MSNBC panelists sat stunned over the weekend as Michael Cohen, once Donald Trump’s personal attorney, dropped a bombshell about former FBI Director James Comey’s recent indictment. His grim prediction cut through the usual cable news chatter with a sharp edge.
According to Daily Mail, Cohen appeared on The Weekend: Primetime Saturday and declared that Comey “likely committed a crime” tied to his involvement in the Russia investigation. The two-count federal indictment against Comey, filed on Friday, includes charges of making false statements and obstruction during a 2020 questioning about that probe.
The hosts, Elise Jordan, Ayman Mohyeldin, and Molly Jong-Fast, seemed momentarily at a loss for words after Cohen’s bold assertion. His claim, citing a veteran journalist’s insight, hinted at deeper issues with Comey’s actions while leading the FBI.
Cohen didn’t hold back, suggesting the Department of Justice holds a mountain of evidence against Comey, including emails, texts, and other communications. “All they need to find is that one,” he warned, implying a single damning document could seal Comey’s fate.
He painted a picture of Comey as someone accustomed to wielding power from the top, now facing scrutiny from the very agency he once led. “He was so used to punching down, well now, we have the FBI that’s going to be punching up,” Cohen added with a pointed jab.
His words carry weight given his own history with a weaponized justice system, as he described it, having faced charges himself during the 2016 Russia probe. It’s hard not to wonder if this is less about justice and more about settling old scores in a deeply politicized arena.
On Friday, the DOJ formally charged Comey with falsehoods and obstruction related to his statements during the 2020 inquiry into the Russia investigation. This follows years of tension with Trump, who fired Comey in 2017 amid that very probe and later accused him of grandstanding.
Comey, for his part, took to Instagram over the weekend, vowing to fight the allegations as he prepared to surrender on the charges. “My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump,” he stated, framing himself as a victim of retribution.
He urged followers not to buckle under fear, saying, “We will not live on our knees and you shouldn’t either.” Yet, when the dust settles, one has to question if this defiance masks accountability for past missteps during his tenure.
Cohen’s perspective is colored by his own legal battles, having been convicted in 2018 for campaign-finance violations tied to the same Russia investigation. He cooperated with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, ultimately pleading guilty and serving a three-year prison sentence for financial crimes and lying to Congress.
In a book written during his incarceration, Cohen alleged Trump collaborated with Russia to sway the 2016 election, a claim Trump has repeatedly denied and dismissed as fraudulent. Trump’s public disdain for Cohen raises questions about whether his latest commentary on Comey is rooted in fact or personal vendetta.
Still, Cohen’s firsthand experience with the DOJ’s tactics lends a certain credibility to his warning about the system’s power. “It is insurmountable,” he said, a chilling reminder of how federal machinery can grind down even the most powerful figures.
The backdrop to this drama remains the 2016 election interference probe, where Mueller’s report confirmed Russian meddling in a “sweeping and systematic fashion” but found no direct collusion with Trump’s campaign. Attorney General William Barr quoted Mueller as neither convicting nor exonerating Trump, leaving a lingering cloud of ambiguity.
Comey’s role in that saga, once seen as a defender of institutional integrity, now faces intense scrutiny with these charges. It’s a stark lesson in how quickly the tides of power can shift, especially when political grudges fuel legal battles.
As this case unfolds, the public watches a clash between heavyweights, where justice and revenge blur into a single messy fight. Whether Comey’s indictment is a legitimate pursuit of truth or a product of vendetta, it’s clear the fallout from 2016 still haunts the halls of power.
