A spokesman for Cohen said today the conversation with Madigan was in the form of “valued advice from a political veteran.
“Scott really values his advice,” said Cohen spokesman Baxter Swilley.
There were no ultimatums or incentives, but Madigan explained to Cohen “the trajectory of how the race would go” if he remained in, and that if he got out now he may be able to salvage a future in politics, Swilley said.
Swilley said the conversation left open the idea that if Cohen helped the party control the damage, he could begin to rebuild his name and move on, perhaps running for public office down the road.
Cohen asked Madigan for help recouping the millions he spent on his campaign. Madigan made no such offer, Swilley said, but Cohen views the matter as an “open discussion.”
“We are certainly going to ask for help,” he said. “We’re going to ask them to help us with some fundraisers.”
Swilley said Cohen wants to continue holding job fairs, like the ones he publicized in his expensive campaign ad blitz.
The initial thought of many was how to knock this guy out. Despite all of his flaws, Cohen appears to be a somewhat genuine guy and it appears a fairly frank, but cordial conversation is what got him out. Speaking softly often is the right way to go and the Speaker deserves credit for this effort.
Can Cohen run for office again?
Probably. He will need to clear up all of the garbage that has come out and start at a lower rung, but anything is possible.