Such excellent timing! Michael Cohen is asking Congress to try and get the SDNY to delay the date for him to report to prison because he has discovered a trove of files on his hard drive.
April 5, 2019

In what can only be described as fortuitous timing, Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen has discovered a trove of documents, emails and recordings on a newly discovered hard drive recently returned by federal prosecutors.

Hoping to keep him out of prison for awhile longer, Cohen's lawyers have written to Congress asking them to request a delay in his prison starting date so he can go through the files and figure out what is privileged and what he can turn over.

Oh, I want to believe, I do. But didn't a Special Master review those files when SDNY had them to see what was privileged and what wasn't? I'm pretty sure that happened.

At any rate, Cohen is asking Congress to get the SDNY prosecutors to delay his prison term while he sifts through the files.

New York Times reports:

The lawyers sought the help of the Democrats in convincing federal prosecutors in Manhattan of “the need for Mr. Cohen to be readily available to Congress and to prosecutors conducting these investigations, such that his date to report for incarceration about four weeks from now will be substantially postponed while he is fully cooperating with prosecutors and Congress.”

The lawyers cited the potential for his cooperation in the investigations to lead to a “reduced term” for Mr. Cohen.

“There is no doubt that Mr. Cohen’s testimony, both public and private, has contributed substantially, with documents and other evidence, to triggering additional areas for investigation by law enforcement authorities and the Congress,” the lawyers wrote. “He has done so despite intense personal pressures and stresses he faces for himself and his family. However, with 30 days left before he surrenders to prison, time is no longer a luxury he is capable of.”

Of all the players in this tragedy, I'm most inclined to want Cohen to have the time to produce whatever smoking guns he has. It's just hard to believe there are things in those files that federal prosecutors have already seen that will help all that much.

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