NEW YORK  — Michael Cohen, US President Donald Trump's former lawyer, has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate project in Russia.

Cohen made a surprise appearance Thursday in a New York courtroom to enter the plea.

He admitted making false statements in 2017 to a Senate intelligence committee about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.

Cohen said he lied about the timing of the tower negotiations and other details to be consistent with Trump's "political message." In August, Cohen pleaded guilty to other federal charges involving his taxi businesses, bank fraud and his campaign work for Trump.

One of the prosecutors working with Special Counsel Robert Mueller was present in the courtroom.

Cohen has been cooperating with Mueller's probe.

AP