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).
The U.S. is back in negotiations for a nuclear deal with Iran, years after former President Donald Trump withdrew the country from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which had been meant to curtail the Middle Eastern nation's nuclear ambitions. Former State Department senior advisor to the George W. Bush and Trump administrations, Christian Whiton, joined Cheddar News Wrap to discuss. “It appears to be very similar to the original JCPOA, which does put some constraints on Iran's nuclear program, but also has sunset provisions, including some that in the original plan were expected to take effect in 2025," he said. "And so, if we just reenter that plan, really it just buys perhaps a few years of slowing down, stopping, whatever you want to say, Iran's nuclear program."
The U.S. has announced the first of what could be multiple levels of sanctions against Russia after Moscow recognized two regions of Ukraine as independent. This comes as Britain imposes sanctions on five Russian banks and two oligarchs, and Germany freezes the Nord Stream gas pipeline. Terrell Star, a foreign affairs reporter at The Atlantic Council, joins from Kyiv to discuss.
Growing tensions in Ukraine might soon be impacting consumers in the United States. With Russia on an invasion footing in the region, gas prices are predicted to go up 10 to 15 cents a gallon in the next coming weeks, according to Robert Sinclair, spokesperson for AAA. Sinclair joined Cheddar to break down what could happen even further. "We've been seeing prices go up, and there's been nothing that's happened to affect supplies," he said. "But it's something known as the fear tax where just the talk of something that might interfere with supplies leads to prices going up speculatively."
The end of 3G is upon us. On Tuesday, AT&T became the first major provider to disable its 3G services, and T-Mobile and Verizon plan to follow suit later this year. The shutdowns are expected to impact millions of vehicles that use 3G networks for updates, remote connection, and certain emergency and convenience features. Lance Ulanoff, the U.S. Editor-in-Chief of TechRadar, joined Cheddar's Closing Bell to discuss the ramifications of the changeover.
A new report shows nearly 240 former officials in Congress, the White House, and regulatory agencies have changed careers to work in the crypto industry.
President Biden unveiled new economic sanctions on Russia for what he called "the beginning of a Russian invasion". This came one day after Putin sent troops into two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine. Alex Ward, national security reporter for POLITICO, explains what these sanctions might do to the global economy.
U.S. stocks ended today's session sharply lower on the heels of rising geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Melissa Brown, Managing Director of Applied Research at Qontigo, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the U.S. will begin to impose sanctions on Russia, calling recent troop movement into Ukraine an 'invasion.' Biden and other government officials including from the State Department have begun to classify the Russian troop movement as an invasion after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops to two independent Ukrainian areas in an alleged "peacekeeping" mission — which the West considers an act of aggression. Biden said Russia will continue to pay 'an even steeper price' if it continues sending troops into Ukraine. What happens next? Will Putin find a way around these sanctions? Ariel Cohen, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, joins Closing Bell to discuss Biden's remarks, how the West will protect Ukraine since it doesn't belong to NATO, and more.
