- Bars in the nation’s capital plan to show Michael Cohen’s public hearing on TV screens Wednesday morning.
- Some locations will open early, serving themed drinks for the DC subset of people who want to watch President Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer testify before the House Oversight Committee with a boozy beverage in hand.
- The testimony, which begins at 10 a.m. ET, will be the first time that Cohen will be publicly questioned by lawmakers since he pleaded guilty to charges leveled by the special counsel Robert Mueller’s office and federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York.
- Politico got ahold of Cohen’s opening statement, which reportedly says, “I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump’s illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience.”
- If you’re in Washington, DC, here’s where you can watch with like-minded spectators.
Bars in the nation’s capital plan to show Michael Cohen’s public hearing on TV screens Wednesday morning.
Some locations will open early, serving themed drinks for the DC subset of people who want to watch President Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer testify before the House Oversight Committee with a boozy beverage in hand.
The testimony, which begins at 10 a.m. ET, will be the first time that Cohen will be publicly questioned by lawmakers since he pleaded guilty to charges leveled by special counsel Robert Mueller’s office and federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York.
Cohen was charged by Mueller with lying to Congress, and he was charged by federal prosecutors with tax evasion, bank fraud, and campaign finance violations – and implicated Trump. He’s been sentenced to three years in prison.
The testimony has the potential for not only political theatre but revelations about Cohen’s work with Trump. As INSIDER’s Sonam Sheth and Alexandra Ma wrote, “Democrats on the panel plan to question Cohen extensively about several hush-money payments made during the 2016 election to women who said they had affairs with Trump.”
The Wall Street Journal, citing an unnamed source, reported that Cohen plans to “publicly accuse the president of engaging-while in office-in criminal conduct related to a hush-money payment to a porn star.”
Politico got ahold of Cohen’s opening statement, which reportedly says, “I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump’s illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience.”
“He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat,” Cohen says.
If you’re in Washington, DC, here’s where you can watch with like-minded spectators.
1. Duffy’s Irish Pub
Duffy’s Irish Pub will open at 10 a.m. local time, and it will be playing the hearing on eight TVs, The Hill reports.
Duffy’s will also be serving the “Flipper Cocktail.”
“The ingredients are redacted but we can tell you that it is 100% PARDON FREE,” the bar’s Facebook page says of the cocktail.
2. The Midlands
According to their Facebook page, The Midlands beer bar will open at 10 a.m. local time.
“We’re gonna watch it anyway so we’re opening the bar up!!” The Midlands’ Facebook page says.
The will have its TVs on – both inside and outside by the fire pits.
3. Shaw’s Tavern
Shaw’s Tavern is opening with food service at 10 a.m. local time, alcohol service will begin at 11 a.m., according to the bar’s Facebook page.
This is not the first time Shaw’s has opened its doors for Congressional hearings, DCist reports. The bar offered specials when former FBI Director James Comey, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions testified before Congress.
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