Former Trump ‘fixer’ Michael Cohen finishes prison sentence

Donald Trump’s former “fixer” Michael Cohen officially ended his prison sentence Monday, but vowed to keep cooperating with investigators probing his former boss and his associates.

“I will not cease my commitment to law enforcement. I will continue to provide information, testimony, documents and my full cooperation on all ongoing investigations to ensure that others are held responsible for their dirty deeds,” Cohen told reporters outside of the New York City federal courthouse after his sentence was officially concluded.

Cohen, who was Trump’s longtime personal attorney, pleaded guilty in 2018 to a host of charges tied to tax evasion, lying to Congress in their investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and his role in funneling payments to silence two women who alleged they had affairs with then-candidate Trump.

At the time of his sentencing, federal prosecutors in New York said Cohen did not fully cooperate with their office after he pleaded guilty, saying he fell “well short” of providing the necessary background on his own possible criminal history and cooperation on other investigations.

He was sentenced to three years in prison and three years of post-release supervision.

Once known for his fierce loyalty to Trump, he turned on his former boss in dramatic testimony before Congress, where he declared “I am not protecting Mr. Trump anymore.” He labeled him a “con man” and a “cheat.”

Cohen’s cooperated with multiple investigations into Trump since his guilty plea, and was released from prison confinement in 2020 because of Covid concerns.

In July of 2020 Cohen was taken back into custody and sent to jail despite having been released because of Covid. But days later a federal judge ordered Cohen released to home confinement after the judge agreed with Cohen’s lawyers that he was wrongly sent back to prison after making public statements critical of then-President Donald Trump.

He was briefly sent back behind bars because, federal authorities said, he’d refused to agree to certain terms of his release. A judge ordered him released, finding the action “retaliatory” because he was planning on writing a book about Trump.

Once Cohen was re-released from prison he continued to enjoy his limited freedom by dining out in Manhattan, including having coffee with Kanye West, and hosting a podcast.