Two high-ranking Republican members of Congress have referred the former attorney for Donald Trump to the Department of Justice on the grounds of perjury and knowingly making false statements to Congress.
On Wednesday, Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio., and James Comer, R-Ky., sent a referral to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland seeking answers as to why the DOJ has not acted on the Committee's previous requests to have Cohen investigated.
Cohen is described in the letter as being a key witness in the case against Trump currently under way in Manhattan. The Congressmen note in their letter that "Cohen's testimony is now the basis for a politically motivated prosecution of a former president and current declared candidate for that office. In light of the reliance on the testimony from this repeated liar, we reiterate our concerns and ask what the Justice Department has done to hold Cohen accountable for his false statements to Congress."
Jordan, the House Judiciary Committee chairman and Comer, the House Oversight and Accountability Commitee chairman referenced a 2019 letter in which Republicans cited multiple lies told by Cohen to the House Oversight Committee. That letter was addressed to Trump's former Attorney General Bill Barr.
Cohen has been accused of knowingly making false statements on six separate occasions including:
- His denial of fraudulent acts to which he had previously pled guilty.
- Testifying that he did not seek employment in former President Trump's White House.
- Stating that he did not direct the creation of a Twitter account know as @WomenForCohen.
- Stating in his Testimony for Truth form that he did not have any reportable foreign government contracts.
The referral notes that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's "case heavily relies on Cohen's testimony and credibility."
The letter also notes how Cohen advisor Lanny Davis, a former special counsel to former President Bill Clinton, told Politico that Bragg's case against Trump was built on Cohen's 2019 Congressional testimony.
Although he has yet to testify against his former boss, legal critics have noted Cohen's social media presence has not been beneficial to the prosecution. Cohen has mocked Trump with profane nicknames and posted memes showing Trump in a prison outfit.
"He's a real headache," said Lance Fletcher, a former Manhattan prosecutor according to the BBC. "He's doing everything as a prosecutor you don't want your witness to do. He's got all sorts of credibility problems."