U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III said on Wednesday that Cohen deserved a harsh punishment for crimes including tax evasion, lying to Congress and arranging illicit payments to silence women who posed a risk to Trump's presidential campaign.
[Ads /]
The judge rejected arguments by Cohen's lawyers that he should be spared jail time because he cooperated in multiple federal investigations involving Trump.
RELATED: Who is Donald Trump's personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen?
Cohen said his "blind loyalty" to Trump made him feel a duty to "cover up" the president's "dirty deeds."
[Ads /]
Cohen's crimes included evading $1.4 million in taxes and misleading Congress about his talks with Russians about a Trump skyscraper project in Moscow.
Trump had called for a tough sentence for Cohen, whom he labeled a liar.
Cohen will speak with George Stephanopoulos about what the president has been saying about him recently and his recent sentencing.
Watch the exclusive interview on "Good Morning America" at 7 a.m. ET/PST.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.