Michael Cohen ‘under criminal investigation’: Federal prosecutors
US President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen is “under criminal investigation,” federal prosecutors disclose in a court filing.
The disclosure came in Manhattan federal court on Friday in response to Cohen's motion to block prosecutors from reviewing documents seized in raids of his home and office on Monday.
Documents collected are about a host of issues, including a 2016 payment Cohen made to a porn-star to keep her quiet about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump.
Lawyers for Cohen and Trump, neither of whom was present in court, assert that at least some of the documents are subject to attorney-client privilege, therefore, they should not be viewed by prosecutors until they, or an independent third party appointed by the court, review the material.
On Monday, Stephen Ryan, Cohen's attorney, called the searches "completely inappropriate and unnecessary," saying, they "resulted in the unnecessary seizure of protected attorney client communications between a lawyer and his client."
However, prosecutors said in the court filing that “the searches were authorized by a federal magistrate judge, who had found probable cause to believe that the premises and devices searched contained evidence, fruits, and instrumentalities of conduct for which Cohen is under criminal investigation.”
They also said that their investigation “largely centers on [Cohen’s] personal business dealings” rather than his work as an attorney.
Friday hearing was put on hold until Monday after Joanna Hendon, an attorney for Trump, intervened and requested extra time.
"He as an acute interest in these proceedings," said Hendon, who said was hired Wednesday night.
Cohen has been at the center of a controversy surrounding a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, who has allegedly had sex with Trump in 2006 and was paid money shortly before the 2016 election to say nothing about the affair.
Cohen has also circulated a statement signed by Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, in which the actress denied receiving "hush money" from Trump.
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