Michael Cohen, former lawyer to President Donald Trump. Photo: Yana Paskova/Getty Images
President Trump’s former personal attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, has postponed his scheduled closed-door appearance Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee due to "post-surgery medical needs," his attorney said Monday in a statement.
Details: Cohen's attorney, Lanny Davis, said that the panel has accepted his client’s request for a delay and that a "future date will be announced by the committee." Cohen recently had shoulder surgery, and he is due to begin a three-year prison sentence on March 6 for campaign finance violations, tax evasion and lying to Congress. He is currently expected to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Feb. 28.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr told reporters Tuesday: "I can assure you that any goodwill that might have existed in the committee with Michael Cohen is now gone," arguing that Cohen "stiffed" them after being spotted out at dinner on Saturday night.
Davis issued a second statement in response:
“Despite Senator Burr’s inaccurate comment, Mr. Cohen was expected to and continues to suffer from severe post shoulder surgery pain, as confirmed by a letter from his surgeon, which was sent to Senator Burr and Senator Warner. The medication Mr. Cohen is currently taking made it impossible for him to testify this week. It should be noted that Mr. Cohen committed to all three committees that he would voluntarily testify before the end of the month. We believe Senator Burr should appreciate that it is possible for Mr. Cohen to be in pain and still have dinner in a restaurant with his wife and friends.”