FBI raids office of Trump’s lawyer
Privileged communications seized, ‘in part’ on behalf of special counsel
FBI agents raided the New York offices of Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, and other related locations Monday, raising the specter that federal authorities are reviewing the president’s actions far beyond the ongoing investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections.
Attorney Stephen Ryan, who represents Cohen, confirmed the searches, indicating that agents were acting in part on a referral by Russia special counsel Robert Mueller to federal prosecutors in New York – related to issues separate from the Russia investigation.
“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 called the action “completely inappropriate and unnecessary.”
“It resulted in the unnecessary seizure of protected attorney-client communications between a lawyer and his
“It’s total witch hunt. It’s an attack on our country in the true sense ...” President Donald Trump
clients,” Ryan said. “These government tactics are also wrong because Mr. Cohen has cooperated completely with all government entities, including providing thousands of non-privileged documents to the Congress and sitting for depositions under oath.”
Trump angrily seized on the development Monday, calling the action “a disgraceful situation.”
“It’s total witch hunt,” the president said at the White House. “It’s an attack on our country in the true sense ... what we all stand for.”
Trump went on to revive his criticism of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, reiterating that he never would have appointed the former Alabama senator had he known he would have recused himself from the Russia inquiry.
Sessions’ recusal from overseeing the Russia investigation ultimately led to the appointment of Mueller.
Trump also intimated that he might be considering firing Mueller.
“Many people have said you should fire him,” Trump said of Mueller. “We’ll see what happens.”
Ryan did not detail what communications were sought, but Cohen has acknowledged using his own money to “facilitate” a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels just days before the 2016 election.
Cohen has said he was not reimbursed by either the Trump campaign or the Trump Organization. Last week, Trump denied knowing about the payment, telling reporters on Air Force One that he didn’t know where the hush money came from.
If Cohen used his own money and acted without Trump’s knowledge, it could be considered an illegal contribution to Trump’s campaign and put him in legal jeopardy. In addition, legal ethics rules bar attorneys from settling a claim without their clients’ knowledge or using their own money to fund settlements.
The watchdog group Common Cause had filed complaints earlier this year with the Justice Department and the Federal Election Commission, asking the agencies to investigate the payment as a possible violation of campaign-finance laws.
Paul Ryan, the group’s vice president of policy and litigation, said he felt vindicated now that the Justice Department is pursuing Cohen.
“I’m happy to see the DOJ is doing its job,” Ryan told USA TODAY on Monday. “Donald Trump said he knew nothing about the payment to Stormy Daniels. The FBI will now quickly get to the bottom of whether Trump lied to the American people when he said no knowledge about Michael Cohen’s payment to Stormy Daniels.”
Michael Avenatti, a lawyer representing Daniels, said Cohen had been “placed in the cross-hairs by Mr. Trump.”
“He has been set-up to take the fall,” Avenatti said in a statement.
The raids were first reported by The New York Times.