Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, has denied the Steele dossier's claims that he was in Prague in 2016 for a secret meeting with Russian officials. | Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images Legal Michael Cohen denies report alleging his cellphone was traced near Prague in 2016

President Donald Trump's former personal attorney on Thursday denied he was in Prague in 2016 or that he had ever visited the Czech Republic after a new report claimed his cell phone was traced near the Eastern European city, evidence that potentially could confirm a key part of the unverified dossier on Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign.

"I hear #Prague #CzechRepublic is beautiful in the summertime," Michael Cohen wrote on Twitter. "I wouldn’t know as I have never been. #Mueller knows everything!"


Cohen later expanded his denial when pressed twice on Twitter if he had visited the Czech Republic. At first, Democratic operative Scott Dworkin asked "... Have you ever been in the Czech Republic ever? For any reason? At any time? Ever?" Vermont Law School professor Jennifer Taub later chimed in: "Have you ever been to any location within the Czech Republic? Asking for several hundred million friends." Both times, Cohen defiantly said "NO."

On Thursday morning, McClatchy published an investigative report that cited four unnamed "people with knowledge of the matter" who could place Cohen's cell phone in Prague during the summer of 2016. The report also claimed that an Eastern European intelligence agency intercepted a conversation among Russians, one of whom mentioned that Cohen was in Prague. Cohen, then President Donald Trump's personal attorney and longtime fixer, has repeatedly denied visiting the Czech capital, despite claims in former MI6 agent Christopher Steele's dossier that he traveled to the city during the campaign for a secret meeting with Russian officials.

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McClatchy previously reported in April that special counsel Robert Mueller's team had evidence of Cohen traveling to Prague, citing two unnamed "sources familiar with the matter." However, no other news outlet has confirmed their reporting.

Cohen and Trump have since severed ties, in part over Cohen's decision to cooperate Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Prosecutors for Mueller's team praised Cohen for being mostly cooperative during their investigation and for meeting with them seven times.

Even with his cooperation, Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison earlier this month for tax fraud and lying to Congress. He is scheduled to surrender himself to federal authorities on March 6.