House Democrat says Cohen crimes would be "impeachable offenses" for Trump

Incoming House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that if it is proven President Trump directed his former personal attorney Michael Cohen to commit campaign finance violations — as is alleged in a sentencing memo released Friday — those actions would be "impeachable offenses."

The big picture: Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York claim Cohen paid off two women "in coordination with and at the direction of" then-candidate Donald Trump to hide his extramarital affairs and prevent the women from influencing the election. Nadler said that whether those offenses are "important enough to justify an impeachment is a different question," but added that he believes it is important to fully investigate the issue.