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The 7 lawmakers to watch when Michael Cohen gives his highly anticipated testimony before Congress
The 7 lawmakers to watch when Michael Cohen gives his highly anticipated testimony before Congress
Joe PerticoneFeb 22, 2019, 00:51 IST
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
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Michael Cohen, a former personal lawyer and fixer for President Donald Trump, will testify in a public hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Wednesday.
The Oversight Committee is chock full of far-right and far-left members of Congress, some of whom are known for making a big show and grilling witnesses.
Cohen will also make other testimonies before different committees next week, but those will be behind closed doors and out of public view.
Michael Cohen - who at one time served as President Donald Trump's personal lawyer and is now preparing for a three-year prison term - is scheduled to testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform next Wednesday. When he does, he will have to face-off against a handful of eager and frustrated lawmakers from both parties.
Cohen will also face rounds of questioning from different congressional panels, including a closed-door interview with the Senate Intelligence Committee. But regarding the testimony before the Oversight panel, which will be open to the public, the former Trump lawyer will be confronted by a number of lawmakers with big personalities on the far-right and far-left, all with their own individual agendas and motivations.
Here are some of the key figures to watch during Wednesday's testimony.
Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland is the current chairman of the Oversight Committee, meaning he will set the pace and be tasked with keeping order in what could turn out to be a rowdy hearing.
Cummings has also served as the ranking member on the Select Committee on Benghazi, where he often let his temper fly during heated arguments about the 2012 terrorist attacks on a US compound in Libya.
Jim Jordan
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio is the committee's new ranking Republican. Jordan, a close ally of Trump and a former chairman of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, is known to get animated in hearings.
In his new role as ranking member on Oversight, Jordan has become an attack dog on behalf of Republicans now getting used to life in the minority.
Gerry Connolly
Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia is a longtime veteran of the Oversight Committee and has never shied away from speaking his mind.
In January, Connolly said Cohen has a "genuine reason to be concerned" about testifying before the committee, citing veiled threats and statements by both Trump and his current lawyer, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Mark Meadows
Republican Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina is a close informal advisor of Trump's, speaking to him on a regular basis and influencing many of the decisions that come out of the White House.
Meadows is also the current chairman of the House Freedom Caucus and likes to protect the president's interests, especially in the face of mounting investigations from congressional Democrats.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
The Oversight Committee has no shortage of big personalities, which has become even more apparent with the addition of several freshman members of Congress, including firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
Ocasio-Cortez has already had record-breaking viral moments in committee hearings during her first two months in office. Wednesday's hearing could produce the same.
Chip Roy
Freshman Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas was another addition to the Oversight Committee to bolster the more conservative faction on a panel already stacked with big personalities.
Roy has already shown he is unafraid of controversial actions in Congress, becoming just one of seven lawmakers to vote against back-pay for federal workers during the record-long government shutdown.
Rashida Tlaib
Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan is another freshman added to the Oversight panel.
She has already drawn headlines after shouting that Democrats are "going to impeach the motherf---er" in reference to Trump. When Cohen comes to testify, her political motivations could be front and center.
