COHEN RAPS BARR, SAY TRUMP SEEKING TO PUNISH HIM FOR WRITING BOOK

When President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen sued late on Monday over his return to prison, he said he was facing retribution because he is writing a book critical of his former boss, Sarah N. Lynch and Karen Freifeld wrote for Reuters on Wednesday, July 22, 2020.

The surprise move against Cohen, who had been released to home arrest because of the coronavirus pandemic, has some legal experts and congressional Democrats asking whether Trump and US Attorney General William Barr are manipulating the justice system to reward Trump’s allies and punish his enemies.

Trump’s decision to spare longtime friend Roger Stone from prison, and the Department of Justice dropping its case against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn despite his guilty plea have commanded more national attention. But outspoken critics, including Cohen and celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti, may be getting worse treatment, some legal observers said.

Cohen, who once boasted he would “take a bullet” for Trump before turning on him, said a July 9 meeting with probation officials ended with marshals shackling him after he hesitated to sign a gag order banning him from engaging with the media, using social media or writing a book. Days earlier, Cohen had tweeted that his book was nearly complete. “He is being held in retaliation for his protected speech, including drafting a book manuscript that is critical of the President,” said the lawsuit against Barr filed in federal court in Manhattan. A hearing has been scheduled for Thursday on an emergency motion seeking Cohen’s immediate release.