Cohen Admits He ‘Could Have Been Clearer’ in Pardon Testimony
However, his lawyer says he told the truth.

Reuters / Joshua Roberts
Michael Cohen’s admits he “could have been clearer” in his public testimony when he said he’d never asked for a pardon from President Donald Trump, his attorney has said. However, in a letter obtained by CNN, Cohen’s lawyer Michael Monico said his client stands by his testimony that he had “never asked for, nor would I accept” a pardon. Cohen has been under fire from Republicans after reports that his attorneys discussed the prospect of a pardon with Trump’s legal team before Cohen turned on Trump. Republicans have charged Cohen may have committed perjury in his testimony. “In retrospect, while the sentence could have been clearer regarding the time frames, the sentence is true, and Mr. Cohen stands by his statement,” wrote Monico in a letter to House Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings. Monico said Cohen's statement was written “in the context of Mr. Cohen’s decision in June 2018” to leave the joint defense agreement, and added: “At no time did Mr. Cohen personally ask President Trump for a pardon or did the president offer Mr. Cohen the same.”
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