New York Democrat Carolyn Maloney asks Cohen more about the Stormy Daniels payment.

Cohen says he didn't want to use his money originally, but "it got to the point where it was down to the wire".

"Either somebody wire the funds and purchase the life rights to the story from Ms Clifford or it was going to end up being sold to television and that would have embarassed the president and would have interfered with the election."

"I don't expect I'm going to have a source of income when I'm in federal penitentiary," he says when asked about his personal expenses.

He's asked if he has a book deal, but says he does not despite loads of interest from publishers and other media executives.

"If you would tell me who you'd like to play you, I'm happy to write that name down," he tells Republican Mark Green.

Republican Mark Green calls Cohen "a scorned man who's going to prison for lying to Congress."

"Let that sink in - he's going to prison for lying to Congress... and today's he's the majority party's star witness."

"If the Democrats were after the truth they would have an honest person testifying," he says.

"Your star witness here broke the law in regards to the IRS at least five times... he's the best witness you got?"

Image source, Getty Images

"Is it possible the whole [Trump] family is conflicted or compromised with a foreign adversary in the months before the election?" Democrat Debbie Wasserman-Schultz asks.

Cohen says yes.

When asked if Trump is capable of colluding with a foreign government to win the presidency, Cohen slightly dodges the question and says: Trump is all about winning and "will do what is necessary".

"Trump's desire to win would have him work with anyone," Cohen says.

Trump child Eric Trump is also tweeting his live reactions. He posted a video earlier today of Cohen with the title "Have Fun in Prison!"

Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen has given a blistering testimony in front of Congress.

He claimed the president knew beforehand about a leak of hacked Democratic emails.

Trump hit back: "He is lying in order to reduce his prison time."

"You wanted to work in the White House, but you didn't get brought to the dance," Jordan says.

Cohen denies it - saying he was happy to be the personal lawyer and he wasn't suited to a job in the government.

"Here's what I see I see: A guy who worked for ten years...and didn't get a job in the White House and now you're behaving like everyone else who got fired or didn't get the job they wanted like Andy McCabe like James Comey," Jordan hits back.

"Here's the point, chairman just gave you a 30 min opening statement and you have a history of lying over and over and over again and frankly don't take my word for it, take what the court said," Congressman Jordan says.

"Cohen did crimes marked by a pattern of deception and that permeated his professional life."

The representative asks Cohen how he was able to work for the president for 10 years and yet claim all these "bad" things about Mr Trump.

Jim Jordan is asking if all of Cohen's crimes - including personal tax and bank fraud - "were done to protect Donald Trump".

Cohen says no, and adds that he has repaid IRS tax officials.

He asked if the Twitter account Women for Cohen, which Cohen says was set up by a woman working for him, was done to protect the president.

"We were having fun during a stressful time," Cohen says, explaining that the campaign was a hectic time in his life.

"I would note that more than half the people on that site are men," Cohen says.

"Trump wrote you a cheque out of his own personal account, while he was president, to reimburse you for hush money payments?" asks Chairman Cummings.

"Yes," he confirms.

He's then asked if he has any doubt that Trump knew what he was paying for.

"There is no doubt in my mind, and I truly believe there's no doubt in the people of the United States of America," Cohen responds.

Cohen says Trump was always aware of Cohen's negotiations with Stormy Daniels' attorney, Keith Davidson, in 2016.

"What I did each and every time was go straight into Mr Trump's office and discuss the issue with him."

Days before the election, Trump decided to pay the hush money, Cohen says, and then directed him and finance officer Allen Weisselberg to "figure out how to do it".

Cohen thanks House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff and Oversight Chair Elijah Cummings for protecting him and his family against "the attacks by Mr Trump".

"I am not a perfect man. I have done things I am not proud of, and I will live with the consequences of my actions for the rest of my life," Cohen says.

"But today, I get to decide the example I set for my children and how I attempt to change how history will remember me. I may not be able to change the past, but I can do right by the American people here today."

Image source, Getty Images

Cohen addresses issues around his credibility by apologising again to the nation, saying he has lied, but he is not a liar.

"I have done bad things, but I am not a bad man. I have fixed things, but I am no longer your 'fixer,' Mr Trump."

"And I have never asked for, nor would I accept, a pardon from President Trump. And, by coming today, I have caused my family to be the target of personal, scurrilous attacks by the President and his lawyer – trying to intimidate me from appearing before this panel."

Cohen says Trump has labelled him a "rat" for "choosing to tell the truth - much like a mobster would do".

Image source, Getty Images

Cohen testifies that the president frequently told him and others that Donald Trump Jr "had the worst judgment of anyone in the world".

No reaction from the president's eldest son yet, but his Twitter account clearly proves that he is watching the hearing.

Cohen slams Trump for his past on Vietnam.

He reminds lawmakers that during the 2016 campaign, Trump said he did not consider Vietnam veteran and prisoner of war Senator John McCain "a hero" because he didn't like people who get captured.

"At the same time, Mr Trump tasked me to handle the negative press surrounding his medical deferment from the Vietnam draft," Cohen says.

"Mr Trump claimed it was because of a bone spur, but when I asked for medical records, he gave me none and said there was no surgery. He told me not to answer the specific questions by reporters but rather offer simply the fact that he received a medical deferment."

Cohen says Trump told him: "'You think I’m stupid, I wasn’t going to Vietnam'".

"I find it ironic, President Trump, that you are in Vietnam right now.

Image source, Getty Images

Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz, who deleted a tweet threatening to expose compromising information about Cohen after a fierce backlash, appears to be the only lawmaker in attendance that is not a member of the Oversight Committee.

He's been standing with his back against the wall, watching as Cohen testifies.

Cohen says Trump is a conman who "declares himself brilliant, but directed [Cohen] to threaten his high school, his colleges, and the College Board to never release his grades or SAT scores."

"The irony wasn’t lost on me at the time that Mr Trump in 2011 had strongly criticised President Obama for not releasing his grades."

Image source, Getty Images

Cohen asks lawmakers to picture this: His first meeting with Trump in the White House, in February 2017.

"It’s truly awe-inspiring, he’s showing me around and pointing to different paintings, and he says to me something to the effect of…Don’t worry, Michael, your January and February reimbursement checks are coming."

"They were FedExed from New York and it takes a while for that to get through the White House system. As he promised, I received the first check for the reimbursement of $70,000 not long thereafter."

Cohen says Trump is a conman for asking him to pay off an adult film star and then lie to his wife about it.

He claims Trump directed him to use personal funds to pay off Stormy Daniels "to avoid any money being traced back to him that could negatively impact".

"I am going to jail in part because of my decision to help Mr Trump hide that payment from the American people before they voted a few days later," Cohen says.

Cohen then offers up a copy of a $35,000 cheque Trump sent him from his personal account while he was president to repay him for that hush money.