Patterson letter: Trump and Cohn

When Donald Trump tweeted an accusation that former President Obama had tapped Trump’s phones during the campaign, Trump exclaimed, “This is McCarthyism!” Does he really have a problem with that? Roy Cohn, Donald’s and his father Fred’s attorney from 1973-1978 in the Trumps’ attempt to oppose fair housing laws by not renting apartments to African-Americans in New York City, was Joseph McCarthy’s chief counsel from 1953-1954 for congressional hearings due to McCarthy’s accusation that U.S. Army officers had committed treason and other unfounded accusations against government officials and citizens. After the McCarthy era, Cohn joined the John Birch Society in 1960. Cohn was disbarred in 1986 by the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court due to unethical conduct, misappropriating clients’ funds and pressuring a dying client to amend his will to Cohn’s benefit. During the McCarthy/Cohn period, Cohn also orchestrated attacks against alleged “homosexuals” in federal government employ. Many were fired or resigned on accusation alone. Cohn died of AIDS in 1986. According to one biographer, his goal was to die completely broke and owing millions to the IRS. He did. And he was a Trump family mentor.

This story was originally published March 24, 2017 at 11:38 PM with the headline "Patterson letter: Trump and Cohn."