Washington, March 1 (RHC)-- On Capitol Hill, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen accused his ex-boss of committing multiple criminal acts before and after he became president, during more than five hours of explosive public testimony before the House Oversight Committee.

Cohen testified that Trump had asked him to pay $130,000 in hush money -- in violation of campaign finance laws -- to adult film star Stormy Daniels just weeks before the 2016 election, offering as evidence a copy of a $35,000 reimbursement check Trump wrote to him in 2017 -- after Trump became president.

Cohen claimed that Trump had advance knowledge that WikiLeaks was preparing to publish a trove of e-mails to hurt Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Cohen also confirmed the president repeatedly checked in about the status of a proposed Trump Tower Moscow project well into the 2016 campaign, despite public claims to the contrary.

Cohen’s testimony came two months before he is scheduled to begin a 3-year prison sentence for lying to Congress, a series of financial crimes and campaign violations. Cohen told Congress he was ashamed of his own failings.

Michael Cohen testified: “I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump’s illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. I am ashamed, because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a con man. And he is a cheat.”