TO PURSUE THE TRUST TO
PURSUE THE TRUTH AND JUSTICE FOR
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, TO
UNDERSTAND IF LIES, DECEIT AND
CORRUPTION ARE THREATENING
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY, AND INDEED
OUR SAFETY.
OUR SAFETY. MR. CHAIRMAN, CHARITIES SHOULD
NOT BE ABUSED AS PERSONAL PIGGY
BANKS.
BANKS. IT IS BOTH AGAINST THE LAW AND
EXTREMELY UNFAIR TO CHARITIES
THAT PLAY BY THE RULES.
A LINE OF QUESTIONING THAT WE
HAVE NOT YET ADDRESSED AND HAVE
BEEN GLARINGLY ABSENT IN
TACKLING IS THAT OF THE ABUSES
OF THE TRCH FOUNDATION.
THE PRESIDENT’S CHARITABLE
FOUNDATION AGREED TO RESOLVE IN
RESPONSE TO AN ONGOING
INVESTIGATION AND LAWSUIT BY THE
NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL.
THE NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL
FOUND WHAT IT CALLED, QUOTE,
CLEAR AND REPEATED VIOLATIONS OF
STATE AND FEDERAL LAW INCLUDING,
QUOTE, REPEATED AND WILLFUL
SELF-DEALING BY THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION -- APOLOGIES, BY
THE FOUNDATION.
THE FOUNDATION. IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR STATEMENT
IN MID-2013 YOU ARRANGED FOR A
STRAW PURCHASER TO BID $50,000
FOR A PORTRAIT OF MR. TRUMP
PAINTED BY THE ARTIST WILLIAM
QUIGLEY AT A CHARITY AUCTION, IS
THAT CORRECT?
THAT CORRECT? >> THAT’S CORRECT.
>> WHY WOULD THE PRESIDENT WANT
TO BID UP THE PRICE OF SOMETHING
HE WAS ULTIMATELY PAYING FOR?
>> IT WAS ALL ABOUT EGO.
>> HOW WAS IT PAID FOR?
>> I BELIEVE IT WAS PAID FOR BY
A CHECK FROM THE TRUST. HOW WAS
>> I BELIEVE BY A CHECK FROM THE
TRUST?
TRUST? >> AN ABUSE THAT, AGAIN, THIS IS
NOT A PARTISAN PURSUIT HERE, I
THINK ULTIMATELY WE’RE
DEMONSTRATING PATRIOTISM.
DEMONSTRATING PATRIOTISM. DID THE FUNDS REIMBURSE THE
STRAW PURCHASER?
STRAW PURCHASER? CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE MECHANICS OF
THAT PAYMENT?
THAT PAYMENT? >> I’M NOT INVOLVED WITH THE
FOUNDATION.
FOUNDATION. >> DID THE PRESIDENT KNOW WHAT
WAS HAPPENING?
WAS HAPPENING? >> YES.
>> YES. >> HOW DID YOU KNOW?
>> HE TASKED ME TO FIND THE
STRAW BIDDER TO ENSURE THAT HIS
PAINTING WHICH WAS GOING LAST IN
THE AUCTION WOULD GO FOR THE
HIGHEST AMOUNT OF ANY OF THE
PAINTINGS ON THE AUCTION BLOCK
FOR THE DAY.
>> WHAT HAPPENED TO THE
PAINTING?
PAINTING? >> I BELIEVE IT IS IN A CLUB.
>> ATORDCCORDING TO THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL, HE PAID $10,000 IN
ANOTHER PAINTING THAT ENDED UP
AS DECOR IN ANOTHER GOLF CLUB.
ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY INSTANCE
WHERE IT WAS USED TO BENEFIT THE
TRUMP FAMILY.
TRUMP FAMILY. >> THERE WAS A CONTRACT THAT I
ENDED UP CREATING ON MR. TRUMP’S
BEHALF FOR WHAT IS A UKRAINIAN
OLIGARCH.
OLIGARCH. AND IT WAS THAT MR. TRUMP WAS
ASKED TO COME INTO PARTICIPATE
IN WHAT WAS THE UKRAINIAN
AMERICAN ECONOMIC FORUM.
UNFORTUNATELY HE WASN’T ABLE TO
GO BUT I WAS ABLE TO NEGOTIATE
15 MINUTES BY SKYPE WHERE THEY
WOULD HAVE A CAMERA LIKE A
TELEVISION CAMERA, AND THEY
WOULD TRANSLATE MR. TRUMP TO THE
QUESTIONER AND HE WOULD RESPOND
BACK.
BACK. AND I NEGOTIATED A FEE OF
$150,000 FOR 15 MINUTES.
I WAS DIRECTED BY MR. TRUMP TO
HAVE THE CONTRACT DONE IN THE
NAME OF THE DONALD J. TRUMP
FOUNDATION.
FOUNDATION. AS OPPOSED TO DONALD J. TRUMPREN
>> THANK YOU, ANY OTHER ABUSES
OF THE LAW?
>> NOT AT THIS TIME, BUT IF I
THINK OF ONE I WILL --
>> FOR THE BALANCE OF MY TIME,
WOULD YOU AGREE THAT SOMEONE
COULD DENY A RENTAL UNIT TO
AFRICAN-AMERICANS, HAVE THE
BIRTHER MOVEMENT, REFER TO
AFRICAN COUNTRIES AT SHIT HOLE