WASHINGTON – Two of President Trump’s former top aides are facing serious jail time, but Senate Republicans largely ignored the monumental legal developments that hit the White House this week.
Several GOP senators interviewed by The Post Wednesday sought to avoid talking about former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and the president’s ex-lawyer Michael Cohen or downplayed the significance of their convictions.
“I really don’t have a comment on any of that today,” said Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.), citing his focus on his budget work in the Senate. “I really haven’t paid much attention.”
Sen. John Barrasso, who won his primary election in Wyoming Tuesday, said he’s been too focused on his home state election to think about Manafort and Cohen. “I haven’t given it any thought at all,” Barrasso said.
A jury in Alexandria, Va. found Manafort guilty Tuesday of eight counts of financial crimes, while Cohen pleaded guilty in New York to eight criminal counts including tax evasion and campaign finance violations. Most damning, Cohen said Trump directed him to make hush money payments to women to influence the presidential election.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) downplayed the significance of Cohen implicating Trump in his crimes: “He’s made allegations and I don’t know if they are true,” he said.
Kennedy said Tuesday’s verdict didn’t shed any light on the original intent of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe — Russia’s meddling in the presidential election and potential collusion.
“I didn’t think that Mr. Manafort’s conviction had anything to do with the president,” Kennedy added.
Manafort faces another criminal trial in Washington DC next month.
Democrats have warned if Trump were to intervene and pardon Manafort in between trials he’d spark a constitutional crisis.
Some Republicans are counseling Trump not to use his pardoning power.
“I think that would be a massive mistake on his part and I don’t see that happening,” said Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.)
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who rallied with Trump in West Virginia this week, said she doesn’t think a pardon is likely.
“I can’t imagine that would happen,” she told The Post. “I think the (trial) process needs to go forward and let the chips fall.”
