Watergate prosecutor explains why Cohen is more damaging to Trump than John Dean was to Nixon

A former Watergate special prosecutor responded to news that Donald Trump's former "fixer" Michael Cohen had been sentenced to three years in prison by discussing his similarities to (and differences from) John Dean.

Dean, ex-Watergate prosecutor Richard Ben-Viniste noted, pleaded guilty and went to jail after agreeing to cooperate and offer information. Cohen, however, has not cooperated to that level -- and also was sentenced for his own crimes that are separate from Trump.

"In the Southern District [of New York, where Cohen was sentenced], you can't go halfway," Ben-Viniste told CNN host Brooke Baldwin. "You can say you're going to cooperate fully and not do it, and he did not."

The prosecutor outlined further differences as well, including that Trump's former attorney has a "lifetime" of evidence against the president and "a variety of different scams unfortunately that have come home to roost."

Cohen's "very significant cooperation" with special counsel Robert Mueller will likely allow him to "get another bite at the apple" of his sentencing down the road.

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