Two Former Aides' Guilt Marks a Consequential Day for Trump
*By Carlo Versano*
A reckoning for two of President Trump's former associates occurred almost simultaneously on Tuesday in two separate federal courthouses in Virginia and New York ー what may become one of the most consequential moments for the Trump administration.
Paul Manafort, the president's former campaign manager, was found guilty on eight counts of bank and tax fraud in his federal corruption trial in Washington D.C. The jury was hung on 10 additional counts. The charges do not relate to Manafort's duties as a member of the Trump campaign, though they represent the first conviction by trial in the special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.
The verdict arrived just as Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, appeared in New York district court to accept a plea arrangement in the case against him. Cohen, who has been under investigation for tax and bank fraud, has reportedly admitted that he made hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels, among other unrelated charges of fraud. It remains unclear whether Cohen is cooperating with investigators or just accepting an agreement in exchange for a lighter sentence.
Federal investigators raided Cohen's office in April in search of documents and materials related to payments he made to women who alleged they had relationships with the president.
Cohen, a longtime Trump loyalist, only recently began to indicate that his commitment had limits, saying in an [interview] (https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/News/video/exclusive-president-trumps-personal-attorney-michael-cohen-speaks-56309885) last month that he put his family and country before the president.
Manafort, meanwhile, took his federal case to trial, presented no defense, and after Tuesday's verdict is widely expected to face significant jail time. It is unclear if prosecutors will retry him on the 10 counts. Manafort is awaiting trial in Washington for conspiracy to defraud the U.S.
For more on this story, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/michael-cohen-enters-plea-deal).
Markets opened slightly higher to kick off the final trading week of the year as investors continue to watch the Omicron variant in the U.S. Sean O'Hara, President, Pacer ETFs joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss what drove early market activity.
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Universities like UCLA, Yale, and Duke have announced they're implementing remote learning amid the COVID omicron variant surge, despite President Biden recommending that K-12 schools should continue in-person education. Jared C. Bass, senior director for Higher Education at American Progress, joined Cheddar to break down what institutions of higher education might be considering differently. "I think some universities are allowing periods of a bit of a respite to allow students to get testing and make sure when they do return back to campus that they're healthy," he noted.
The S&P closed at a record at the major markets ended Thursday's session higher for a third straight day. Adam Coons, Portfolio Manager at Winthrop Capital Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses what has investors feeling jolly before Christmas, and gifts investors with winning buying opportunities entering 2022.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments on President Joe Biden's vaccine mandates for large companies and health care workers on January 7, 2022. The mandates will remain in place until then.
Carlo and Baker cover the heartening news on the Covid front ahead of the holiday, plus President Biden punting student loan repayments again, a new space telescope and Love, Hate, Ate: Christmas Eve Eve Edition!
This year's worldwide semiconductor shortage limited the supply of everything from new cars to smartphones; and now, many in the chip industry expect the shortage to continue deep into 2022, and maybe even 2023. Semiconductor senior research analyst for Robert W. Baird & Co., Tristan Gerra, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
