Cohen eludes Congress once more

WASHINGTON—Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, delayed his testimony before Congress for a third time Tuesday, and time is running out for lawmakers to interview him before he goes to prison. He was scheduled to appear Tuesday at a closed-door hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee about Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election but canceled due to post-surgery medical needs.

Cohen, who underwent minor shoulder surgery in January, has pulled out of hearings with two House panels, as well. He delayed a public hearing with the House Oversight and Reform Committee scheduled for Feb. 7, citing “ongoing threats” against himself and his family from Trump and his attorney Rudy Guiliani. The alleged threats had to do with accusations of organized crime involvement against Cohen’s father-in-law. Cohen also delayed a Feb. 8 closed-door hearing with the House Intelligence Committee. That appearance was rescheduled for Feb. 28.

Cohen spoke to Senate and House committees in 2017 and later pleaded guilty for lying to them about his role in a business proposal to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. The lawyer originally claimed that he had given up the project in January 2016, however he actually pursued it for several months longer during the 2016 campaign season. He is scheduled to report to prison in early March to serve a three-year sentence for false statements to Congress and tax fraud. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., and House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., have said they need to hear from Cohen before his prison term begins.