And Mr. Trump has repeatedly said in public and in private that he wanted to sit with Mr. Mueller for an interview. Mr. Cohen has insisted there was no relationship, but that he sought to keep a damaging story from emerging regardless. Mr. Cohen had no formal role on the campaign, and Mr. Trump and his top campaign aides sought to limit his involvement. Perhaps equally significant for Mr. Trump was Mr. Cohen’s presence on television, particularly after the “Access Hollywood” tape, when the candidate had few defenders. “I have never heard Mr. Trump say anything even remotely close to the statements that I heard,” Mr. Cohen said about the tape in one appearance on CNN.

Source: New York Times April 11, 2018 18:22 UTC