Roy Cohn

This article is about the American lawyer. For the Israeli neuroscientist and businessman, see Roy Cohen.

Roy Cohn
Cohn in 1964
Born
Roy Marcus Cohn

(1927-02-20)February 20, 1927
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedAugust 2, 1986(1986-08-02) (aged 59)
Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.
EducationColumbia University (BA, LLB)
OccupationLawyer
Known for
Political partyDemocratic[1]
ParentAlbert C. Cohn
FamilyJoshua Lionel Cowen (great-uncle)[2]

Roy Marcus Cohn (/koʊn/ KOHN; February 20, 1927 – August 2, 1986) was an American lawyer and prosecutor who came to prominence for his role as Senator Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel during the Army–McCarthy hearings in 1954, when he assisted McCarthy's investigations of suspected communists. In the 1970s and during the 1980s, he became a prominent political fixer in New York City.[3][4] He also represented and mentored New York City real estate developer and later U.S. President Donald Trump during his early business career.[5]

Cohn was born in the Bronx in New York City and educated at Columbia University. He rose to prominence as a U.S. Department of Justice prosecutor at the espionage trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, where he successfully prosecuted the Rosenbergs, which led to their conviction and execution in 1953. After his time as prosecuting chief counsel during the McCarthy trials, his reputation deteriorated during the late 1950s to late 1970s after McCarthy's downfall.

In 1986, Cohn was disbarred by the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court for unethical conduct after attempting to defraud a dying client by forcing the client to sign a will amendment leaving him his fortune.[6] He died five weeks later from AIDS-related complications, having vehemently denied that he was HIV-positive.[7]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference NYTObit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Joshua Lionel Cowen". JVL. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  3. ^ Scott, A.O. (September 19, 2019). "'Where's My Roy Cohn?' Review: A Fixer's Progress". The New York Times. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  4. ^ Schaefer, Stephen (September 19, 2019). "Documentary spotlights infamous fixer 'Roy Cohn'". Boston Herald. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  5. ^ "A mentor in shamelessness: the man who taught Trump the power of publicity". The Guardian. London. April 20, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  6. ^ "Cohn Ko'D". Time. July 7, 1986. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved March 15, 2008. One hospital attendant testified in a Florida court that Cohn 'tried to take (Rosenstiel's) hand for him to sign' the codicil to his will. The lawyer eventually emerged with a document bearing what the New York judges described as 'a number of "squiggly" lines which in no way resemble any letters of the alphabet.'
  7. ^ Mower, Joan (August 3, 1986). "Roy Cohn, Ex-Aide to Joseph McCarthy, Dead at 59". Associated Press News. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2019.