Audience Laughs After Michael Cohen's Lawyer Asks People To Donate to Cohen
Just hours after his client pleaded guilty to a series of financial crimes and implicated President Donald Trump as part of a deal with prosecutors, attorney Lanny Davis appeared on NBC to discuss the development.
At one point in the interview with Megyn Kelly, Davis said his client Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney, is facing mounting legal bills as a result of the court battle.
When he solicited online donations for Cohen’s legal defense fund, however, a few audience members expressed their apparent opposition.
“Could I just take one opportunity to remind everyone that Michael Cohen has suffered a tragic and difficult experience with his family?” the attorney, who previously represented President Bill Clinton, asked Kelly.
Davis went on to describe Cohen as “without resources,” noting that he had established an online fundraising site at MichaelCohenTruth.com. As of this writing, however, the URL appears to redirect to Trump’s re-election campaign site.
“We’re hoping that he will get some help from the American people so that he can continue to tell the truth,” Davis said, prompting some scattered booing and laughter in the audience.
Kelly picked up on the reaction and told her guest that they did not appear ready to donate. Davis bristled at the characterization, asserting that a majority of Americans want all of the facts in this case to come to light.
“I would say the reaction of your audience may be they are not as interested in getting the truth out about Donald Trump as many other people in the country,” he said. “Approximately 60 percent of the country would not have the reaction of your audience.”
A “Michael Cohen Truth Fund” account on the crowdfunding site Go Fund Me was active as of Wednesday afternoon. As of that time, it had raised just over 10 percent of its $500,000 goal.
The fundraiser described Cohen as a man who “made the decision to take legal responsibility and continue his commitment to tell the truth.”
As for the effort to collect donations, the description stated that the money raised would go toward the repayment of Cohen’s legal fees.
“The Michael Cohen Truth Fund is a transparent trust account, with all the donations going to help Michael Cohen and his family as he goes forward on his journey to tell the truth about Donald Trump,” the page reads.
Davis made a similar plea on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Wednesday, suggesting his client has a substantial amount of information left to reveal.
“Michael Cohen is going to be telling the truth to whoever asks him,” he said.
Hinting at “some issues” he thinks would “be of interest” to viewers, Davis reached out to “everybody who is interested in Michael being able to tell the truth to help him out.”
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