Fixer in a fix: Michael Cohen

view on espresso.economist.com -- fan qiang -- Dec 12th 2018

Fixer in a fix: Michael Cohen

• Fixer （有时用不正当的手段）代人安排者；定影剂；定色剂
• in a fix 处境困难；进退两难；烦恼

Today a federal court in New York will sentence Donald Trump’s former lawyer.

• federal court 〈美〉联邦法院

Mr Cohen pled guilty last August to eight counts of tax fraud, illegal campaign contributions and lying to a financial institution.

• plead （过去式 pled） 辩护；辩论；答辩；抗辩
• campaign contributions 竞选捐款；竞选募捐
• financial institution 金融机构

In November he fessed up to an additional charge of lying to Congress about a proposed Trump Tower development in Moscow that Mr Trump was allegedly pursuing in 2016, while running for president.

• fess up to 承认
• run for 竞选；让…竞选；竞选职位

Because he has co-operated, Mr Cohen’s attorneys have asked that he not be imprisoned.

• attorney 辩护律师

But prosecutors argue that his co-operation was “overstated” and “incomplete”, and have asked for “a substantial term of imprisonment”.

• prosecutor 检察官；公诉人；原告律师；控方律师
• substantial 大量的；价值巨大的；重大的；大而坚固的

Federal sentencing guidelines for his crimes call for 51-63 months; even if that is downgraded he could still face years behind bars.

• Federal sentencing guideline 联邦量刑指南；美国联邦法律规章；联邦判刑准则
• call for 呼吁；主张；需要
• downgrade 降低；使降职；使降级；贬低

Mr Cohen also alleges that Mr Trump directed him to pay off women who claimed to have had affairs with him.

Mr Trump denies the allegations, and has called Mr Cohen “a weak person”.