From the Guardian:
Cohen entered the courtroom on the 20th floor of the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan at 4:03pm and sat at a table with his attorneys. He turned and winked at someone in the crowd. He reviewed a series of documents and shook his head repeatedly as he looked them over.
The judge, William Pawley, asked a series of questions to establish his competence. Asked his age, Cohen said: “in four days I’ll be 52.” Asked if he had any drugs or alcohol in the last 24 hours, said yes: “last night at dinner I had a glass of glenlivit 12 on the rocks.”
Asked if he wanted to enter a plea of guilty, Cohen said: “yes sir.”
It was explained to Cohen that, if sentenced concurrently, he faced a total of up to 65 years and that any estimate of how much time he would get from his attorney might be inaccurate. Cohen said: “No estimate was given to me your Honor.”
Cohen was asked to describe what he did with regard to each crime. On the first five counts, he said: “I evaded paying substantial taxes” on income he knew was omitted from his tax returns.
On count six, he said that, in order to get approved for a home equity line of credit, he signed an application that omitted some of his liabilities.
On count seven, the illegal corporate contribution, he said that, in the summer of 2016 – in coordination with and “at the request of” a candidate for federal office, in order “to keep an individual with information that would be harmful to the candidate and the campaign from publicly disclosing this information,” he arranged a payment through a media company of which he was the chief executive.
“She received compensation of $150,000.” This was done “for the principle purpose of influencing the election”.
On count eight – the illegal excessive campaign contribution – he said that, in coordination with the candidate, he “arranged to make a payment to a second individual with information that would be harmful to the candidate and the campaign”. He said he used a company under his control and paid $130,000. These funds “were later repaid to me by the candidate”.
This was done “for the principle purpose of influencing the election”.
Asked if he knew these actions were illegal and wrong when he took them, Cohen said: “Yes your Honor.”
The assistant US attorney, Andrea Griswold, reviewed what would have been the government’s case.
On tax evasion, she said Cohen failed to report more than $4m (£3.1m) in income.
On illegal contributions: “These payments were made in order to ensure that each recipient did not publicise their stories” about “alleged affairs with the candidate”.
She said the government had texts, phone and email records, and statements from the individuals involved as evidence.
Asked how he now pleaded, Cohen said: “Guilty, your Honor.”
He was released on a $500,000 personal recognisance bond to be signed by his wife and one other person. His travel was restricted to parts of the states of New York, New Jersey and Illinois, as well as the city of Washington DC. He agreed to surrender his password. Sentencing was set for 12 December this year.
After the hearing, Cohen left in a car with his attorneys as some bystanders shouted, “lock him up!”