Michael Cohen, the former personal lawyer and fixer for President Donald Trump who later became one of his most vocal critics, said Thursday he plans to apply for compensation from the Justice Department’s newly created “anti-weaponization fund.”
Cohen, who served prison time after pleading guilty to campaign finance violations and lying to Congress, told CBS News he is drafting a formal letter to submit directly to the department. “I am working through the process on my own and will submit the letter directly to the DOJ once completed,” he said in a text message.
The $1.776 billion fund stems from a settlement between President Trump and the Justice Department resolving a lawsuit over the leaking of his tax returns. It offers payments to individuals who claim the legal system was weaponized against them. Cohen argued that the circumstances leading to his own legal troubles mirror those cited by Trump.
“The basis for which Trump instituted the $10 billion action are the same causes of action that have affected me as well—has cost me my law license, my businesses, finances, family happiness, business relationships and opportunities,” Cohen said.
In a draft of his application obtained by CBS News, Cohen wrote: “If the weaponization fund truly exists to support individuals destroyed by politically motivated law enforcement tactics, selective prosecution, government leaks, abuses of power and intentional destruction of reputation then there is perhaps no clearer example than what happened to me.”
Cohen rose to prominence as one of Trump’s most trusted advisers before the 2016 election, often describing himself as the man who would “take a bullet for the president.” He was sentenced in 2018 to three years in prison for arranging hush-money payments to women who alleged affairs with Trump and received an additional two months for lying to Congress about a proposed Trump Tower project in Moscow.
At his sentencing, Cohen attributed his actions to loyalty. “My weakness can be characterized as a blind loyalty to Donald Trump, and I was weak for not having the strength to question and to refuse his demands,” he told the court.
In 2024, Cohen testified in the New York criminal case that resulted in Trump’s conviction on falsifying business records tied to the same payments. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing and maintained he had no affairs with the women involved.
The Justice Department has stated there are no partisan requirements for filing claims, with decisions to be made by a five-person panel appointed by the attorney general. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has defended the fund as a remedy for “years and years of weaponization,” comparing it to other government settlement programs.
Other applicants include former Trump adviser Michael Caputo, who requested $2.7 million earlier this week, and some defendants from the Jan. 6 Capitol riot cases. Cohen is among the first prominent Trump critics to express interest.
The fund has drawn sharp criticism from ethics groups and lawmakers across party lines. The progressive Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington described it as “the most brazen act of self-dealing in the history of the presidency.”
Cohen previously sued the federal government and Trump in 2020, alleging retaliation for his criticism after he was removed from a COVID-era home confinement program and returned to prison. That lawsuit was dismissed by a judge.
NBC News first reported Cohen’s intention to seek funds from the program. Officials said applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis without regard to political affiliation.