Reactions from Democrats came swift on Thursday following BuzzFeed's bombshell report that said President Donald Trump had instructed his former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen to lie about Trump's Moscow Tower project.
Among the reactions was a tweet from House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff of California who promised that the committee would "do what's necessary to find out if it's true."
"The allegation that the President of the United States may have suborned perjury before our committee in an effort to curtail the investigation and cover up his business dealings with Russia is among the most serious to date. We will do what's necessary to find out if it's true," Schiff said.
The allegation that the President of the United States may have suborned perjury before our committee in an effort to curtail the investigation and cover up his business dealings with Russia is among the most serious to date. We will do what’s necessary to find out if it’s true. https://t.co/GljBAFqOjh
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 18, 2019
House Intelligence Committee member Joaquin Castro of Texas called for Trump to resign or be impeached if what the BuzzFeed article said was true.
If the @BuzzFeed story is true, President Trump must resign or be impeached.
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) January 18, 2019
Castro expanded on his tweet in a statement to BuzzFeed, saying: "As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I believe Congress should immediately investigate Michael Cohen's claim, based on this reporting, that the president directed him to lie to Congress during its Russia investigation. Such an instruction would amount to obstruction of justice."
Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy added that if special counsel Robert Mueller had information that Trump had instructed Cohen to lie, then he needed to give that information to Congress.
"If Mueller does have multiple sources confirming Trump directed Cohen to lie to Congress, then we need to know this ASAP. Mueller shouldn't end his inquiry, but it's about time for him to show Congress his cards before it's too late for us to act," Murphy tweeted.
Listen, if Mueller does have multiple sources confirming Trump directed Cohen to lie to Congress, then we need to know this ASAP. Mueller shouldn't end his inquiry, but it's about time for him to show Congress his cards before it's too late for us to act. https://t.co/ekG5VSBS8G
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 18, 2019
California Democrat Ted Lieu called the article "stunning" and that the story creates a "clear case of obstruction of justice.
"This stunning Trump Tower Moscow story establishes a clear case of Obstruction of Justice, a felony. I've lost count now how many times @realDonaldTrump has engaged in Obstruction of Justice. Oh, fyi the first Article of Impeachment for Richard Nixon was Obstruction of Justice," Lieu said.
Based on the Buzzfeed report and numerous other articles showing @realDonaldTrump committed Obstruction of Justice and other possible felonies, it is time for the House Judiciary Committee to start holding hearings to establish a record of whether @POTUS committed high crimes.
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) January 18, 2019
Cohen is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on February 7, though a Reuters report indicated that Cohen was considering withdrawing his testimony.
An adviser to Cohen told the news agency that his reconsideration was because of "intimidation by the president."
During a Fox News interview last weekend, Trump alluded to having damaging information on Cohen's father-in-law.
Cohen has been sentenced to serve three years in federal prison for arranging illegal hush-money payments to two women who said they'd had affairs with Trump, and for lying to Congress about the Trump Tower project in Moscow.
Rudy Giuliani, Trump's attorney, denied BuzzFeed's report, telling the Washington Post's Phillip Rucker: "If you believe Cohen I can get you a great deal on the Brooklyn Bridge."
Just in, Rudy Giuliani’s response to Buzzfeed story: “If you believe Cohen I can get you a great deal on the Brooklyn Bridge.”
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) January 18, 2019
The White House did not immediately respond to Newsweek's request for comment.
This article was updated to correct the governmental position of Joaquin Castro.
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