Michael Cohen, former attorney to President Donald Trump, suffered a major blow in his ongoing legal battle against his former boss. On Tuesday, an appeal he filed in an attempt to hold Trump liable for his prison sentence on campaign finance violations and tax crimes was denied by a federal judge.
Cohen’s troubles began when he was convicted in 2018 and sentenced to serve three years in federal prison. However, he was released early in 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic after only serving a year. In an attempt to seek revenge against Trump, Cohen claimed that he was jailed as retaliation for writing a tell-all book about his former boss.
He sought to sue Trump, but his case was ultimately dismissed. Cohen then appealed the decision, but the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled on Tuesday afternoon to not revive the case. The judges agreed with a lower court ruling that existing laws do not provide a damages remedy for claims of being jailed in retaliation for criticisms of a president.
Trump’s current attorney, Alina Habba, celebrated the ruling, stating, “We are very pleased with today’s ruling. Mr. Cohen’s lawsuit was doomed from its inception.” She also promised to continue fighting against any frivolous lawsuits aimed at their client.
Habba has been working for Trump since late 2022, when the FBI raided his Mar-a-Lago resort and private residence. Cohen, on the other hand, worked for Trump for years and was considered his “fixer,” handling legal matters for the family business.
In recent years, Cohen has been a frequent presence on CNN, where he has painted Trump as a threat to the democratic process. After being released from prison, he published a memoir in September 2020 titled “Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump.” The book was portrayed as being used by Trump to send Cohen to prison and almost did not see the light of day due to government attempts to block its publication.
Michael Cohen loses appeal to revive his lawsuit against Donald Trump https://t.co/rASVBr1iRr
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) January 3, 2024
Trump has not been shy about expressing his disdain for Cohen, referring to him as a “proven liar” during a court appearance for New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil trial against his business. When asked about Cohen’s decision to testify against him in the case, Trump remarked, “Well, he’s a proven liar, as you know. He’s a felon who served a lot of time for lying, and we’re going to just go in and see him.”
His relentless pursuit of revenge against Trump remains unchanged, despite his previous loyalty to the former president. This recent ruling marks another defeat for Cohen and serves as a reminder that even a convicted felon with a vendetta cannot bring down a former president. The legal battle between Cohen and Trump may continue, but for now, Trump has emerged victorious once again.