Dec 13, 2018

Trump uses Congress as excuse on alleged campaign finance violations

President Donald Trump. Photo: Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images

President Trump doubled down on the claim that he's not responsible for campaign finance violations by Michael Cohen on Fox News Thursday, saying that investigators should be looking at Congress' "slush fund" for campaign violations instead.

"Michael Cohen [pleaded] guilty to something that's not even a crime. … Nobody except for me would be looked at like this. Nobody. What about Congress? The slush fund. Millions and millions of dollars paid out each year. They have a slush fund. Millions. They don't talk about campaign finance anything. Have you ever heard about campaign finance laws? Have they listed that on the campaign finance sheets? No."

— Trump said in an interview with Fox News Channel’s "Outnumbered Overtime" with Harris Faulkner

Between the lines: This is a similar defense mechanism we’ve seen Trump use time and time again, such as directing the FBI to investigate Hillary Clinton after the 2016 election.

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Global: Total confirmed cases as of 10 p.m. ET: 1,202,236 — Total deaths: 64,703 — Total recoveries: 246,198 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 10 p.m. ET: 311,301 — Total deaths: 8,476 — Total recoveries: 14,694 — Map.
Public health latest: CDC launches national trackers and recommends face coverings in public. Federal government will cover costs of COVID-19 treatment for uninsured. The virus is hitting poor, minority communities harder and upending childbirth.
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