Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen to be jailed for 3 years

Michael Cohen told a US court during his sentencing that it was his role to cover up the “dirty deeds” of the President.

Donald Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen. Picture: AFP

Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen has been sentenced to three years jail, telling a court it was his role to cover up the “dirty deeds” of the President.

Mr Cohen used his hearing to implicate Mr Trump in his crimes, saying he took responsibility “for each act that I pled guilty to: the personal ones to me and those involving the President of the United States”.

The lawyer, who once said he would “take a bullet” for Mr Trump, said his greatest weakness had been “blind loyalty” to the President.

“Time and time again I felt it was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds,” the 52-year-old said.

“Today is the day that I am getting my freedom back ... I have been living in a personal and mental incarceration ever since the day that I accepted the offer to work for a real estate mogul whose business acumen I deeply admired.”

Mr Cohen implied that the President was the true “villain”, saying he was committed to “ensuring that history will not remember me as the villain of his story”.

But a New York judge said Mr Cohen had himself to blame for his multiple breaches of tax laws, campaign finance violations and lies to banks and prosecutors.

“Mr Cohen pled guilty to a veritable smorgasbord of fraudulent conduct,” US District Judge William Pauley said. “Each of these crimes is a serious offence against the United States.”

Judge Pauley said that Mr Cohen’s eventual co-operation with prosecutors deserved some credit it did not “wipe the slate clean” of his serious crimes.

“Somewhere along the way Mr Cohen appears to have lost his moral compass,” the judge said. “As a lawyer, Mr Cohen should have known better.”

“Mr Cohen selected the information he disclosed to the government. This court cannot agree with the defendant’s assertion that no jail time is warranted. In fact this court firmly believes that a significant term of imprisonment is fully justified in this highly publicised case to send a message.”

Cohen has been ordered to hand himself in on March 6 to start his sentence.

US President Donald Trump. Picture: AFP

Mr Cohen’s convictions included admissions of campaign finance violations involving his money payments to two women who alleged having affairs with Donald Trump.

Mr Cohen has alleged that he made these illegal payments at the direction of Mr Trump shortly before the 2016 election with the aim if hiding the potential scandal before the vote. Mr Trump has denied that he directed Mr Cohen to make the payments.

Mr Cohen arrived and left the New York court with his family and without speaking to the media.

The three-year sentence was slightly less than the four to five years recommended by prosecutors and was discounted because of is co-operation. His defence team had asked for leniency but New York-based prosecutors said this should be limited because of the gravity of his many crimes.

Assistant US Attorney Nicolas Roos said Mr Cohen’s crimes showed a “pattern of deceit, brazenness and greed.”

He said the sentence should send a message that “even powerful, privileged individuals cannot violate these laws with impunity”.

However, at the hearing a prosecutor from the Special Counsel’s office, Jeannie Rhee, said Mr Cohen had provided information that was “the utmost value to us” in the separate Russian investigation.

“He has provided consistent and credible information about core Russia-related issues under investigation,” she said.

Mr Cohen shook his head slightly and closed his eyes as he was sentenced.

His crimes included lying to Congress about plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow in 2016.

He admitted last month he had lied when he claimed to Congress that negotiations over a Trump Tower had ended in January 2016, before the presidential primaries began.

In fact, Mr Cohen admitted, they continued until June 2016 when it was clear Mr Trump had already won the Republican nomination for president. He said Mr Trump, who denied having business interests in Moscow, was fully briefed on the developments.

Cameron Stewart is also US Contributor for Sky News Australia