Michael Cohen fundraiser raises more than $130,000 to ‘help tell the truth about Trump’

Cohen claims president instructed him to pay women for their silence about alleged affairs ahead of 2016 election

Mr Cohen and Mr Trump previously enjoyed a close working relationship (Reuters)

In less than 48 hours, an online campaign has raised more than $130,000 to help Michael Cohen “as he goes forward on his journey to tell the truth about Donald Trump”.

Cohen, the president’s former personal lawyer and purported “fixer”, pleaded guilty to eight felony charges on Tuesday, claiming in the process that the president had directed him to make unlawful payments to two women to buy their silence during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The GoFundMe campaign was set up in the aftermath of Cohen’s appearance a Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday, and has already attracted more than $136,800 towards its goal of $500,000.

“The Michael Cohen Truth Fund is a transparent trust account, with all donations going to help Michael Cohen and his family as he goes forward on his journey to tell the truth about Donald Trump,” a description of the fundraiser, which was launched by Cohen’s lawyer, says.

The hostility that language suggests towards the president represents a dramatic change in rapport between Cohen and his former client. Before July, when he publicly declared his independence from Mr Trump, Cohen had been considered to be the former businessman and celebrity’s “fixer”. He even suggested he would take a bullet for the president.

The bad blood appears to be mutual these days.

Just a day after Cohen pleaded guilty to felony charges, Mr Trump insulted his personal lawyer in a tweet, saying that he would not recommend hiring Cohen for legal counsel.

“If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen!” he wrote.

Cohen’s guilty pleas contributed to one of the worst days for Mr Trump, legally speaking, since he took office in 2017. Within minutes of his appearance in court, a jury in Virginia found former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort guilty on eight charges brought against him by the special counsel investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

That verdict for Manafort represented the first trial victory for special counsel Robert Mueller’s team, which the president has frequently attacked as a “witch hunt” that is hell bent on taking down his presidency.

Cohen’s charges were not brought against him by the special counsel’s team, and were instead litigated by federal attorneys with the US Southern District of New York.

His charges — which also included tax and bank fraud accusations, in addition to the campaign finance violations for the payments to two women — shocked the New York courtroom where he pleaded guilty on Tuesday, admitting that the president had instructed him to make a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, and a payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal. The payments were made to keep both women quiet about alleged affairs between them and Mr Trump, and occurred in the home stretch of the 2016 election.

Mr Trump has denied the affairs occurred.