Cohen apologises for lying to Congress in 2017 testimony

US President Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen apologised to the Senate Intelligence Committee for lying during the 2017 testimony.

He testified before the panel behind closed doors on Tuesday (local time), where he made the apology, CNN reported while quoting sources.

This was first of the three consecutive congressional appearances that are scheduled for Cohen during this week, with Trump's former lawyer slated to publicly discuss Trump's role in the crimes Cohen has pleaded guilty to.

The testimonies come after Cohen was found guilty of campaign finance crimes related to payments made to silence women during the 2016 Presidential campaign on Trump's directives, amongst other charges.

Cohen's attorney, Lanny Davis, had previously stated that the US President's former lawyer will be revealing "chilling" details about the character of the incumbent US President, including the "bigoted" words Trump uses in private.

"He (Trump) has no moral character in defrauding people in his businesses, and going bankrupt, and taking cash out, and putting people out of work. He lacks the moral compass that we expect in our presidents. Trump speaks in bigoted words in private, which Michael Cohen will tell you," Davis stated.

Cohen was originally supposed to appear in an open hearing before the House Oversight Committee on February 7. The appearance was postponed after Cohen alleged "ongoing threats against his family" from Trump and his attorney, Rudy Giuliani.