Two congressional investigations into Russia’s attempts to tamper with the 2016 presidential election have expanded to include President Donald Trump’s personal attorney.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s attorney and surrogate, confirmed to ABC News that the House and Senate intelligence committees requested he provide investigators with “information and testimony” regarding any contacts he had with Russian officials.
Cohen said in an email to the news outlet that he refused the committees’ requests on the grounds that they were “poorly phrased, overly broad and not capable of being answered.”
Last week, the leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee received broad subpoena power to conduct the committee’s Russia investigation.
The congressional committees have sent the same letter to multiple other Trump associates, including former campaign adviser Carter Page, former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, former campaign adviser and surrogate Roger Stone, and former campaign manager Paul Manafort, among others.
The inclusion of Cohen follows news that federal investigators are also looking into contacts between Russian officials and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a high-level White House adviser.
Cohen’s name was included in an unverified dossier on Trump and Russia compiled by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele and provided to the FBI by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Portions of the dossier have been confirmed, but many others—including allegations about Cohen—remain unsubstantiated.
The U.S. government is currently conducting five separate investigations related to Russian election meddling, all of which include probes into Trump associates’ contacts with Moscow. In addition to the intelligence committee investigations, the Senate Judiciary Committee and House Oversight Committee are also conducting investigations. Special Prosecutor Robert Muller, who served as FBI director for 12 years under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, is overseeing a criminal investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia and the president’s potential attempts to impede the FBI’s Russia investigation.
On Tuesday morning, Trump repeated his claim that press coverage of the Russia investigations are “fake news.”
Russian officials must be laughing at the U.S. & how a lame excuse for why the Dems lost the election has taken over the Fake News.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2017
Cohen most recently faced criticism for tweeting a photo of his daughter in lingerie.
H/T ABC News
