I want to bring in Lanny
Davis now
to the conversation,
Michael Cohen's attorney.
So, Lanny, thank you very much.
We our Christine
Romans has been reporting there.
Surprise from Donald Trump
that he does not expect
this would happen now.
Were you similarly surprised
and not surprised
by the fact of the indictment,
but by the timing?
I was not aware
they kept it very close to the vest
as they're required to do.
But I was not aware
that it was going to happen today. No.
All right.
Which is just important
as much information as we can get here.
So then, Lanny,
I maybe know the answer to this,
given what you just said,
but do you know anything
about what the charges will be
in the actual indictment?
I don't know the
actual substance of the indictment.
I can tell you
what I believe is in the indictment.
And I would also warn all the pundits
and everyone speculating, including those
who are on your panel,
that there are lots of facts,
lots of documents,
lots of evidence of multiple crimes.
And before anyone guesses the strength
or the weakness of this case,
wait to see and read the indictment.
I'm just predicting
there will be a lot of people surprised
at the level of evidence
that the detail of evidence,
based on my experience
in watching this group of prosecutors
develop this case.
And I would also remind Mr.
Trump's lawyers that Mr.
Cohen himself regard Mr.
Trump innocent until proven guilty.
He's entitled to the protection
of the very Constitution
that he was ready to repudiate,
and he's innocent until proven guilty.
So let's at least start with that note.
So so just to be clear, though,
you're saying
you think from what you understand,
your exposure to the grand jury,
your client, Michael Cohen,
obviously central to this testifying
before that grand jury
that you believe
that there is going to be an indictment
for multiple crimes
because of the evidence
that that you're aware of One question.
I was not in the grand jury room.
You were next sitting next door
and consulting with Michael
every so often.
But, yes,
I have no doubt
After months and months, months
of being exposed to this case and Mr.
Cohen
being questioned about the case
and observing this group of professional
or meticulous, careful, very discrete
prosecutors, that this is about facts,
documents, text messages,
other witnesses, not just Mr.
Cohen.
It's a very strong factual case.
I heard Mr.
Harding
speculating about whether the
law is applicable
and it's a good question whether
federal law being violated
applies to a New York state law.
I can assure Mr.
Holgate that there are a lot of lawyers
who is research that question
and we'll leave it to the New York D.A.
to say
they have laws
that were violated
based on these facts that I am aware of.
I want to ask you about something Ryan
Goodman said I don't know
if you heard it a moment ago,
but his view is
that if you're going to go ahead
and do this indictment,
that his expectation would be
that they would
try to charge for a felony,
not just a misdemeanor,
or do you agree with that? No doubt.
No doubt there are
there are felony violations
if the evidence beyond a reasonable
doubt is presented to a jury.
I think this is a much stronger case
than people recognize
attacking Michael Cohen,
which is
Donald Trump's way of deflecting
and accusing
and personalizing
he's going to be based
in American public opinion.
Right, left, Trump or not
are going to be faced
with a lot of evidence
that will surprise them.
A lot of witnesses a lot of documents.
It's not just about
one person's testimony.
And I think everyone who is out there
talking about this
being a political case
or witch hunt are going to be sorry
when they actually read the substance
of what these prosecutors have developed
in several criminal charges.
All right.
And of course, as I have to keep
emphasizing, right, uncharted territory.
We don't know
what's in the indictment yet.
Lanny,
what is your sense
of what happens from here
in these uncharted waters
in terms of timing? Right.
You get it
and I will just say, by the way,
I want everyone to know
what you're seeing on your screen.
Alvin Bragg, the district attorney,
just departing the Manhattan
Manhattan courthouse downtown.
So you can see that happening.
We had known where he was.
We can tell you that he left.
But obviously,
just getting into that
SUV, as you can see there,
into that Chevy.
Lenny, let me just ask you, though,
do you have any sense as to the timing,
what happens here?
Right. Right now,
we're in
the very first step,
which is our reporting
is early next week.
Donald Trump will surrender. Right.
We'll have the arrest. Right.
And then we move from there.
How does the timing go from there
as far as you understand it?
Well, the
speedy trial process will occur, but Mr.
Trump is entitled to a strong defense.
I am familiar with his defense attorney.
We worked together in his past.
He's a very good attorney.
And as I reminded your viewers,
I hope not
that surprising anyone
that Donald Trump is presumed innocent.
And while he is politicizing
by calling it a witch hunt
and all of the things that Trump does
to deflect.
I would ask everybody watching tonight,
keep your minds
open to the actual evidence.
Documents speak for themselves.
Witnesses that are more than one
witness speak,
and then the jury will have to decide
whether they're credible.
But, Erin, the most important thing
I would urge
all of your panelists
is to at least know what they don't know
and wait for the evidence that we'll see
in the indictment
and then, of course, in the trial
that I believe will be relatively soon.
And Lanny,
I mean, in a sense, right
now, you're being
you're not being emotional about it.
Obviously, your client, Michael Cohen,
is is less judicious with his words.
Right. He's referred to Trump's evil deeds.
Do you think that
he should
not do that, that that's gone too far?
Well, this is the expression
Michael Cohen
used with me
when he asked me to help him.
And I said,
tell me what you did
for the last ten years.
How can I possibly defend that
when you work for Mr.
Trump
and all the things that I believe
you did?
And he used the expression,
I cannot defend the evil deeds
I did for Donald Trump.
So on July 2nd 2018,
he became a new Michael Cohen.
He decided to speak truth to power
and take the consequences.
He went to prison
for the very same crimes
that the Southern District
of New York
Federal prosecutors
described as a threat to our democracy.
It's not just a hush money sex crime.
It is what the Southern District
prosecutors under Donald Trump said.
He directed
Michael Cohen to do these crimes.
Those were the dirty deeds.
He paid the hush money on behalf of Mr.
Trump for Mr. Trump benefit.
But I still want to remind everyone Mr.
Trump deserved his day in court.
He can demonize the opposition.
But I am saying let's
wait for the evidence
and give him the presumption of innocence
that the Constitution provides.
Right. Right.
And of course, to remind our viewers,
hush money payments themselves are not
what would be illegal here.
It would be how they were accounted for
and how they were handled
So while this
may seem salacious, it's
not it's not a revenge or anything.
It is about motivation.
And the jury will have to decide that Mr.
Trump had no political motivation
about the harm that might occur
to people.
Chances
at the Stormy
Daniels alleged affair came out.
And that is the issue before the jury.
And I trust the jury system.