about possible Russian support for candidate Trump emerged during the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump denied having any personal, financial, or business connection to Russia, which Cohen described as the “party line” or “message” to 944 follow for Trump and his senior advisors. After the election, the Trump Organization sought to formally close out 945 certain deals in advance of the inauguration. Cohen recalled that Trump 946 Tower Moscow was on the list of deals to be closed out. In approximately January 2017, Cohen began receiving inquiries from the media about Trump Tower Moscow, and he recalled speaking to the President-Elect when those 947 inquiries came in. Cohen was concerned that truthful answers about the Trump Tower Moscow project might not be consistent with the “message” that 948 the President-Elect had no relationship with Russia. In an effort to “stay on message,” Cohen told a New York Times reporter that the Trump Tower Moscow deal was not feasible and had ended in January 949 2016. Cohen recalled that this was part of a “script” or talking points he had developed with President-Elect Trump and others to dismiss the idea of a 950 substantial connection between Trump and Russia. Cohen said that he discussed the talking points with Trump but that he did not explicitly tell Trump 951 he thought they were untrue because Trump already knew they were untrue. Cohen thought it was important to say the deal was done in January 2016, rather than acknowledge that talks continued in May and June 2016, because it limited the period when candidate Trump could be alleged to have a relationship with Russia to an early point in the campaign, before Trump had become the party’s 952 presumptive nominee. 3. Cohen Submits False Statements to Congress Minimizing the Trump Tower Moscow Project in Accordance with the Party Line In early May 2017, Cohen received requests from Congress to provide testimony and documents in connection with congressional investigations of 953 Russian interference in the 2016 election. At that time, Cohen understood Congress’s interest in him to be focused on the allegations in the Steele reporting concerning a meeting Cohen allegedly had with Russian officials in Prague 954 during the campaign. Cohen had never traveled to Prague and was not