Republicans announced an effort Wednesday to get the House to call for an investigation into former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, saying he lied to Congress seven times during his testimony earlier this year.
The Republicans said they want the whole House to vote to refer Cohen’s case to the Justice Department, saying Democrats goofed in having the president’s former personal lawyer as one of the first witnesses the new House majority called to testify in February.
“In their rush to get their media circus, they also created a situation where they themselves hurt the integrity of the institution they are now in charge of,” said Minority Whip Steve Scalise, Louisiana Republican.
Cohen misled the House Oversight Committee when he said he’d “never” asked for a pardon. His lawyer later claimed the word “never” actually meant after a specific time, not a categorical ban on ever.
Republicans say Cohen’s original statement — repeated six more times during the February hearing — was a lie.
Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings has since said he accepts Cohen’s new clarification and won’t seek punishment.
That’s a reversal from before the hearing, where Mr. Cummings vowed to take a tough line on Cohen, who’d already been convicted of lying to Congress, as well as financial crimes.
“Chairman Cummings said he would be the first to refer him to the Department of Justice if he lied,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. “He didn’t lie once — he lied seven times.”
Rep. Mark Meadows, North Carolina Republican, said they expect to hold a vote on the resolution when Congress returns in two weeks from its spring break.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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