A federal judge announced on Wednesday that Michael Cohen will not face repercussions for referencing inaccurate legal cases in a court filing generated by artificial intelligence.
Cohen, formerly a lawyer and fixer for President Trump, is currently on supervised release after confessing to tax and campaign finance infractions. Despite his repeated pleas for a reduced sentence, Cohen’s latest attempt involved submitting false case citations, which he later revealed were produced by Bard, a Google chatbot.
In a 13-page ruling rejecting Cohen’s third bid for early termination of supervised release, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman criticized the misleading citations as “embarrassing and truly careless.” However, the judge determined that Cohen, who claimed ignorance of AI functionality and lack of intent to mislead, did not act in “bad faith.” Consequently, neither Cohen nor his attorney, David Schwartz, will face sanctions.
Michael Cohen’s Use of AI-Generated Fake Legal Citations
Michael Cohen acknowledged mistakenly sharing fabricated legal case references he obtained electronically with his attorney before submitting them to a New York court. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
Judge Furman expressed trust in Cohen’s assertion that he believed the false cases were genuine. Considering the risks involved, it would have been illogical for Schwartz to include the erroneous citations in the motion without verifying them, as highlighted by Furman.
Cohen stated in a sworn statement from December that he came across the counterfeit citations through Google Bard, an AI tool he utilized for advanced searches. He admitted his lack of awareness regarding the nuances of legal technology and believed Google Bard to be a potent search engine, not realizing its capability to generate deceptive citations.
In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to various charges including tax evasion, campaign finance violations, and perjury, serving a prison term before transitioning to supervised release. Additionally, he was disbarred.
Michael Cohen’s Testimony in Trump’s Civil Fraud Trial
A smartphone displaying the Google AI logo with Gemini in the background. (Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Cohen’s recent plea to terminate his supervised release cited significant changes following his testimony in Trump’s civil fraud trial. He admitted to inflating Trump’s assets as directed while employed at the Trump Organization.
Schwartz highlighted Cohen’s extensive cross-examination and publicized testimony as evidence of his remorse and commitment to upholding the law. However, Judge Furman deemed Cohen’s testimony as a reason to reject his motion, emphasizing inconsistencies in his statements under oath.
Michael Cohen’s Failed Attempt to Reduce Sentence
A federal judge rejected Michael Cohen’s fourth request for a sentence reduction related to tax and campaign finance crimes. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images)
Furman underscored the gravity of Cohen’s sworn testimony, labeling it more concerning than his previous public statements. The judge emphasized Cohen’s evolving efforts to evade accountability for his crimes as indicative of the necessity for deterrence.
Despite requests for comment, Cohen’s attorney did not respond immediately.
This report includes contributions from Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson.
