The definitive Michael Cohen explainer

By Chris Megerian, Kyle Kim and Ellis Simani

Michael Cohen spent more than a decade as Donald Trump’s lawyer, fixer and attack dog. Now he’s been cooperating with prosecutors and is testifying publicly before Congress for the first time Wednesday. Here is everything you need to know.

Which committees are hearing Cohen’s testimony?

Michael Cohen is expected to testify before several congressional committees:

Committee When Public hearing Closed hearing
Senate Intelligence Feb. 26
House Oversight Feb. 27
House Intelligence Feb. 28

Senate Intelligence

Ranking Republican*

Sen. Richard Burr

Ranking Democrat

Sen. Mark R. Warner

House Oversight

Ranking Democrat*

Rep. Elijah E. Cummings

Ranking Republican

Rep. Jim Jordan

House Intelligence

Ranking Democrat*

Rep. Adam B. Schiff

Ranking Republican

Rep. Devin Nunes

Breaking down the line of questioning

Republicans’ focus during the public hearing was nearly singular. They attacked Cohen’s credibility, character and criminal actions:

Democrats' questions were largely focused on President Trump

Why is the hearing happening?

House Democrats arranged for him to testify because he has pleaded guilty to several criminal charges, some of them related to major investigations involving Trump:

Lying to Congress

Tax evasion

Bank fraud

Campaign finance violations

Sentenced on Dec. 12 to three years in prison starting on May 6.

Cohen has been cooperating with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is leading the Russia investigation, and the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan, which is conducting a separate investigation into hush money payments to two women who said they had affairs with Trump.

What exactly did Cohen do?

Cohen has been at the center of multiple schemes involving the president, and he's tried to use his association with him to make money for himself.

The hush money

Essential

Consultants LLC

Which he uses to pay

$130,000 in hush

money to

Cohen creates a

company called

Stephanie Clifford

A porn actress

known as Stormy

Daniels

Michael Cohen

Trump’s lawyer between 2006-2018

 

Prosecutors say Trump directed Cohen to arrange hush money payments to Clifford and McDougal shortly before the 2016 election to eliminate a potential campaign scandal

Donald Trump

Who allegedly

attempts to buy

their silence with

the help of

Both allege they had an

affair years ago with

Karen McDougal

A former Playboy model

David Pecker

National Enquirer’s publisher who, in an effort to kill the story, directs an exclusive rights payment of $150,000 to

Cohen works with Trump’s friend

Stephanie Clifford

Karen McDougal

A former Playboy model

A porn actress

known as Stormy

Daniels

Both allege they had an affair years ago with

Essential Consultants LLC

David Pecker

National Enquirer’s publisher who, in an effort to kill the story, directs an exclusive rights payment of $150,000 to

Which he uses to pay

$130,000 in hush

money to

Donald Trump

Who allegedly attempts to buy their silence with the help of

Cohen works with

Trump’s friend

Cohen creates a

company called

Michael Cohen

Trump’s lawyer between 2006-2018

 

Prosecutors say Trump directed Cohen to arrange hush money payments to Clifford and McDougal shortly before the 2016 election to eliminate a potential campaign scandal

Stephanie Clifford

Karen McDougal

A porn actress known

as Stormy Daniels

A former Playboy

model

Both allege they had an

affair years ago with

Donald Trump

Who allegedly attempts to buy their

silence with the help of

Michael Cohen

Trump’s lawyer between

2006-2018

 

Prosecutors say Trump directed Cohen

to arrange hush money payments to

Clifford and McDougal shortly before the

2016 election to eliminate a potential

campaign scandal

Cohen creates a

company called

Cohen reaches out to

Trump’s friend

Essential Consultants LLC

David Pecker

which he uses to pay

$130,000 in hush money to

National Enquirer’s

publisher who, in an

effort to kill the story,

directs an exclusive rights

payment of $150,000 to

Trump Tower Moscow

Michael Cohen

Trump’s then-lawyer

and personal fixer

Both pursued a

multimillion-dollar deal

during the 2016

presidential campaign

to build Europe's tallest

skyscraper in Moscow

on behalf of

Donald Trump

Vladimir Putin

Who had sought a real

estate deal in Moscow

for decades and

advocated closer ties

with Russia as a

presidential candidate,

often praising

The autocratic president

of Russia whose

government launched a

covert effort to boost

Trump's candidacy by

spreading disinformation

on social media and

hacking and releasing

Democratic Party emails

Felix Sater

A Russian-born

business associate

of Trump

Felix Sater

Michael Cohen

A Russian-born business

associate of Trump

Trump’s then-lawyer

and personal fixer

Both pursued a multimillion-dollar deal during the 2016 presidential campaign to build Europe's tallest skyscraper in Moscowon behalf of

Donald Trump

Who had sought a real estate deal in Moscow for decades and advocated closer ties with Russia as a presidential candidate, often praising

Vladimir Putin

The autocratic president of Russia whose government launched a covert effort to boost Trump's candidacy by spreading disinformation on social media and hacking and releasing Democratic Party emails

Michael Cohen

Felix Sater

Trump’s then-lawyer

and personal fixer

A Russian-born

business associate of

Trump

Both pursued a multimillion-dollar

deal during the 2016 presidential

campaign to build Europe's tallest

skyscraper in Moscow on behalf of

Donald Trump

Who had sought a real estate deal in

Moscow for decades and advocated

closer ties with Russia as a

presidential candidate, often praising

Vladimir Putin

The autocratic president of Russia

whose government launched a covert

effort to boost Trump's candidacy by

spreading disinformation on social

media and hacking and releasing

Democratic Party emails

Cohen's money-making scheme

Novartis

$1.2 million

Andrew Intrater

Michael Cohen

He donated

$250,000 for

Trump's

inauguration and

gave $29,600 to the

Republican National

Committee

Who, during the 2016

presidential

campaign, created

The chief

executive of

the New York

investment

firm is

AT&T

$600,000

Essential

Consultants LLC

But once Trump

becomes president,

Cohen uses the shell

company to collect

payments from

companies that want

insight into the new

administration, such as

To send hush

money to

Intrater and

Vekselberg are

cousins and

reportedly met

with Cohen during

Trump’s

inauguration

Columbus

Nova

$500,000

Stephanie Clifford

Their biggest

client is a

Russian

conglomerate

controlled by

A porn actress known

as Stormy Daniels

who alleged she had

an affair with Trump

Korean

Aerospace

Industries

Viktor Vekselberg

$150,000

Russian billionaire

close to his

country’s president,

Vladimir Putin

Michael Cohen

Who, during the 2016

presidential campaign, created

Essential Consultants LLC

To send hush money to

Stephanie Clifford

A porn actress known as

Stormy Daniels who alleged

she had an affair with Trump

But once Trump becomes

president, Cohen uses the shell

company to collect payments

from companies that want

insight into the new

administration, such as

Columbus

Nova

Korean

Aerospace

Industries

Novartis

AT&T

$1.2 million

$600,000

$500,000

$150,000

Their biggest client is a

Russian conglomerate

controlled by

The chief executive

of the New York

investment firm is

Viktor Vekselberg

Andrew Intrater

Russian billionaire close to his country’s president, Vladimir Putin

 

He donated $250,000 for Trump's inauguration and gave $29,600 to the Republican National Committee

Intrater and Vekselberg are cousins and reportedly met with Cohen during Trump’s inauguration

Michael Cohen

Who, during the 2016

presidential campaign, created

Essential Consultants LLC

To send hush money to

Stephanie Clifford

A porn actress known as

Stormy Daniels who alleged

she had an affair with Trump

But once Trump becomes

president, Cohen uses the shell

company to collect payments

from companies that want

insight into the new

administration, such as

Columbus

Nova

Korean

Aerospace

Industries

Novartis

AT&T

$1.2 million

$600,000

$500,000

$150,000

Their biggest client is a

Russian conglomerate

controlled by

The chief executive

of the New York

investment firm is

Viktor Vekselberg

Andrew Intrater

Russian billionaire close

to his country’s

president,

Vladimir Putin.

 

He donated $250,000

for Trump's

inauguration and gave

$29,600 to the

Republican National

Committee.

Intrater and Vekselberg are cousins and reportedly met with Cohen during Trump’s inauguration

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Sources: Times reporting

Credits: Additional programming by Priya Krishnakumar Photos by Getty Images, Associated Press, Library of Congress.