NEW: House GOP refers Michael Cohen to DOJ on allegations of perjury

House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer have referred former Trump attorney Michael Cohen to the Department of Justice for an investigation regarding lies told to Congress under oath.

The letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland notes that Cohen had previously been referred to the Justice Department on February 28, 2019 for "perjury and knowingly making false statements during his testimony before the Committee on February 27, 2019."

They wrote that they learned in 2023 that "Cohen separately lied again before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) in a 2019 deposition. Cohen’s testimony is now the basis for a politically motivated prosecution of a former president and current declared candidate for that office."

"In light of the reliance on the testimony from this repeated liar, we reiterate our concerns and ask what the Justice Department has done to hold Cohen accountable for his false statements to Congress."

At least six lies were flagged by Congress: that Cohen denied committing fraudulent acts that he had pleaded guilty to, repeatedly testifying that he did not seek employment in Trump’s office despite evidence stating he private told friends he was expecting a "prominent role" in the administration, that he did not "direct the creation of a Twitter account known as @WomenForCohen," attesting in a form that he did not have any foreign government contract despite having two, that his testimony contradicted his earlier submitted statement, and that he claimed he committed crimes out of "blind loyalty" to Trump despite contradictory evidence.

"Currently, Manhattan’s popularly elected District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, is using Cohen as his star witness in an ongoing criminal prosecution of President Donald Trump. Bragg’s case heavily relies on Cohen’s testimony and credibility," they wrote, adding that Cohen’s advisor has said that the prosecution of Trump "all stemmed from Cohen’s testimony in 2019."

"We again request that the Justice Department investigate whether any of Mr Cohen’s testimony warrants another charge for violating 18 USC Sections 1001 or 1621."