John Dean, the ex-White House counsel under President Richard Nixon, said Monday he’s talked with the lawyer for President Donald Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen to provide some insight “on how Watergate unfolded.”
In remarks on CNN’s “The Lead,” Dean, who became a key witness in the Watergate scandal after pleading guilty to a single count of obstruction of justice, confirmed a Politico report that Lanny Davis sought out Dean because he saw “parallels” to Cohen’s experience.
“I have never talked to Cohen himself, only Lanny Davis, who I have known for years,” Dean told CNN. “He has just been probing me on how Watergate unfolded, looking for factual information, not for legal advice or anything of that nature.”
“Rather, just to understand that history and the parallels that exist with my situation and potentially exist with his client,” said Dean, who wrote about his case in “Blind Ambition: The White House Years.”
Federal prosecutors in New York has been investigating Cohen for possible bank and tax fraud and campaign finance violations related in part to a $130,000 hush money payout to porn star Stormy Daniels, who alleged she had an affair with Trump.