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Trump’s Playmate a focus of raid
THE FBI RAID of President Trump’s lawyer’s office targeted information about payments related to the commander-in-chief’s alleged affairs, the publisher of The National Enquirer and the attorney’s taxi medallions, according to reports.
Agents swept through Michael Cohen’s office and Park Ave. hotel room on Monday, yanking records and files related to the longtime fixer’s boss.
The warrant sought records on former Playmate Karen McDougal, adult film star Stormy Daniels and the money used to keep them quiet — along with information about Cohen’s taxi-owning history, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
Multiple sources familiar with the matter told NBC News that Daniels has started cooperating with the federal investigators looking into Cohen’s hush payments.
The President exploded in response to the Monday raids, claiming that FBI agents “broke in” and accusing agents of violating the attorneyclient privilege.
But Cohen disputed Trump’s characterization.
“I am unhappy to have my personal residence and office raided. But I will tell you that members of the FBI that conducted the search and seizure were all extremely professional, courteous and respectful,” Cohen told CNN. “I thanked them at the conclusion.”
Asked if the raid had him worried, Cohen responded: “I would be lying to you if I told you that I am not. Do I need this in my life? No. Do I want to be involved in this? No.”
Geoffrey Berman, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney for New York’s Southern District, is recused from the investigation into Cohen, ABC News reported Tuesday.
Berman, who was personally interviewed by the President before being named to the position, was not involved in the decision to raid Cohen’s workplace.
Berman was appointed after the President fired Preet Bharara and numerous other U.S. attorneys last year. Berman has not been formally nominated and has not been confirmed as U.S. attorney. The raid was handled by others in the office and signed off on by a federal judge after getting the green light from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, according to reports. A search warrant for a lawyer’s office is a measure of last resort because of problems posed by the attorney-client privilege, according to the Justice Department’s manual for federal prosecutors. But prosecutors must have persuaded a judge to authorize the search by showing they had probable cause of criminal activity and would likely find evidence of wrongdoing in a search.
The Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office declined comment.
At the heart of the action was a referral from special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to sway the 2016 election.
The White House ominously hinted that Trump feels he has the authority to fire Mueller should the mood strike him.
Trump, a day earlier, called Mueller’s investigation “an attack on our country.”
The FBI declined to comment in the investigation.
Stephen Ryan, Cohen’s attorney who didn’t return the Daily News’ request for comment Tuesday, previously called Monday’s raid “completely inappropriate and unnecessary.”
McDougal sued American Media