Trump's former lawyer Cohen gets two-month delay to report to prison

[February 21, 2019]    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen will now report to federal prison on May 6 after a judge granted him a two-month delay to allow him to recover from a surgical procedure, according to a court filing on Wednesday.

Michael Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trump's former attorney, exits the United States Court house after his sentencing, in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., December 12, 2018. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo

Cohen's lawyers asked for a 60-day extension in a letter to U.S. District Court Judge William Pauley to allow Cohen to undergo "intensive post-surgical physical therapy" and to prepare for testimony before three congressional committees.

"Mr. Cohen underwent serious shoulder surgery and this extra time allows Mr. Cohen to continue his physical therapy," Cohen's legal team said in an emailed statement.

"In addition, he will be able to prepare for the expected testimony next week before Congressional Committees, which he welcomes."

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan, who are handling his criminal case, approved of the two-month delay, the letter said.

Cohen is due to testify in the coming weeks before the House of Representatives Oversight Committee in a public hearing, and before the Senate and House intelligence committees in closed sessions.

Cohen was sentenced in December to three years in prison for crimes including orchestrating hush payments to women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump in violation of campaign laws before the 2016 election.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington and Nathan Layne in New York; Editing by James Dalgleish)

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