Terrorists' lawyer cries foul on his indictment

Lawyers Stanley Cohen (R) and Marc Van Der Hout (L), listen to a question from a reporter at a news conference for their client Mousa Abu Marzuk in August of 1995 in New York. / Getty Images

(AP) NEW YORK - A lawyer whose clients have included terrorism suspects and disbarred civil rights attorney Lynne Stewart has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges including failing to file tax returns.

The lawyer, Stanley Cohen, said the indictment is a politically motivated attempt to silence him.

The indictment was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York on Thursday. In a press release announcing it, U.S. Attorney Richard Hartunian's office said convictions on the charges carry penalties of prison time and fines. No arraignment date has been set.

The indictment accuses Cohen of not filing individual and corporate tax returns between 2005 and 2010 and other violations including failing to maintain books and records and not filing the proper forms after receiving several thousand dollars from clients.

Cohen called it a "witch hunt."

"This is the culmination of at least five years of harassing me, of seeking to silence me," he told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

A telephone call to the U.S. attorney's office seeking comment on Cohen's remarks wasn't immediately returned.

Cohen represented Stewart in 2000. Stewart was convicted in 2005 of letting one of her clients, blind Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, communicate with a man who relayed messages to senior members of an Egyptian-based terrorist organization. Abdel-Rahman was convicted in conspiracies to blow up New York landmarks and assassinate former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and was sentenced to life in prison. Stewart maintained her innocence.

Cohen's clients also have included Mohamed Alessa, a North Bergen, N.J., man who was arrested in June 2010 while preparing to board a flight to Egypt and pleaded guilty last year to conspiring to join an al Qaeda-affiliated group with the purpose of killing those who disagree with their ideology.

[riklittle]

I remember Stanley Cohen standing up for 30 "squatters" on 13th Street in the East Village of NYC where the NY Times reported that Giuliani spent 5 million dollars for lawyers, tanks, helicopters and storm troopers to filch the real estate these 30 people rescued from drug dealers and arsonists. They saved a neighborhood and made a home for families and children. Stanley Cohen has more integrety than any of these slimy federal prosecuters and everybody who thinks differently just don't know the facts or who he is and have been watching the corporate media too long.

[FlaEMT]

I'm sorry, but it's only a "witch hunt" if you're facing false allegations. If the charges are true, it's just called getting busted.

[askagain]

Even if the government was after this guy, not filing tax returns for five years gave the government a reason to go after him. Could the rest of us give his excuse when we don't pay our taxes?

[finkfurst4]

The title of this item is libellous. If the terrorism suspects were never convicted, then CBS calling them "terrorists" is libel.

[cbsnews_viewer]

CBS wants viewership.

[joejustjoe]

Dude, Every fool knows you gotta pay your taxes. Our Uncle needs the dough. You need to call one of those tax guys that are on tv every other commercial. Of course I think you are a dispicable POS, not for failing to file your taxes, but for being a self-loathing Jew who defends the very people who want to eliminate you from the face of the earth. Couldn't you be happy just chasing ambulances??? You will have plenty of time to sort this all out in your twisted brain in Federal prison, because once the IRS gets hold they don't let go.

[cbsnews_viewer]

The IRS can be fought. Scientology did it, won and now it just eats up its members. Even Madaline Albright tried to fight Germany for not submitting to them. Local, and federal politicians are often bought off by them. That is how the country works. Russia just flat out suppresses them, and takes the fines that the EU gives them for not having 'religious (haha mafia) freedom. The same EU that investors in the West fight so hard to give 'austerity' to member EU countries.

[johneurope]

HE MUST
HAVE REALLY PISSED SOME ONE OFF AT the DOJ? Wait a minute isan't it ran By Holder and company, something is funny here.

[Ourdoc1]

It's extremely hard to be a "witch hunt" if its about non payment of taxes. Thats kinda something on paper that has to be proven and either is or isn't something that took place. I'm sure the IRS can prove he failed to file taxes... without much of a problem.

Remember, some of the worst criminals in history still went down for tax evasion.

[cbsnews_viewer]

For someone doing unpopular but something that is supposed to (defending the unpopular in court) in theory be supported by ideals of the nation, he certainly did not cross his t's and dot his i's .

[bradkt1]

If this idiot is silly enough not to file his federal income tax returns for a number of years, then he is the one who offered his head on a platter to the feds and said "Chop it off!".

Fool!