Washington: An explosive report alleging that Donald Trump ordered his lawyer to lie to Congress about a Russia skyscraper project prompted opposition Democrats Friday to pledge an investigation into whether the US president had committed a felony.
Buzzfeed reported that Michael Cohen told investigators Trump personally instructed him to lie about the Moscow Trump Tower plan in testimony in 2017 to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees.
The White House sought to brush the report off by questioning Buzzfeed's credibility and accusing Cohen of serial lying -- while not directly addressing the allegations in the story.
“Lying to reduce his jail time!” Trump said of Cohen, who was convicted last year of fraud and perjury.
“This is just another in a long line of ridiculous charges without any corroboration or credibility whatsoever,” White House deputy spokesman Hogan Gidley told Fox News.
“The premise is ridiculous. We are also talking about a person in Michael Cohen, who now quite frankly has been proven to be a liar,” Gidley said.
Rudy Giuliani, one of Trump's lawyers dealing with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible collusion with Russia by the Trump campaign, likewise suggested to several journalists that Cohen was lying.
“If you believe Cohen I can get you a great deal on the Brooklyn Bridge,” Giuliani, the former New York mayor, is reported to have quipped.
No other media has confirmed Buzzfeed's allegations which, if true, constitute a felony crime -- suborning perjury -- and an impeachable offense. But Democrats took the report seriously.
“The allegation that the President of the United States may have suborned perjury before our committee in an effort to curtail the investigation and cover up his business dealings with Russia is among the most serious to date,” said Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
“We will do what's necessary to find out if it's true.”
