Posted April 9, 2018, 3:27 pm CDT
Michael Cohen.
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
FBI raids office of Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, reportedly seizes records on payment to porn star
Criminal Justice
Updated: The FBI on Monday raided the office of Michael Cohen, the personal lawyer for President Donald Trump, according to Cohen's lawyer, Stephen Ryan.
Citing an anonymous person briefed on the search, New York Times reported that the FBI seized records relating to Cohen’s payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels as well as documents on other topics. The Washington Post followed with its own story.
Cohen has previously said he paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels, who has alleged a sexual encounter with Trump.
An anonymous source tells the Washington Post that Cohen is being investigated for possible bank fraud, wire fraud and campaign finance violations. Cohen was previously a lawyer for the Trump Organization, but he left that position in January 2017 and became Trump’s personal lawyer.
Ryan said the government had seized privileged communications, and the search was “completely inappropriate and unnecessary.”
Ryan said Cohen has cooperated with authorities and has turned over thousands of documents to congressional committees investigating Russian influence in the election.
Ryan said he was advised that the raid was the result of a referral by the office of special counsel Robert Mueller. According to the Times, the search doesn’t appear directly related to Mueller’s probe of Russian influence, but it was likely precipitated by information uncovered by the special counsel.
The anonymous source briefed on the search told the Times that the Daniels payment is one of many topics being investigated. Also seized were emails, tax documents and business records. The seized records also included communications between Trump and Cohen, which would likely require a review to protect attorney-client conversations, the Times reported.
Squire Patton Boggs had announced a “strategic alliance” with Cohen a year ago, but the law firm said Monday that the arrangement had “reached its conclusion, mutually and in accordance with the terms of the agreement.” The National Law Journal has a story.
“We have been in contact with federal authorities regarding their execution of a warrant relating to Mr. Cohen. These activities do not relate to the firm and we are in full cooperation,” Squire Patton Boggs said in a statement.
The raid was conducted at Cohen’s Rockefeller Center offices and at a hotel where Cohen was staying, according to the National Law Journal.
Trump told reporters at the White House that the raid is “a disgraceful situation,” Politico reports.
“I have this witch hunt constantly going on,” Trump said. “It’s an attack on our country in a true sense.”
Story updated at 5:10 p.m. to report that Cohen is reportedly being investigated for possible bank fraud and campaign finance violations. Story updated at 5:20 p.m. to report on end of strategic alliance with Squire Patton Boggs. Updated at 5:40 p.m. to include statement by Trump. Updated 6:14 p.m. to correctly attribute assertions to unnamed source.
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