Donald Trump is said to be “enraged” by the fact that FBI agents searched the office and two residences belonging to his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, on Monday.
Tuesday morning, Trump sent out two tweets that prove just how terrified he is:
Attorney–client privilege is dead!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 10, 2018
A TOTAL WITCH HUNT!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 10, 2018
But what exactly has Trump so damn scared and ready to lash out? Is he worried that Cohen will turn on him and maybe even testify against him? Would Cohen do such a thing?
Back in September of last year, Cohen told Vanity Fair:
“I’m the guy who stops the leaks. I’m the guy who protects the president and the family. I’m the guy who would take a bullet for the president.”
While Cohen may agree to cooperate with prosecutors when it becomes clear he could face 40 years or more in prison on charges of bank fraud, election interference, and wire fraud, he doesn’t exactly sound like the kind of person who will be easy to flip.
So why, we have to ask, is Trump so damn worried? Simple: Cohen kept his financial records.
Despite saying he would be glad to release his tax returns if he ever ran for office, Donald Trump has refused to do so. Might that be because to do so would prove he’s either never paid a dime in taxes or taken illegal deductions? Or could it be those returns show his financial connections to Russia?
Here’s another suggestion of why Trump is so rattled by the fact that the FBI took documents and computer files from his attorney’s office: Cohen has the paperwork that proves conclusively Trump has been engaged in years-long, systematic income tax evasion.
Think about it: Trump files one set of returns with the IRS, but the documentation behind that return — i.e. the proof of what he’s really doing to not pay taxes — may have been given to Cohen for safe keeping. If federal prosecutors now have those incriminating files, Trump can be exposed as a tax cheat, and that could prove fatal.
As we learned in Watergate, the way to get to the truth is to follow the money. And in the case of Donald J. Trump, following the money will prove the full extent of his criminal activities and the real way he managed to make his fortune.
Trump is right to be afraid. His time is almost up.