How to learn the truth! Turn off CNN! Cohen
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Cohen lawyer backpedals on Trump-Russia claims, as bombshell reports called into question
Lanny Davis corrects Cohen-Trump Tower story
Media ran wild with Michael Cohen's reported claims about Trump Tower meeting; 'MediaBuzz' host Howard Kurtz weighs in.
Michael Cohen’s lawyer is backpedaling on bombshell claims he made in recent weeks about his client's knowledge of President Trump's supposed awareness of Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election.
Lanny Davis, a longtime Clinton confidant who now represents the ex-Trump attorney, had been a source for reports saying his client had information that the president knew in advance about the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting involving Donald Trump Jr. and Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya. Davis also suggested that Cohen had “direct knowledge” of Russia hacking into emails of Democratic power players.
But now, Davis is walking back his statements, telling The Washington Post that he “should have been more clear” that he “could not independently confirm what happened.”
He said in a separate statement Monday to Fox News: "I take the responsibility for not communicating more clearly my uncertainty. I regret the error."
Trump’s alleged knowledge of the Trump Tower meeting was first reported by CNN on July 27. The outlet reported that Cohen was present for a conversation informing Trump of the Russians’ offer to provide “dirt” on Hillary Clinton. Cohen witnessed Trump approve the meeting, CNN reported.
The following day, the Post also reported that Cohen witnessed Trump Jr. informing his father about the meeting where they expected to receive information on Clinton; the Post did not confirm that Trump was told the information would come from the Russians.
Trump, following the publication of the CNN report, fired back.
“I did NOT know of the meeting with my son, Don jr. Sounds to me like someone is trying to make up stories in order to get himself out of an unrelated jam (Taxi cabs maybe?). He even retained Bill and Crooked Hillary’s lawyer. Gee, I wonder if they helped him make the choice!” Trump tweeted on July 27.
Over the weekend, Davis clarified his claims.
“I should have been more clear—including with you—that I could not independently confirm what happened,” Davis told the Post this weekend.
Davis began walking back the allegations days earlier, when during an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, he was asked whether there was evidence that Trump knew about the meeting before it happened.
“No, there’s not,” Davis said.
Trump, again, maintained that he knew nothing of the meeting beforehand, and blasted the reports as "fake news."
“Michael Cohen’s attorney clarified the record, saying his client does not know if President Trump knew about the Trump Tower meeting (out of which came nothing!). The answer is that I did NOT know about the meeting. Just another phony story by the Fake News Media!” Trump tweeted Saturday.
Two videos at the link: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/08/27/co...stion.html