Michael Cohen's business partner, Evgeny Freidman, agrees to cooperate as part of plea deal: NYT

Evgeny Freidman, a business partner of President Donald Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

That cooperation by the "Taxi King" Freidman could spell very bad news for Cohen, who is the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation by federal prosecutors in New York City.

The Times suggested that Freidman's cooperation "could be used as leverage to pressure Cohen to work with the special counsel," Robert Mueller, "examining Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election."

Freidman, 46, pleaded guilty Tuesday to evading taxes in court in Albany County. He agreed to pay restitution and judgments totaling $5 million to New York State, according to New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood.