In an attempt to dispute Michael Cohen’s claims that President Trump is racist, a GOP lawmaker brought an African American member of the Trump administration, who previously worked for the Trump Organization, to the House Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday. The lawmaker, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), then asked Cohen about the official’s own claims that she would never work for a racist.
Meadows started the questioning by asking Cohen if he knew Lynne Patton, who worked at the Trump Organization and the Trump Foundation before being appointed by Trump to a top job at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Meadows said he had brought Patton to the committee in her personal capacity, and she stood up behind him.
I am honored to be the special guest of @RepMarkMeadows today. I am here in support of @POTUS and in support of the truth, as Michael Cohen (knows that I know) it to be. And the truth is that it doesn’t take you 15 years to call someone a racist. Unless they’re not one. pic.twitter.com/jPxeYTbTYT
— ?? Lynne Patton (@LynnePatton) February 27, 2019
Meadows said that Patton didn’t agree with Cohen’s allegations that Trump was a racist and brought up that Patton said that, as a daughter of a man born in Birmingham, she would never work for a racist.
Meadows asked Cohen how he reconciled his and her claims, and demanded that he provide proof. The congressman also brought up Cohen’s proclivity for taping phone conversations and asked if Cohen had tapes of conversations where Trump allegedly made racist comments.
Cohen admitted he had no tapes, but when Meadows continued to prod Cohen for proof, Cohen told Meadows to ask Patton how many black executives there are at Trump Organization.
“The answer is zero,” Cohen said.
