Former federal prosecutor and FOX News contributor Andrew McCarthy ridiculed President Donald Trump for calling Michael Cohen a "rat" on Sunday, pointing out it's "mobster lingo" for "a witness who tells prosecutors real incriminating information."
The president claimed the the FBI broke into and searched Cohen's office which led to his former attorney becoming a "rat." "Remember, Michael Cohen only became a "Rat" after the FBI did something which was absolutely unthinkable & unheard of until the Witch Hunt was illegally started," Trump tweeted. "They BROKE INTO AN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE! Why didn't they break into the DNC to get the Server, or Crooked's office?"
Shortly afterward, McCarthy took to Twitter to mock Trump's tweet, suggesting he uses a "different word" that makes him seem less like a Mafia boss.
"Sir, in mobster lingo, a 'rat' is a witness who tells prosecutors real incriminating info. Perhaps a different word? Searches of lawyer's offices common enough that DOJ has a procedure for them. Here it yielded evidence of crimes you said he should be jailed for. You should stop," the former prosecutor wrote, alongside a retweet of the president's tweet.
Sir, in mobster lingo, a ‘rat’ is a witness who tells prosecutors real incriminating info. Perhaps a different word? Searches of lawyer’s offices common enough that DOJ has a procedure for them. Here it yielded evidence of crimes you said he should be jailed for. You should stop. https://t.co/EV1txBYrhz
— Andy McCarthy (@AndrewCMcCarthy) December 16, 2018
The FBI raided Cohen's home, office and hotel room in April, seizing a large amount of documents with a search warrant issued partly-based on a referral from special counsel Robert Mueller.
Earlier this week, Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to several federal crimes, including tax evasion and lying to Congress.
Although Cohen admitted he paid off two women who claimed they had affairs with the then-presidential candidate in the lead up to the 2016 election, he said he did so under the direction of Trump. The president and his attorney, Rudy Giuliani, have repeatedly denied these claims and launched attacks on Cohen's credibility.
Since details of the hush money payments have emerged in recent weeks, several people have compared Trump to a mob boss, including former FBI director James Comey, who last Sunday suggested that the president was an unindicted co-conspirator in Mueller's investigation.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
