FBI raids home and office of Trump's personal lawyer

[Mormolyce]

FBI raids offices, home of Trump's personal lawyer: sources

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Monday raided the offices and home of U.S. President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen, law enforcement sources said, in a dramatic new development in a series of probes involving close Trump associates.

Cohen’s lawyer, Stephen M. Ryan, said that U.S. prosecutors conducted a search that was partly a referral by the Office of Special Counsel, Robert Mueller.

Mueller is investigating whether members of Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with Russia during the U.S. presidential election. Trump has called the probe a “witch hunt” and denied any collusion.

The raid could increase legal pressure on the president, because it involves the records of his longtime attorney and indicates a second center of investigations in Manhattan, alongside Mueller’s Washington-based probe.

Cohen has been at the center of a controversy over a $130,000 payment he has admitted making shortly before the 2016 election to porn star Stormy Daniels, who has said that she had sex once with Trump in 2006 and was paid to keep quiet about it.

Trump reacted with unusually harsh language to news of the raid.

“It’s a disgraceful situation. It’s a total witch hunt. I’ve been saying it for a long time,” Trump said at the opening of a meeting with military and national security advisers to discuss Syria.

Asked whether he would fire Mueller, Trump said, “Well, I think it’s a disgrace what’s going on. We’ll see what happens.”

Trump cannot fire Mueller directly, but he could order Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the special counsel’s probe, to end it, or Trump could fire Rosenstein if he refuses.

In a Tweet, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer warned Trump against interfering.

“If @realDonaldTrump is thinking of using the FBI raid to fire Special Counsel Mueller or otherwise interfere with the chain of command in the Russia probe, we Democrats have one simple message for him: don’t,” Schumer said.

Under federal regulations, if Mueller comes across information that is not directly related to his Russia-focused investigation, he must confer with Rosenstein. Rosenstein could direct Mueller to either investigate the issue himself or refer it to another law enforcement authority.

The raids were first reported by The New York Times.

POSSIBLE BANK, TAX FRAUD
“Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York executed a series of search warrants and seized the privileged communications between my client, Michael Cohen, and his clients,” Ryan said in a statement.

“I have been advised by federal prosecutors that the New York action is, in part, a referral by the Office of Special Counsel, Robert Mueller,” Ryan said.

Federal prosecutors are investigating Cohen for possible bank and tax fraud, and for possible campaign law violation in connection with the Stormy Daniels payment, and perhaps other matters having to do with foreign support to Trump’s 2016 campaign, a second source familiar with the investigation said.

The New York Times reported on Monday evening that Mueller is investigating a $150,000 payment made in September 2015 by a Ukrainian billionaire, Viktor Pinchuk, to Trump’s charitable foundation in exchange for a 20-minute video appearance by Trump at a conference in Kiev.

Cohen solicited the Pinchuk donation, the Times reported, citing three sources it said were briefed on the matter, although it was not immediately clear if Monday’s raids sought information on that issue.

Trump had declared his candidacy for president in June 2015.

Cohen did not immediately respond to Reuters for a request for comment on the raids. A spokesman for Mueller had no comment.

Cohen has said that he paid the $130,000 settlement money to Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, from his own pocket through a personal home equity loan. Trump, in comments to reporters on Air Force One last week, said that he did not know about the payment.

According to a person familiar with the matter, FBI agents executed a search warrant at the New York offices of the law firm Squire Patton Boggs on the 23rd floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where Cohen has an office.

The agents went there about 9:00 or 9:30 a.m. and worked for several hours, the person said.

A source familiar with the investigation said the raid was conducted without prior warning.

Federal agents also raided a room at the Loews Regency Hotel on Park Avenue in Manhattan where Cohen has been staying while his apartment is being renovated, The New York Times reported, citing an unnamed person.

The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s office on Monday also sought any emails between former White House communications director Hope Hicks and Cohen about a false and misleading account that Trump helped prepare of a June 9, 2016, meeting between Trump’s son Donald Trump, Jr. and son-in-law Jared Kushner and a group of Russians who had promised “dirt” on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, the first source familiar with the investigation said.

Such emails would not be covered by attorney-client privilege, this source said, because Cohen did not represent Hicks.

Ryan, in his statement, called the search warrants executed by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan “completely inappropriate and unnecessary.”

“It resulted in the unnecessary seizure of protected attorney client communications between a lawyer and his clients,” he said.

Attorney-client privilege is intended to encourage open communications between lawyers and their clients, so that lawyers can provide sound legal advice.

But the privilege is not absolute, and there is an exception for communications made to further a crime.

“The crime-fraud exception means the privilege does not apply to communications between the client and the attorney, if they are evidence of an ongoing crime or fraud, not just a past crime or fraud,” said Christopher Slobogin, a professor at Vanderbilt Law School specializing in criminal procedure and evidence.

A spokesman for Squire Patton Boggs said in a statement that its arrangement with Cohen is ending.

“The firm’s arrangement with Mr. Cohen reached its conclusion, mutually and in accordance with the terms of the agreement,” the statement said. “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.”

Ryan said that Cohen has cooperated with authorities and turned over thousands of documents to congressional investigators for their own probes into Moscow’s alleged efforts to influence the U.S. election.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-u...-idUSKBN1HH066

Don't worry guys, Trump isn't a target. LOL.

[zenkai]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41419191

[cubby]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41419191

If they have enough goods on Cohen that he starts cooperating . . . this guy is Trump's fixer. He would literally know where the bodies are buried. And while this raid was federal, with plenty of state charges possible, a Pardon ain't gonna help.

I bet Mueller has that state-charges-aren't-Pardonable speech down pat by now.

[Stop Pretending]

https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...gation/page370

Already having a lengthy discussion about it here.

[Milchshake]

If they have enough goods on Cohen that he starts cooperating . . . this guy is Trump's fixer. He would literally know where the bodies are buried. And while this raid was federal, with plenty of state charges possible, a Pardon ain't gonna help.

I bet Mueller has that state-charges-aren't-Pardonable speech down pat by now.

Would Cohen really roll over? The same Cohen that "would take a bullet for Trump"?



Honestly, Cohen deserves a thread in his own right. Having his own public persona making numerous media appearances.

Then there's all the statements Cohen's lawyer makes. There's a law school in New Jersey that's hella embarrassed at this point.

[Shadowferal]

...so yesterday

[cubby]

Would Cohen really roll over? The same Cohen that "would take a bullet for Trump"?



Honestly, Cohen deserves a thread in his own right. Having his own public persona making numerous media appearances.

Then there's all the statements Cohen's lawyer makes. There's a law school in New Jersey that's hella embarrassed at this point.

That is a good question - he has said many things that would imply, ala Manafort, that he won't be turnin' states' evidence. However, if he's looking at the rest of his life in jail, and a NY State jail at that, he might change his tune.

Arrest him and put him in Rikers. See how much he likes the food.

[Deleted]

It's a total witch hunt, just read the President's tweets. We will not accept that, nobody will take this president away!

[Edge-]

It's a total witch hunt, just read the President's tweets. We will not accept that, nobody will take this president away!

Listen and believe, indeed.

[Xeones]

It's a total witch hunt, just read the President's tweets. We will not accept that, nobody will take this president away!

You know until he fires him and makes the blue wave in november even bigger.

[Kujako]

"I've never met him before, I don't even know his name, in fact, what even is a lawyer?" - Trump

[zEmini]

It's a total witch hunt, just read the President's tweets. We will not accept that, nobody will take this president away!

But he is some what correct. FBI, CNN and various other interest groups are out to get him because they can't stand he won the election.

I am still confused on why these interest groups have spent so much time and money with absolutely nothing to really show for it. So a few people who broke the law have been indicted, but CNN makes it out like Trump is working with the Russians and planning world domination. It is getting old and now you have the FBI breaching Client/Attorney privilege n order to get basically nothing.

I am still waiting on hard evidence, and plenty of other Politicians have done worse and nothing happened.

[Vizardlorde]

"I've never met him before, I don't even know his name, in fact, what even is a lawyer?" - Trump

he was a coffee boy!

[Xeones]

But he is some what correct. FBI, CNN and various other interest groups are out to get him because they can't stand he won the election.

I am still confused on why these interest groups have spent so much time and money with absolutely nothing to really show for it. So a few people who broke the law have been indicted, but CNN makes it out like Trump is working with the Russians and planning world domination. It is getting old and now you have the FBI breaching Client/Attorney privilege n order to get basically nothing.

I am still waiting on hard evidence.

Factual reporting about a criminal administration is just making stuff up now!

[Blamblam41]

Why do the russain bo- I mean 'woke independents' avoid threads like these?

[Xeones]

Why do the russain bo- I mean 'woke independents' avoid threads like these?

You haven't seen the "nothing to see here" posts?

They hand wave away reality like pros.

[Blamblam41]

But he is some what correct. FBI, CNN and various other interest groups are out to get him because they can't stand he won the election.

I am still confused on why these interest groups have spent so much time and money with absolutely nothing to really show for it. So a few people who broke the law have been indicted, but CNN makes it out like Trump is working with the Russians and planning world domination. It is getting old and now you have the FBI breaching Client/Attorney privilege n order to get basically nothing.

I am still waiting on hard evidence, and plenty of other Politicians have done worse and nothing happened.

An on going investigation is not going to disclose you, the public, or any defense of its on going investigation matters until the investigation has concluded. Hey, he might be exonerated like Hilary was and Trump continues to let her be because he has no muscle left on his personally appointed FBI director.

Or we are going to go down this rabbit hole and see exactly why career Republicans like Mueller, Wray and so many others would put their livelihoods on the line against #45. It begins, once again, I guess.

- - - Updated - - -

You haven't seen the "nothing to see here" posts?

They hand wave away reality like pros.

'If I pretend hard enough, every news organization is just fake. I have to discern the levels of fakeness.'

I mean, I can see it if they are the type that believe we live in a simulation.

[cubby]

But he is some what correct. FBI, CNN and various other interest groups are out to get him because they can't stand he won the election.

I am still confused on why these interest groups have spent so much time and money with absolutely nothing to really show for it. So a few people who broke the law have been indicted, but CNN makes it out like Trump is working with the Russians and planning world domination. It is getting old and now you have the FBI breaching Client/Attorney privilege n order to get basically nothing.

I am still waiting on hard evidence, and plenty of other Politicians have done worse and nothing happened.

Are you for real? I can't tell if you're joking or not. Are you "still waiting" for the investigation to conclude? Do you even know how investigations work?

Did you just conclude that the FBI raid resulted in "nothing" even though it happened yesterday? Do you read your stuff before you post it?

[zEmini]

Factual reporting about a criminal administration is just making stuff up now!

Bias reporting with facts sure.

- - - Updated - - -

Are you for real? I can't tell if you're joking or not. Are you "still waiting" for the investigation to conclude? Do you even know how investigations work?

Did you just conclude that the FBI raid resulted in "nothing" even though it happened yesterday? Do you read your stuff before you post it?

I am just not holding my breath for anything substantial to come out of it.

[Blamblam41]

Bias reporting with facts sure.

What's a fact to you? Describe in grave detail what a modern day, news cycle political fact is. You seem to have something everyone else lacks.