NEW YORK (AP) – Michael Cohen took a last swipe at President Donald Trump as he reported to a federal prison Monday to begin a three-year prison sentence for crimes including tax evasion and campaign finance violations related to hush-money payments made to protect his former boss.
“I hope that when I return to my family that the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice and lies at the helm of our country,” Cohen said. “There still remains much to be told and I look forward to the day where I can share the truth.”
Cohen, 52, arrived around 11:45 a.m. at the Otisville federal prison, which is about 70 miles (113 kilometers) northwest of New York City and has a prison camp that’s become a haven for white collar criminals.
Video from a television news helicopter showed Cohen stepping out of the SUV, pulling off his blue blazer and leaving it inside the vehicle before walking to a prison building. He was met by two men who appeared to be prison officials.
A little less than two hours earlier, as he left his New York City home, Cohen had stopped to briefly read from what appeared to be a prepared statement to a crush of media outside his apartment. He didn’t mention Trump by name, but left little doubt about who he was referring to as being “at the helm” of the U.S.