FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus120930

House Republicans say Robert Mueller's testimony Wednesday uncovered no meaningful new information and that it's time to move on.

Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told press on Wednesday that "this should be the end of the chapter that we put America through."

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, following Mueller's testimony, is making some of her strongest comments yet about the House possibly proceeding with impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump.

Pelosi says a "cone of silence" from the White House that's not providing documents and witness testimony "will not prevent us from going forward." She adds, "In fact, it's even more grounds to go forward."

Pelosi tells reporters she wants "the strongest possible hand" by continuing the House's court actions aimed at forcing White House cooperation.

Washington - 24 July 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House:

"We want to have the strongest possible case to make a decision as to what path we will go down and that does, is not endless in terms of time or endless in terms of the information that we want. But if it comes to a point where the cone of silence and the obstruction of justice and the cover-up in the White House prevents us from getting that information, that will not prevent us from going forward. In fact, it's even more grounds to go forward."

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Republican Minority Leader:

"It was a historical day because today is the day that we close the book on this investigation. It is time that America turns the page. It is time for America to move forward. The Democrats have to stop wasting time in trying to have a do-over of the 2016 Presidential election."

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, (D) New York:

"Today was a watershed day in telling the facts to the American people. With those facts we can proceed and we face a time of great danger. Richard Nixon said he thought that the president was a dictator. He said if the president does it, that means it's not illegal. President Trump echoed that yesterday. He said under Article 2 'I' that is he can do anything I want. That is a totalitarian picture, not a democratic picture. The United States must be saved from this."

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, (R) Georgia:

"I challenge the Democratic colleagues, get over the election of 2016. Run in 2020 if you want. This President has put forward a great economy. This President has put forward great ideas. Run on this, quit trying to dredge up a picture that today got painted, that said your investigation is over. Mr Mueller has done his job. He presented a report. Someone asked did you find out anything new? The answer is no."

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Adam Schiff, (D) California:

" But there are two juries in an impeachment there is the jury which is the Senate which decides removal from office. And then there is the jury that is the American people and I'm most concerned about the jury that is the American people. And before we embark on a course as significant to the country as the impeachment of a president I want to make sure that we can make that case to the jury of the American people."

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Devin Nunes, (R) California:

"I think what you see today is collusion between the Republican Party and the Trump campaign is over. There was no evidence. There was a dossier that was built and paid for by the Clinton campaign. That was the real collusion. You've had collusion through a British former MI6 agent who was working supposedly with Russian sources. We didn't get any new information on that today. But the Democrats have refused to accept reality, they live in an alternative universe."

The report by BuzzFeed News, citing two unnamed law enforcement officials, says that Trump directed Cohen to lie to Congress and that Cohen regularly briefed Trump on the Moscow project. The Associated Press has not independently confirmed the report.

The House intelligence committee chairman Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff said he will do what is necessary to confirm the report.

The story also says, citing the sources, that Cohen told special counsel Robert Mueller that Trump personally instructed him to lie about the timing of the project in order to obscure Trump's involvement.

The BuzzFeed story says that Mueller's investigators learned about Trump's directive "through interviews with multiple witnesses from the Trump Organization and internal company emails, text messages, and a cache of other documents." The report says that Cohen then acknowledged Trump's instructions when he was interviewed by the Mueller team.

Cohen's attorney Lanny Davis didn't weigh in one way or the other whether this story was true but Lanny Davis simply said that "Michael Cohen is is someone who is full of regret for his longtime employment with President Trump. He worked for him for about a decade," according to AP White House reporter Jonathan Lemire.

Trump's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, scoffed at the report, saying in a statement to the Associated Press "that if this story was true I have the Brooklyn Bridge to sell you and suggested that it was not the case. This had never occurred."

On Twitter Friday morning, Trump charged that Michael Cohen is "Lying to reduce his jail time!" even though he's already been sentenced. On Fox News Channel, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said that taking the story seriously was "absolutely ludicrous," but repeatedly refused to deny the central allegation that Trump directed Cohen to lie.

Cohen already pleaded guilty in November to lying to Congress to cover up that he was negotiating the Trump Tower project in Moscow on Trump's behalf during the heat of his presidential campaign. The charge was brought by Mueller and was the result of his cooperation with that probe.

He was then sentenced in December to three years in prison for crimes that included arranging the payment of hush money to conceal his boss' alleged sexual affairs, telling a judge that he agreed time and again to cover up Trump's "dirty deeds" out of "blind loyalty."

Cohen is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee Feb. 7, where he will likely be questioned about the report.

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++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY A WHITE FLASH++

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 18 January 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, Associated Press White House Reporter:

"Late Thursday night BuzzFeed News broke a story that reports, according to some of their sources, that President Trump instructed his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen to lie on his behalf. To lie to Congress about the president's involvement with a real estate deal in Russia. Now it should be pointed out very carefully, The Associated Press has not confirmed this reporting yet. No other mainstream news outlet has as well. But lawmakers are responding. And It is certainly a major story today, Friday."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

ARCHIVE: New York - 12 December 2018

2. Michael Cohen exiting court after being sentenced to prison

ASSOCIATED PRESS

ARCHIVE: Washington - 29 November 2018

3. President Donald Trump walks out to talk to reporters

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 18 January 2019

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, Associated Press White House Reporter:

"The new story suggests that the Donald Trump's involvement with the project did not end in 2015 or early 2016 as he initially had said but instead continued that the president and his family members including his adult children Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Junior who also worked at Trump Organization were getting updates throughout 2016. And that after the election, when Donald Trump was then president-elect he instructed Michael Cohen to lie about this to try to minimize Donald Trump's own involvement with the project. The BuzzFeed story goes on to say that as Michael Cohen was preparing to testify before Congress he again talked to the White House and Donald Trump who said to lie about that project."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

ARCHIVE: Cleveland, Ohio - 21 July 2016

5. President Donald Trump at the RNC rehearsal, Ivanka and Paul Manfort off to the side

POOL

ARCHIVE: Fletcher, North Carolina - 21 October 2016

6. Donald Trump walks into campaign rally

ASSOCIATED PRESS

ARCHIVE: New York - 12 December 2018

7. Cohen exiting court after being sentenced to three years in prison

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 18 January 2019

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, Associated Press White House Reporter:

"If this is true then this means the president urged a witness to lie under oath before Congress, which would appear to be a pretty clear example of obstruction of justice which of course is a significant not potentially criminal charge but perhaps impeachable offense."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

ARCHIVE: Washington - 29 November 2018

9. President Trump walks away from talking to press

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 18 January 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, Associated Press White House Reporter:

"Democratic lawmakers are seizing upon this. Adam Schiff who's the new chair of the House Intelligence Committee and others say that the House, the Congress will investigate these charges and if they feel that if true, I believe just phrase were, this would be the most serious offense yet. He suggests that these are the some of the most serious allegation the president currently faces and it is something that will stir up talk of impeachment."

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, Associated Press White House Reporter:

"So, it should be pointed out that the president's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani who's his lawyer for the Russia investigation gave a statement to me at the Associated Press saying that if this story was true I have basically I have the Brooklyn Bridge to sell you and suggested that it was not the case. This had never occurred."

US President Donald Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, will testify publicly before a House committee next month in a hearing that could serve as the opening salvo of a promised Democratic effort to scrutinise Trump, his conflicts of interest and his ties to Russia.

The House Oversight and Reform Committee announced on Thursday that Cohen will testify before that panel on 7 February, a little more than a month after the Democrats took the House majority.

The hearing marks the latest step in Cohen's transformation from a trusted legal adviser to the president to a public antagonist who has cooperated extensively against him.

It is likely to pull back the curtain on key episodes involving Trump's personal life and business dealings, including hush-money payments to women and a proposed Moscow real estate deal that federal prosecutors have been dissecting for months.

The chairman of the oversight panel, Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland, said the committee is consulting with Mueller's office about the testimony.

He said "there will be limitations" on the topics covered in Cohen's testimony.

The oversight hearing may not be Cohen's only appearance.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-California, said he welcomes Cohen's testimony before the oversight panel, but "he is going to need to answer questions about the Russia investigation".

Schiff said that his office has been in negotiations with Cohen’s legal team for some time and “hope to wrap it up soon".

ARCHIVE: Washington, DC - 29 November 2018

1. Michael Cohen, former attorney for US President Donald Trump, walking out of court

Washington, DC - 10 January 2019

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Representative Elijah Cummings, (D) Maryland, Chairman of the House Oversight Panel:

"We're going to make sure that we do absolutely nothing to interfere with the Mueller investigation. That is very, very important to us. But I can tell you that as far, if Adam (Schiff), he's right so that's fine. But we're going to have a lot more comments coming out later on. Right now my major concern is making sure that our government is opened up."

++BLACK FRAMES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Representative Elijah Cummings, (D) Maryland, Chairman of the House Oversight Panel:

"But as far as this hearing is concerned, we put out our statement. It's a very limited statement and we plan to do what the American people have asked us to do, and that is to conduct hearings with integrity, with transparency, with honesty, and most importantly accountability."

++BLACK FRAMES++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Representative Elijah Cummings, (D) Maryland, Chairman of the House Oversight Panel:

"I think people need to, the American people will have an opportunity to hear from him, from Mr. Cohen. And their representatives, that is representatives on the Republican side and the Democrat side, will have an opportunity to ask him questions. And I think the American people will see that their votes did matter and that we opened it up for transparency."

++BLACK FRAMES++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Representative Elijah Cummings, (D) Maryland, Chairman of the House Oversight Panel:

"We are in search of the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. And so that's where we stand. And that's all I have to say."

++BLACK FRAMES++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Representative Adam Schiff, (D) California, House Intelligence Committee Chairman:

"We welcome his testimony before the Congress. It's my understanding that he doesn't intend to address the Russian investigation in his open testimony. He is going to need to answer questions about it and we are in contact with the attorney. We hope that he will come in voluntarily to testify before the Intel Committee in closed session. So we have been in negotiation with that, about that for some time and we hope to wrap that up soon."

++BLACK FRAMES++

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Representative Adam Schiff, (D) California, House Intelligence Committee Chairman:

"He hasn't agreed but I think there is a good likelihood, I hope that he will. We would like to have him come in voluntarily testimony but at the end of the day there are questions he needs to answer. He testified once before our committee, he wasn't fully forthcoming. He's accepted responsibility for that. But that has raised questions that we need answered."

++BLACK FRAMES++

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Representative Adam Schiff, (D) California, House Intelligence Committee Chairman:

"I don't want to make representations on behalf of the Special Counsel. We will obviously be in consultation with the Special Counsel about his testimony before our committee but we need to get a full accounting of what took place. He is in a unique position to help us do that. And so we look forward to having his testimony before our committee."

ARCHIVE: Washington, DC - 29 November 2018

9. Cohen walking with lawyer from court, surrounded by media

President Donald Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, will testify publicly before a House committee next month in a hearing that could serve as the opening salvo of a promised Democratic effort to scrutinize Trump, his conflicts of interest and his ties to Russia.

The House Oversight and Reform Committee announced Thursday that Cohen will testify before that panel February 7, a little more than a month after the Democrats took the House majority.

The hearing marks the latest step in Cohen's transformation from a trusted legal adviser to the president to a public antagonist who has cooperated extensively against him.

It is likely to pull back the curtain on key episodes involving Trump's personal life and business dealings, including hush-money payments to women and a proposed Moscow real estate deal, that federal prosecutors have been dissecting for months.

The chairman of the oversight panel, Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, said the committee is consulting with Mueller's office about the testimony.

He said "there will be limitations" on the topics covered in Cohen's testimony.

“We are going to make sure that we do absolutely nothing to interfere with the Mueller investigation,” Cummings said. “That is absolutely important to us.”

The oversight hearing may not be Cohen's only appearance.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said he welcomes Cohen's testimony before the oversight panel, but "he is going to need to answer questions about the Russia investigation.”

Schiff said that his office has been in negotiations with Cohen’s legal team for some time and “hope to wrap it up soon.”

Washington DC - 29 November 2018

1. Former Trump Attorney Michael Cohen walking out of court

Washington DC - 10 January 2019

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Elijah Cummings, (D) Maryland, Chairman of the House Oversight Panel:

"We going to, we're going to make sure that we do absolutely nothing to Interfere with the Mueller investigation. That is very, very important to us. But I can tell you that as far, he's right so that's fine. But we're going to have a lot more comments coming out later on. Right now my major concern. Is making sure that our government is open up."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Elijah Cummings, (D) Maryland, Chairman of the House Oversight Panel:

"But as far as this hearing is concerned, we put out a statement. It's a very limited statement and we plan to do what the American people have asked us to do, that is to conduct hearings with integrity, with transparency, with honesty and most importantly accountability."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Elijah Cummings, (D) Maryland, Chairman of the House Oversight Panel:

"I think that, I think people need to, the American people have an opportunity to hear from him, Mr. Cohen. And their representatives, that is representatives on the Republican side and the Democrat side will have an opportunity to ask him questions. And I think the American people will see that it did matter, that their votes did matter and that we opened it up for transparency."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Elijah Cummings, (D) Maryland, Chairman of the House Oversight Panel:

"We are in search of the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. And so that's where we stand. And that's all I have to say."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

6 . SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Adam Schiff, (D) California, House Intelligence Committee Chairman:

"We love to hear his testimony before the Congress. It's my understanding that he doesn't intend to address the Russian investigation is open testimony. He is going to need to answer questions about it and we are in contact with the attorney. We hope that will come in voluntarily to testify before the Intel Committee in a closed session. So we have been in negotiation with that, about that for some time and we hope to wrap that up soon."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Adam Schiff, (D) California, House Intelligence Committee Chairman:

"He hasn't agreed but I think there is a good likelihood, I hope that he will. We would like to have him come in voluntarily testimony but at the end of the day there are questions he needs to answer. He testified once before our committee, he wasn't fully forthcoming. He's accepted responsibility for that. But that has raised questions that we need answered."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Adam Schiff, (D) California, House Intelligence Committee Chairman:

"I don't want to make representations on behalf of Special Counsel. We will obviously be in consultation with Special Counsel about his testimony before our committee but, we need to get a full accounting of what took place. He is in a unique position to help us do that. And so we look forward to having his testimony before a committee."

Washington DC - 29 November 2018

9. Former Trump Attorney Michael Cohen walking with lawyer from court, surrounded by media

President Donald Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, will testify publicly before a House committee next month in a hearing that could serve as the opening salvo of a promised Democratic effort to scrutinize Trump, his conflicts of interest and his ties to Russia.

The House Oversight and Reform Committee announced Thursday that Cohen will testify before that panel February 7, a little more than a month after the Democrats took the House majority.

The hearing marks the latest step in Cohen's transformation from a trusted legal adviser to the president to a public antagonist who has cooperated extensively against him.

It is likely to pull back the curtain on key episodes involving Trump's personal life and business dealings, including hush-money payments to women and a proposed Moscow real estate deal, that federal prosecutors have been dissecting for months.

The chairman of the oversight panel, Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, said the committee is consulting with Mueller's office about the testimony.

He said "there will be limitations" on the topics covered in Cohen's testimony.

“We are going to make sure that we do absolutely nothing to interfere with the Mueller investigation,” Cummings said. “That is absolutely important to us.”

The oversight hearing may not be Cohen's only appearance.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said he welcomes Cohen's testimony before the oversight panel, but "he is going to need to answer questions about the Russia investigation.”

Schiff said that his office has been in negotiations with Cohen’s legal team for some time and “hope to wrap it up soon.”

Washington DC - 29 November 2018

1. Former Trump Attorney Michael Cohen walking out of court

Washington DC - 10 January 2019

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Elijah Cummings, (D) Maryland, Chairman of the House Oversight Panel:

"We going to, we're going to make sure that we do absolutely nothing to Interfere with the Mueller investigation. That is very, very important to us. But I can tell you that as far, he's right so that's fine. But we're going to have a lot more comments coming out later on. Right now my major concern. Is making sure that our government is open up."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Elijah Cummings, (D) Maryland, Chairman of the House Oversight Panel:

"But as far as this hearing is concerned, we put out a statement. It's a very limited statement and we plan to do what the American people have asked us to do, that is to conduct hearings with integrity, with transparency, with honesty and most importantly accountability."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Elijah Cummings, (D) Maryland, Chairman of the House Oversight Panel:

"I think that, I think people need to, the American people have an opportunity to hear from him, Mr. Cohen. And their representatives, that is representatives on the Republican side and the Democrat side will have an opportunity to ask him questions. And I think the American people will see that it did matter, that their votes did matter and that we opened it up for transparency."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Elijah Cummings, (D) Maryland, Chairman of the House Oversight Panel:

"We are in search of the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. And so that's where we stand. And that's all I have to say."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

6 . SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Adam Schiff, (D) California, House Intelligence Committee Chairman:

"We love to hear his testimony before the Congress. It's my understanding that he doesn't intend to address the Russian investigation is open testimony. He is going to need to answer questions about it and we are in contact with the attorney. We hope that will come in voluntarily to testify before the Intel Committee in a closed session. So we have been in negotiation with that, about that for some time and we hope to wrap that up soon."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Adam Schiff, (D) California, House Intelligence Committee Chairman:

"He hasn't agreed but I think there is a good likelihood, I hope that he will. We would like to have him come in voluntarily testimony but at the end of the day there are questions he needs to answer. He testified once before our committee, he wasn't fully forthcoming. He's accepted responsibility for that. But that has raised questions that we need answered."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Adam Schiff, (D) California, House Intelligence Committee Chairman:

"I don't want to make representations on behalf of Special Counsel. We will obviously be in consultation with Special Counsel about his testimony before our committee but, we need to get a full accounting of what took place. He is in a unique position to help us do that. And so we look forward to having his testimony before a committee."

Washington DC - 29 November 2018

9. Former Trump Attorney Michael Cohen walking with lawyer from court, surrounded by media