ACCESSING CLASSIFIED FILES
Decrypting documents...
Your connection is being monitored
Back to Individuals
high risk$4+ million (pre-conviction)
Michael Dean Cohen
Convicted Felon, Former Trump Fixer
Former Trump Personal Attorney, Key Prosecution Witness
Overview
Michael Dean Cohen served as Donald Trump's personal attorney and fixer from 2006 to 2018. He arranged hush money payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, served as RNC Deputy Finance Chair, and was sentenced to three years in federal prison for campaign finance violations, tax evasion, and lying to Congress. He became the star witness in Trump's Manhattan criminal trial.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
HUSH MONEY SCHEME: Paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels and facilitated $150,000 to Karen McDougal via AMI to silence affairs before 2016 election
CAMPAIGN FINANCE CRIMES: Payments were illegal campaign contributions, Cohen pled guilty August 2018
TRUMP TOWER MOSCOW: Lied to Congress about timeline; negotiations continued through June 2016, not January as claimed
"FIXER"ROLE: Threatened journalists, handled lawsuits, buried negative stories, created shell companies for 12+ years
TAX EVASION: Evaded $1.4 million in taxes on taxi medallion income
COOPERATING WITNESS: Flipped on Trump after being abandoned, testified extensively in multiple proceedings
MANHATTAN TRIAL STAR WITNESS: Key testimony in 2024 trial that resulted in Trump's 34 felony convictions
CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY: Dramatic February 2019 testimony calling Trump"a racist, a conman, a cheat"
PRISON TIME: Served time at Otisville federal prison, then home confinement
Related Investigations (11)
Campaign Finance CorruptionElection Corruption
Tier 1
criticalForeign Influence OperationsNational Security
Tier 3
criticalGender Discrimination & Sexual MisconductCivil Rights
Tier 3
criticalHush Money Election FraudFinancial Crime
Tier 1
criticalMoney LaunderingFinancial Crime
Tier 1
criticalObstruction of JusticeIntelligence & Covert Operations
Tier 1
criticalRussian Election InterferenceElection Integrity
Tier 1
criticalStormy Daniels Hush Money SchemeCriminal Conviction
Tier 1
criticalSexual Assault & MisconductMilitary & Foreign Policy
Tier 2
criticalTrump Tower Moscow ProjectRussia Connection
Tier 1
criticalTrump Organization FraudFinancial Crime
Tier 1
criticalCriminal Charges & Violations
5 documented violations
52 U.S.C. § 30116(a)(1)(A)Causing unlawful corporate campaign contribution (Stormy payment)(Election Crimes)
52 U.S.C. § 30116(a)(7)Excessive campaign contribution(Election Crimes)
26 U.S.C. § 7201Tax evasion; $1.4 million in unreported income(Financial Crimes)
18 U.S.C. § 1014Making false statements to financial institution(Financial Crimes)
18 U.S.C. § 1001Making false statements to Congress (Trump Tower Moscow)(Obstruction)
Known Associates & Connections
Donald Trump
Client for 12 years, turned star witness against him
Stormy Daniels
Paid $130,000 hush money to silence affair allegations
Karen McDougal
Facilitated $150,000 AMI catch-and-kill payment
David Pecker
AMI CEO, coordinated catch-and-kill scheme
Allen Weisselberg
Trump CFO, coordinated reimbursements
Keith Davidson
Attorney for Daniels and McDougal
Lanny Davis
Attorney representing Cohen during cooperation
Sources & Documentation
6 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
Personal Information
- Born
- August 25, 1966
- Birthplace
- Long Island, New York, USA
- Also Known As
- Trump's Fixer, Personal Attorney, Ray Donovan
Education
- •J.D., Thomas M. Cooley Law School (1991)
- •B.A., American University
Key Timeline
1966
Born on Long Island, New York
1991
Graduates from Thomas M. Cooley Law School
2006
Joins Trump Organization as personal attorney
2015-2016
Negotiates Trump Tower Moscow deal, lies about timeline
2016 (Aug)
Creates Essential Consultants LLC shell company
2016 (Oct 27)
Pays Stormy Daniels $130,000 through shell company
2016 (Nov)
AMI pays Karen McDougal $150,000 with Cohen coordination
2017 (Feb)
Trump Organization reimburses Cohen; falsified as legal retainer
2017 (Apr)
Named RNC Deputy Finance Chairman
2018 (Apr 9)
FBI raids Cohen's office, home, and hotel room
2018 (Jun)
Resigns from RNC position
2018 (Aug 21)
Pleads guilty to 8 federal charges, implicates Trump
2018 (Nov 29)
Pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump Tower Moscow
2018 (Dec 12)
Sentenced to 3 years in federal prison
2019 (Feb 27)
Dramatic Congressional testimony:"Trump is a racist, a conman, a cheat"
2019 (May 6)
Reports to Otisville Federal Prison
2020 (May)
Released to home confinement due to COVID-19
2020 (Jul)
Briefly returned to prison for refusing to stop writing book
2024 (May)
Star witness in Manhattan hush money trial
2024 (May 30)
Trump convicted on all 34 felony counts, largely on Cohen's testimony