THE OFFICIAL MEA CULPA WITH MICHAEL COHEN ARCHIVE

Mea Cilpa welcomes our good friend Frank Figliuzzi to help us figure out the legal ramification of everything going on in Washington DC. Figliuzzi is a national security contributor and regular columnist for NBC News and MSNBC. At one time, Figliuzzi was the assistant director for counterintelligence at the FBI. He served 25 years as a special agent and directed all espionage investigations across the entire government. He is also the author of the national bestseller “The FBI Way: Inside the Bureau’s Code of Excellence.” Michael and Frank dig into bad cops, gun legislation, and the justice department.

Mea culpa welcomes one of our favorite people from the Lincoln Project, Tara Setmayer. Setmayer is a former CNN political commentator, a contributor to ABC News, and a former GOP Communications Director on Capitol Hill. She's appeared on ABC's The View, ABC's Good Morning America, and HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher. Setmayer was named a Harvard Institute of Politics Spring 2020 Resident Fellow. Also in 2020, she joined The Lincoln Project as a senior advisor. Setmayer hosts the live show "The Breakdown" alongside co-founder Rick Wilson, on the organization's streaming channel, LPTV. Michael and Tara Dig into the up police violence, the cult of Trump, and who will get the Republican nomination.

Mea Culpa welcomes back Jack Cocchiarella. He’s a Gen Z activist and Democratic Digital Strategist. While still in college, he worked to get Charlie Crist elected Florida Governor in the Midterms, a noble effort indeed. Jack has 340,000 followers on Twitter and is a politically astute young person that we can all learn from. Michael and Jack dig deep into the Desantis, voting, the GOP, and the future of democracy.

Mea Culpa welcomes back our good friend Elie Honig, acclaimed author of the National Bestseller, “Hatchet Man: How Bill Barr broke the prosecutor's code and corrupted the Justice Department”. Honig is also a CNN Senior Legal Analyst, and a former federal and state prosecutor. You may also know him from his popular podcasts, “Up Against the Mob” or “Cafe Brief”. As a New Jersey federal prosecutor, Honig directed significant criminal cases against street gangs, arms dealers, and even a few corrupt politicians. He was also an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Where he successfully prosecuted more than 100 members of La Cosa Nostra, including bosses and other high-ranking members of the Gambino and Genovese organized crime families. Honig leverages all his prosecutorial experience to keep the public informed and as fodder for his excellent new book “Untouchable: How Powerful People Get Away With It”. Michael and Elie discuss Rupert Murdock, the Supreme Court, and which case is likely to bring Trump down.

Mea Culpa welcomes for the very first time, Nicolle Wallace of The Nicolle Wallace Show. Wallace is a one-time political operative turned television host and best-selling author. She is currently the anchor of the MSNBC news and politics show, Deadline: White House, and a former co-host of The View alongside her friend and fellow activist, Rosie Perez. Once upon a time, she was a member of the White House staff under George Bush and she campaigned with John McCain during his 2008 bid for the presidency against Barack Obama. Wallace has written 3 best-selling books, including “Madam President” released in 2015. And most recently Wallace was an executive producer on the MSNBC primetime special "Ukraine: Answering the Call", which also served as a fundraiser to support Ukraine in the midst of the Russian invasion. Michael and Nicole, dig deep into the GOP's future, Trump's presidential bid, and McCarthy's reign.

Mea Culpa welcomes a real American hero on, Officer Harry Dunn, of the Washington Capitol police. Dunn is a 13-year veteran of the force and has been a member of the US Capitol police “first responders unit” since 2009. Dunn valiantly protected Congress on the day of the bloody January 6th insurrection. Dunn and several of his colleagues were some of the first to testify before the January 6th Committee, and they remained a powerful presence throughout the historic hearings. Earlier this year, President Biden awarded Dunn the Presidential Citizen’s Metal, a high honor for a humble hero. Michael and Harry talk about January 6th, PTSD, mental health, and the GOP.

Mea Culpa welcomes back the legendary David Corn. Corn, a veteran Washington journalist, is the Bureau Chief of Mother Jones and an on-air analyst for MSMBC. Corn and Michael Isikoff “co-authored, “Russian Roulette, The Inside Story of Putin’s War on America and the Election of Donald Trump”. He’s also the author of four New York Times best-selling books and was the long-time Washington editor for “The Nation”. Check out his twice weekly newsletter “Our Land” that covers the news of the day and delivers his no-BS analysis on everything from DC politics to entertainment — Corn has been published in too many times to name, but his latest bestseller,” American Psychosis: A Historical Investigation of How the Republican Party Went Crazy” is a must-read for anyone interested in history and setting the record straight. Michael and David dig deep into the new GOP reign of the house, Jim Jordan, and the IRS.

Mea Culpa welcomes back, Reed Galen, co-founder of The Lincoln Project and an independent political strategist. A veteran public affairs and political commentator with more than 20 years of experience. Reed has been involved in politics, government, and business at the highest levels. Galen has spent more than a decade advising Fortune 50, 100 and 1000 companies in need of high-level counsel in the fields of strategic communications, procurement, and legislation. In addition to his private sector work, Reed has managed several high-profile ballot measure campaigns in California, Texas, and Colorado – Before moving to the private sector, Reed served as Deputy Campaign Manager for John McCain’s presidential campaign and Deputy Campaign Manager for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s successful 2006 re-election campaign. Galen also worked on both of President George W. Bush campaigns and served the Bush Administration at both the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Department of Homeland Security. Michael and Reed dig into Kevin McCarthy, the documents, George Santos, and immigration.

This week Mea Culpa welcomes the legendary actor, comedian, director, and producer Henry Winkler. Best known for his iconic turn as “The Fonze” on Happy Days and more recently for his Emmy-nominated role on the hit comedy “Barry”, playing beloved acting teacher Gene Cousineau. And before that, he was a staple on “Arrested Development”, “Hank Zipzer” and Winkler even appeared as himself on “Bojack Horseman”. All told, Winkler’s accolades include a Primetime Emmy, two Daytime Emmys, two Golden Globes, and a Critics Choice Award. Not bad. He’s a Yale “School of Drama” Grad and his acting career spans 6 decades. He has performed in both dramatic and comedic roles, in film television, and on stage. Though one might say he is the quintessential character actor. He’s done several pictures with his buddy Adam Sandler including, “Little Nicky” and “Don’t Mess with the Zohan” and has continued to collaborate with his “Happy Day”s cohort, Ron Howard. Journalist Michael Schneider said recently, that "the rumors are true," Winkler is "one of the nicest, most genuine men in all of Hollywood.” Michael and Henry Winkler talk about their family life, their careers, and of course politics.

Mea Culpa welcomes Amanda Moore. Amanda lost her job and made the decision to go undercover into MAGA world on her dime. Amanda went to QAnon events and CPAC, hanging with the Proud Boys and Neo Nazis leading up to the Jan 6, Capitol Riot. Eventually, her cover was blown and Amanda began to share her story. Michael and Amanda dive deep into what Amanda learned from her year undercover.

Mea Culpa welcomes for the first time, The Brooklyn Dad Defiant, otherwise known as BDD. BDD is a left-wing political commentator on Twitter, YouTube, and various other social media platforms. His outspoken defiance and often humorous take on the Trump administration have earned him over 900,000 Twitter followers. Since the riots at the Capitol on January 6, BDD has used his platform to bring attention to GOP lawmakers like Lauren Boebert and Ted Cruz, asking that they face consequences for their actions in connection to the insurrection. He calls himself a proud papa who is perpetually pissed. Michael and the BDD talk about the perils of social media, the first amendment, and the future of Twitter and Elon Musk.

Mea Culpa welcomes back our good friend Norm Eisen. There’s pretty much nothing going on in politics today that Eisen doesn’t have an educated opinion about. Eisen is a CNN Legal Analyst. And the founder and executive chair of “States United Democracy Center”, a nonpartisan organization advancing free, fair, and secure elections. Eisen served as special counsel to President Barack Obama on ethics. In that role, he was dubbed “Mr. No” and the “Ethics Czar” because he's well known for his tough anti-corruption approach to governance. Eisen is also active with the Brookings Institute and other groups working to expose the myriad of ways Trump and others like him broke the law and attempted to overturn the 2020 election. Eisen is also working with the Brookings Institute to help Ukraine recover and thrive once Putin’s war has ended. So, let’s go now to my conversation with Norm Eisen. Michael and Norm dig into Trump's legal woes and what the upcoming year in politics will look like.

Mea Culpa welcomes back to our show, intrepid newsman, Ali Velshi. Host of “Velshi” and seemingly the favorite fill-in host of every other MSNBC Prime Time News Show. Velshi also reported live from the frontlines of the George Floyd protests, and most recently he dodged incoming fire from Russian artillery when he fearlessly reported live from the frontlines in Ukraine. And the Coasts of Florida during the recent Hurricane Ian. concerned citizen of the world, Velshi seems to be everywhere there is an injustice. He has been a contributor at CNN, Al Jazeera America, and NBC to name a few. Velshi is a prolific writer and has written books, articles, and columns for newspapers and monthly publications throughout the northern hemisphere. Michael and Ali dive into voter rights, Trump's legal matters, and potential presidential run.

Mea Culpa welcomes back Mr. “Justice Matters” himself, Glenn Kirschner. Kirschner is a former prosecutor with 30 years of trial experience and with it he brings analysis and insight to legal issues of the day, drawing from his experience as a federal prosecutor, homicide prosecutor, and Army JAG. Glenn is an NBC News contributor and MSNBC legal analyst. He also teaches criminal law at George Washington University. Catch his great shows Capitol Crimes with Glenn Kirschner and Justice Matters on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. Michael and Glenn discuss in-depth Trump's legal woes and the courts.

Mea Culpa welcomes for the first time, Andrew Yang. Yang is an entrepreneur businessman, attorney, lobbyist, and politician, who championed universal basic income during his 2020 run for the presidency. Yang proved to be a surprisingly popular candidate, who developed a following known as the “Yang Gang” during the Democratic primaries, though Yang has since founded his own 3rd party known as the “Forward Party”. Yang was born to Taiwanese parents in New York, graduated from Columbia Law School, became an entrepreneur, founded two nonprofit organizations and was named a “Champion of Change” by the Obama administration. Yang ran for mayor of New York City in 2021 and has shown support for innovative ideas like ranked-choice voting, open primaries, and human-centered capitalism. Michael and Andrew discuss the future of the democratic party and 2024.

Mea Culpa welcomes back our good friend Elie Honig, acclaimed author of the National Bestseller, “Hatchet Man: How Bill Barr broke the prosecutor's code and corrupted the Justice Department”. Honig is also a CNN Senior Legal Analyst, and a former federal and state prosecutor. You may also know him from his popular podcasts, “Up Against the Mob” and/or “Cafe Brief”. As a New Jersey federal prosecutor, Honig directed major criminal cases against street gangs, arms dealers, and even a few corrupt politicians. He was also an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he successfully prosecuted more than 100 members of La Cosa Nostra, including bosses and other high-ranking members of the Gambino and Genovese organized crime families. Honig leverages all his prosecutorial experience to keep the public informed and as fodder for his excellent new book “Untouchable: How Powerful People Get Away With It”. Be sure to pick up a copy when it comes out in January of 2023. Michael and Elie discuss everything from antisemitism, racism, and why powerful people are untouchable.

Mea Culpa welcomes back, Bakari Sellers, a CNN political commentator who made history as the youngest-ever member of the South Carolina State legislature at the age of just twenty-two. Sellers has been named one of the nation's most influential African Americans and became a New York Times best-selling author with his memoir, “My Vanishing Country”. Sellers is known for his sharp political and social analysis informed by his first-hand experience both inside the Democratic Party and as a practicing lawyer and lobbyist. Sellers has tirelessly worked on progressive policies that address issues ranging from education and poverty to preventing domestic violence and childhood obesity. He is seen as one of the rising stars in politics and a sought-after public speaker, who has addressed hundreds of organizations including the NAACP, and the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Michael and Bakari discuss, antisemitism, racism, the new GOP majority in the house, and the direction of the leadership in the Democratic party.

This is a special encore episode of Mea Culpa with Norm Eisen. Michael and Norm dive into the midterms, voter's rights, and Trump's legal woes.

This is a special encore episode of Mea Culpa with Reed Galen. Michael and Reed dive into what the midterms meant and what the future looks like for the GOP.

Mea Culpa welcomes one of the most influential spiritual leaders living today. Sadhguru is the founder and head of the Isha Foundation, based in Coimbatore, India. The foundation, established in 1992, has ashrams and yoga centers all over the world and provides education and spiritual connection for anyone seeking it. Sadhguru has been teaching yoga since 1982. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Inner Engineering: A Yogi's Guide to Joy and Karma: A Yogi's Guide to Crafting Your Destiny and is a frequent speaker at international forums. Sadhguru also advocates for protecting the environment against climate change, leading many initiatives like Project GreenHands, Rally for Rivers, Cauvery Calling, and the Journey to Save Soil. In 2017, he received the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award, for his contributions to spirituality and humanitarian services. Michael and Sadhguru discuss climate change, world leaders, Karma, and how to let go and move on from anger and from being a victim.