On April 16th, 2021, Michael Cohen’s legal battle against former President Donald Trump took a major blow as the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit denied Cohen’s attempt to revive a lawsuit against Trump.
The lawsuit, which Cohen filed last August on his own behalf, claimed that Trump had violated the Constitution’s emoluments clause when he paid Cohen’s legal fees during the special counsel’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. It also sought to hold the Trump Organization liable for any wrongdoing that occurred during the inquiry.
The appeals court, however, ruled that the case must be dismissed, as Cohen did not have enough evidence to show that the payments were for anything other than legal fees. The court also noted that it had already tossed out Cohen’s complaint because the claims were speculative and not based on any facts.
This is a major setback for Cohen, who has waged legal battles against Donald Trump for years. Cohen is currently serving a three-year sentence in Federal prison after pleading guilty to federal charges of campaign finance violations and other offenses.
Despite this defeat, Cohen continues to fight the former president in other lawsuits. He recently filed a separate lawsuit alleging that Trump had ordered campaign staff members to commit voter fraud. At the same time, he is working to appeal the judgement in the current suit.
This case serves as a reminder that Donald Trump’s actions are still being scrutinized, even after he left office. Though this appeals court ruling has put a halt to Cohen’s lawsuit, his other legal actions may yet prove to be successful. It remains to be seen whether any further developments will be made in this ongoing fight against Trump.
