Michael Cohen addresses the fake Twitter account called @WomenForCohen that described him as a 'sex symbol': 'We were having fun during a stressful time'

Susanna Heller

Feb 27, 2019, 23:01 IST

Michael Cohen addresses the fake Twitter account called @WomenForCohen that described him as a 'sex symbol': 'We were having fun during a stressful time'

Alex Brandon/AP Photo

President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill, Wednesday.

Michael Cohen paid a tech firm to run a Twitter account with the purpose of making him look like a "sex symbol" during the 2016 election.
When asked about the account Wednesday, Cohen told members of Congress that it was not created to protect Donald Trump.
Instead, he said, the account was created as a means to have "fun during a stressful time."
Follow along with all the updates from Cohen's testimony here.

Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former longtime personal lawyer, paid a small tech firm to run a fake Twitter account called @WomenForCohen, which was intended to make him look like a "sex symbol" and a "pit bull."

When asked about the account Wednesday, Cohen told members of Congress that it was not created to protect Trump. Instead, he said, the account was created as a means to have "fun during a stressful time."

"When you created the fake Twitter account @WomenforCohen and paid a firm to post tweets like this one, 'In a world of lies, deception, and fraud appreciate this honest guy @MichaelCohen. #TGIF #handsome #sexy.' Was that done to protect the president?" Rep. Jim Jordan asked.

Cohen insisted he did not pay RedFinch Solutions LLC to specifically tweet that, only to run the account.

In January, The Wall Street Journal reported that Cohen paid the firm to create the account in May 2016 in support of him. Cohen later confirmed that to CNN.

"I didn't actually set that up, it was done by a young woman who worked for RedFinch," he said. "During the course of the campaign, which you would know, it's somewhat crazy and wild. We were having fun."

Cohen reiterated that the account was real. "That was a real Twitter account," Cohen said. "It exists."

During the exchange with Jordan, Cohen said he did not create the account to protect Trump and is "not sure" how the account helped him, either.

"We were having fun during a stressful time," he said of @WomenForCohen.

Watch the full exchange below:

The @WomenForCohen page, which is still intact, says it is for "women who love and support Michael Cohen. Strong, pit bull, sex symbol, no-nonsense, business-oriented, and ready to make a difference!" The account has 785 tweets, although it has not been active since late December 2016.

Here are some highlights.