In this Dec. 16, 2016, photo, attorney Michael Cohen arrives at Trump Tower for meetings with then President-elect Donald Trump. | Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images Trump Organization lawyer expected to appear before House investigators

Michael Cohen, a longtime Donald Trump attorney and close business associate, is expected to appear in front of House investigators in upcoming weeks, according to sources briefed on the Hill investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Cohen is planning to testify privately, one of these people said, though a specific date hasn't been set. Cohen has provided reams of documents to investigators and is expected to provide more before the testimony, two people said.


Cohen has become a key player in the matter after emails showed he tried to reach Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, over a Trump building project in Russia during the presidential campaign. The project never came together, and sources say Cohen used a mass email account that no one checked.

His emails have also come under scrutiny because of his contact with Felix Sater, a Russian-born developer, who pledged in one email that a deal could "help Donald get elected." The emails show extensive communication between Sater and Cohen, one person familiar with the contents said.

Cohen, who worked for the Trump Organization, was among Trump's closest associates before he became president and often talked to Trump multiple times a day. White House officials say their relationship has grown more distant since Trump became president, though Cohen has visited the White House on occasion. "People don't want him talking to the Trump Tower guys," one senior White House official said.

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Stephen Ryan, Cohen's lawyer, said he was cooperating fully but declined to comment on potential testimony. A House Intelligence Committee spokeswoman declined to comment.

Cohen is also among witnesses who could be called to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is also investigating the 2016 election.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday that she had no concerns about the emails and wasn't sure whether the president knew about Cohen's attempted contact with the Russian government.