Michael Cohen's admission he arranged payments to two women "at the direction of the candidate" made President Donald Trump "an unindicted co-conspirator," George Washington University Law School professor Jonathan Turley said Tuesday.
In remarks on Fox News' "Special Report," Turley said the former Trump lawyer's guilty plea was "far more dangerous" than the same-day conviction on bank and tax fraud of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort.
"If the prosecutors accept what is in this indictment, then the President just became an unindicted co-conspirator, that's the simple matter of it," Turley said. "If they believe . . . [Cohen] was directed to make this payment, they clearly believe that payment was a campaign finance violation and the president became an unindicted co-conspirator — and he can become unindicted co-conspirator."
Special counsel Robert Mueller, he added, is "in a much stronger position" as a result of Cohen's plea.
"The fact is, [Cohen] ultimately gave Mueller what he needs [Tuesday]," Turley said. "He already went on the record to say President Trump ordered him to make this payment. He is locked in as a witness. The question is, does he have something more? Are there some of the tapes relevant? Is Mueller now going to look at him and say 'I'm willing to do a side agreement with you, give you a partial deal and to ask the court to reduce your sentence'?"
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