In response to documents released Tuesday by Stormy Daniels attorney Michael Avenatti, which showed that Michael Cohen received $500,000 from a Russian oligarch, Cohen responded by essentially admitting that, yeah, the transaction happened.
Through his lawyers, Cohen filed a letter calling Avenatti’s claims “inaccurate,” but he didn’t provide any evidence to contradict them.
“We are not going to list every inaccurate statement,” the lawyers wrote in a response that only vaguely disputes Avenatti’s allegations.
Not only did they not fully disprove the allegations made in the documents, but they essentially confirmed their authenticity by complaining that Avenatti was in possession of the records.
A portion of the letter via MSNBC’s Ari Melber:
BREAKING: Michael Cohen’s lawyers file a letter saying Avenatti’s document contains inaccurate information: pic.twitter.com/BmcGnMAZPs
— TheBeat w/Ari Melber (@TheBeatWithAri) May 9, 2018
A short time after Cohen’s legal team filed the letter, Avenatti responded on Twitter, saying that Cohen’s attorneys are essentially admitting that he received the $500,000 payment from a Putin-linked Russian oligarch.
“They fail to address, let alone contradict, 99% of the statements in what we released,” he wrote on Twitter. “They effectively concede the receipt of the $500,000 from those with Russian ties.”
Mr. Ryan’s submission on behalf of Mr. Cohen is baseless, improper and sanctionable. They fail to address, let alone contradict, 99% of the statements in what we released. Among other things, they effectively concede the receipt of the $500,000 from those with Russian ties.
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 9, 2018
Trump’s silence also speaks volumes
Also important is the fact that Donald Trump has been completely silent on this development since it broke more than 24 hours ago.
As MSNBC’s Ari Melber noted on Wednesday, what is “most telling” is that Trump is “not really punching back on this story.”
Trump’s silence on the Michael Cohen bombshell speaks volumes, Ari Melber says. #Trump #Cohen #Russia pic.twitter.com/U0IoCV4d0K
— PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) May 9, 2018
While Cohen’s lawyers did finally respond late Wednesday, it was a delayed rebuttal and it provided no details to contradict the explosive but credible claims made by Michael Avenatti.
All at once, the shoes appear to be dropping on Michael Cohen and Donald Trump, and it could mean – as Michael Avenatti frequently says – that this president won’t be able to serve out his full term.
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