Mueller Asks for No Additional Prison Time for Cohen in Special Counsel Filing

Special counsel Robert Mueller recommended that former longtime lawyer for US President Donald Trump Michael Cohen be allowed to serve any sentence imposed on him as a result of the special counsel probe concurrently with his sentence in his criminal case in New York, United States v. Cohen.

News of Mueller's sentencing recommendation broke within minutes of the New York Southern District prosecutors asking for a "substantial" prison term for Cohen.

Beginning in his second meeting with the special counsel's office, Cohen admitted to making false statements about discussions around a proposal for a Trump Tower building in Moscow, as well as "his broader efforts through public statements and testimony before Congress to minimize his role." Cohen admitted to also lying to the special counsel's office, according to Mueller's filing.  

Cohen's lies to Congress were "deliberate and premeditated," as evidenced by their inclusion on a written submission he gave to both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

"The defendant has provided, and has committed to continue to provide, relevant and truthful information to the SCO [special counsel's office] in an effort to assist with the investigation," the filing says. "The defendant has met with the SCO for seven proffer sessions, many of them lengthy, and continues to make himself available to investigators."