TRUMP - In Legal Cross-Hairs

"What we know about Don McGahn’s cooperation with the Mueller probe" PBS NewsHour 8/20/2018

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SUMMARY:  Another member of President Trump's team has been working with special counsel Robert Mueller, according to the New York Times.  White House Counsel Don McGahn has reportedly shared detailed accounts about events at the heart of the investigation.  Amna Nawaz reports, and Judy Woodruff talks with former deputy independent counsel Solomon Wisenberg, and former White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler.

"What does Michael Cohen’s guilty plea mean for Trump?" PBS NewsHour 8/21/2018

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SUMMARY:  President Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges including campaign finance violations for paying off women at Trump's direction, bank fraud and more than $4 million in tax evasion.  The deal could result in prison time.  Judy Woodruff learns more from Jessica Roth of Yeshiva University Cardozo School of Law, [and] Andrea Bernstein of WNYC.

"How Paul Manafort’s conviction could affect the Russia probe" PBS NewsHour 8/21/2018

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SUMMARY:  A jury found President Trump's 2016 campaign chairman Paul Manafort guilty on eight counts of bank and tax fraud, and failing to disclose foreign bank accounts.  A mistrial was declared on 10 other counts.  Judy Woodruff learns more from William Brangham and Jessica Roth of Yeshiva University Cardozo School of Law.

"How are Republicans and Democrats reacting to Cohen and Manafort charges?" PBS NewsHour 8/22/2018

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SUMMARY:  Fallout continued today after a guilty plea and a guilty verdict for two men with close ties to President Trump in federal court on a combined 16 counts, ranging from tax fraud to campaign finance violations.  Yamiche Alcindor, Lisa Desjardins, and Larry Noble a campaign finance expert and former general counsel for the Federal Election Commission, join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest developments.

"Does Cohen plea have legal implications for the President?" PBS NewsHour 8/22/2018

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SUMMARY:  Lanny Davis is one of two attorneys representing Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former personal lawyer.  Davis joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the legal implications of Cohen’s guilty plea, whether he plans to share information with the Mueller investigation and his desire to go forward with truth in his new life.

"Former AG Mukasey: there’s ‘not really’ an election law problem with Cohen" PBS NewsHour 8/22/2018

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SUMMARY:  For another perspective on Michael Cohen’s guilty plea, Judy Woodruff is joined by a former attorney general under President George W. Bush, Michael Mukasey.  According to Mukasey, the payment in question would have violated campaign finance law only if its sole purpose was to influence the outcome of an election, which Mukasey says was not the case.

"Cohen crimes ‘totally unrelated to the campaign,’ says Trump" PBS NewsHour 8/23/2018

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SUMMARY:  President Trump today reiterated his belief that he is not implicated by the guilty pleas of his former lawyer, Michael Cohen.  The President expressed frustration that he should be associated with Cohen’s crimes, saying they were “totally unrelated to the campaign.”  Also, another longtime Trump friend is reportedly preparing to share additional information about the hush money payments Cohen made.

"A second top Trump associate receives legal immunity" PBS NewsHour 8/24/2018

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SUMMARY:  In exchange for immunity, the Trump Organization's chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, will reportedly talk to investigators about the reimbursements he helped arrange to Michael Cohen.  Judy Woodruff gets analysis from Renato Mariotti a former federal prosecutor experienced in trying white-collar crime, and Caleb Melby who covers business and the Trump Organization for Bloomberg News.