Michael Cohen sets up GoFundMe page for legal costs

Michael Cohen is sticking his hand out and asking the public for help paying for his legal defense, and one anonymous donor already has ponied up USD 50, 000.

Through his lawyer, Donald Trump's former "fixer" says collecting contributions through a GoFundMe page set up after his guilty plea this week is the only way to ensure the truth comes out about the president.

It's also the latest sign that Cohen is broke.

Trump's former personal lawyer owes at least USD 1.4 million to the IRS after pleading guilty Tuesday to tax evasion, campaign finance violations and bank fraud, and has racked up millions of dollars in debt.

Because of his plea, he is being forced to give up his New York City taxi medallions, which have shrunk in value as Uber and Lyft shake the industry.

"He's without resources and owes a lot of money," Cohen's lawyer, Lanny Davis, said in television interview on Wednesday.

Cohen, who once said he would "take a bullet" for Trump, commented in court Tuesday that Trump had directed him to arrange payments of USD 130,000 to porn actress Stormy Daniels and USD 150,000 to former Playboy model Karen McDougal to buy their silence about alleged affairs before the election.

While Trump denies the affairs, his account of his knowledge of the payments has shifted.

In April, Trump denied he knew anything about the Daniels payment. He told Fox News in an interview aired yesterday that he knew about payments "later on."
Most reaction on social media was incredulous and unsympathetic, but one USD 5 donor was encouraging, writing: "The USA would love you for your honesty."