RNC Confirms Michael Cohen Remains Deputy Finance Director
President Trump’s personal attorney and long-time “fixer” Michael Cohen remains in his position as deputy finance chair of the Republican National Committee, even though he’s under criminal investigation related to the payment of $130,000 to the porn star, Stormy Daniels, RNC spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told Cheddar on Friday.
"There's ongoing litigation, and we'll take it step by step, but yes, he is still” in the position within the party, McEnany told Cheddar’s J.D. Durkin.
The Justice Department announced last month that Cohen had been under criminal investigation for months over his business dealings in New York City, and his office and home were raided by the FBI which seized records about Cohen’s clients and personal finances.
According to The Washington Post, among the records seized were those related to Cohen’s 2016 payment to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, which ensured that she would not discuss her claims to have had a sexual encounter with Trump years before he became president.
Among the avenues of investigation are wire fraud and campaign finance violations related to the payment to Daniels.
In the interview with Cheddar, McEnany was asked if she had concerns with a person being investigated for campaign finance violations also being responsible for overseeing campaign finance at the RNC.
“I have concerns about the violation of attorney-client privilege when the Southern District of New York invaded his office, swept up material, violating the president’s privacy, his client’s privacy, Michael Cohen’s privacy,” she said. “That’s where my concerns lie.”
Only a few days ago, Evgeny Friedman, a business partner of Cohen, who was known as the Taxi King of New York, pleaded guilty to charges of criminal tax fraud and grand larceny and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in state and federal investigations.
The plea deal led to speculation that Friedman could provide the government leverage to pressure Cohen into working with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/rnc-stands-by-michael-cohen-despite-ongoing-investigation).
Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves spoke to Cheddar's Alex Vuocolo about the ongoing semiconductor shortages and the push from the Biden administration to cover the supply chain problem as well as look ahead to future-proofing it.
President Maxx Fenning and Vice President CJ Walden of PRISM, a Florida non-profit providing resources for LGBTQ youth, joined Cheddar News to discuss the negative repercussions of a Florida bill banning discussions of sexuality and gender identity in some classrooms.
President Joe Biden announced Friday that along with the European Union and the Group of Seven countries, the U.S. will revoke “most favored nation” trade status for Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
The consumer price index jumped 7.9 percent in February, marking a 40-year high for inflation in the U.S. This report comes less than a week ahead of the Fed's all important meeting. Kayla Bruun, Economic Analyst, Morning Consult, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Markets opened lower amid hotter-than-expected inflation data, which surged to its highest level in nearly 40 years. Lisa Erickson, Senior Vice President and Co-Head, Public Markets Group, U.S. Bank joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the significance of this figure ahead of the Federal Reserve's FOMC meeting.
As the Russia-Ukraine war disrupts the global economy, sending markets on a roller coaster ride, gold remains hovering around $2,000 an ounce. Often seen as a safe haven in times of economic crisis, Jason Cozens, founder and CEO of gold-as-currency platform Glint Pay, joined Cheddar’s Opening Bell to discuss the latest gold rush, how the war is impacting prices, and how people can use Glint to trade in the precious metal. “You know the stock markets and cryptocurrencies are risky investments," he stated. "Whereas gold is just reliable money. It's no one else's liability if you own."
As Western sanctions weigh on Russia's economy, the country is at the risk of defaulting on its debt. Fitch ratings agency has downgraded Russia's debt for the second time in a week, warning a "sovereign default is imminent." Jesse Wheeler, Economic Analyst at Morning Consult, explains what that means, and how it could have ripple effects across the global economy.
Uber Lyft and Doordash are all set to spend $1 million dollars on a campaign and efforts to stop lawmakers from classifying their gig workers as employees. The campaign features TV and online ads highlighting Washington area workers who say they prefer the flexibility of being an independent contractor rather than following the model of a company employee. Professor at NYU. Stern School of Business and author of the sharing economy, Arun Sundararajan, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
