FBI raid on Trump's lawyer sought details on payments to women - source

[webfact]

FBI raid on Trump's lawyer sought details on payments to women - source

By John Walcott and Jeff Mason

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 9, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - FBI agents who raided the offices of U.S. President Donald Trump's personal attorney were looking for details about "arrangements, agreements and payments" related to two women who have said they had sexual relationships with Trump, a source said on Tuesday.

 

In its search targeting attorney Michael Cohen on Monday, the FBI was looking for information on payments to adult-film star Stormy Daniels, who received a $130,000 payment from Cohen in exchange for signing a non-disclosure agreement, and Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model, the source said.

 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation searches of Cohen's office and home, which Trump denounced on Monday as disgraceful, were a dramatic new development in a series of probes involving associates of the Republican president.

 

The raids were related to a federal investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and possible collusion by Trump campaign aides.

 

The New York Times, which first reported on the news about the women, said the search warrant sought information about McDougal, who was paid $150,000 by the parent company to tabloid newspaper The National Enquirer, which then withheld a story about her relationship with Trump.

 

Trump, a New York businessman before he became president, is close to the company's chief executive.

 

A source familiar with the matter confirmed the FBI was looking into the payments, including the Enquirer connection, but said they were "not the main focus of that part of the investigation."

 

Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, has sued Cohen to be released from a nondisclosure agreement over an alleged 2006 one-night stand with Trump. McDougal has said she had a longer affair with him. Trump officials have denied he had relations with either woman.

 

The source said investigators were looking into whether there was a broader pattern of tax fraud, wire fraud, tax evasion, money laundering and other crimes in Cohen’s private dealings, including his work for Trump and some real estate transactions that involved Russian buyers and prices that appeared to be well above market values.

 

Angry over the raids targeting Cohen, Trump reprised his attacks on law enforcement in two brief Twitter messages on Tuesday. He lamented that "attorney-client privilege is dead," and denounced a "total witch hunt," apparently restating his long-held view of Mueller's investigation. He did not elaborate.

 

The New York Times reported that the searches enraged Trump and that he was said to be considering firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein signed off on the raid, according to officials familiar with the investigation.

 

"The raid is seismic," Democratic U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a former U.S. attorney, told MSNBC on Tuesday, adding that such FBI searches indicate the possibility that a crime was committed.

 

'SUICIDE' TO TRY TO REMOVE MUELLER

 

The Russia investigation has dogged Trump since he took office last year, prompting him to publicly criticize Attorney General Jeff Sessions for recusing himself from the probe, and to suggest periodically that he might try to have Mueller dismissed.

 

Monday's events renewed concerns that Trump could try to act against Mueller, who was appointed last year by Rosenstein. Critics have said that if Trump tried to remove Mueller it would amount to interference in the investigation.

 

Republican and Democratic lawmakers urged Trump not to fire Mueller.

 

"It would be suicide for the president to want to talk about firing Mueller. The less the president said on this whole thing, the better off he would be, the stronger his presidency would be," Republican U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley said in an interview on the Fox Business Network.

 

Grassley is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is among congressional panels conducting their own Russia probes.

 

"It would be the worst thing he could possibly do," said Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein. U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer renewed a call by his party for bipartisan legislation to protect the U.S. special counsel.

 

Moscow has denied U.S. intelligence agencies' findings that it meddled in the 2016 presidential campaign and sought to tilt the race in Trump's favour. Trump has denied any collusion by his campaign.

 

'EXTRAORDINARY ACT'

 

Cohen's lawyer, Stephen M. Ryan, said on Monday prosecutors seized communications between Cohen and his clients based in part on a referral by Mueller.

 

The attorney-client privilege that Trump referred to 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.

 

Frank Montoya, a former senior FBI official, said it was extremely rare for the bureau to get the authority to search a lawyer's office, let alone a residence.

 

"No question, a search warrant for a lawyer is an extraordinary act," he told Reuters. "Factor in that, in this instance, it was the president's own attorney. Unprecedented."

 

Montoya said the warrant regarding Cohen would have required rigorous scrutiny above and beyond the normal warrant process.

 

"Everyone involved in this process, including the judge who signed the warrant, understood the scrutiny that would follow its execution," he said.

 

"As such, everyone in the process would have done their damnedest to make the warrant as bulletproof as possible."

 

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and John Walcott; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Nathan Layne, Amanda Becker, Makini Brice; Editing by Frances Kerry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-04-11

[ThreeEyedRaven]

Interesting. 20 years after the  event, we still see Bill Clinton getting slammed by Republicans for his infidelity. Raiding the Presidents lawyer is as mentioned above, unprecedented and lends serious credence to the fact that Donald is a philanderer. If they were morally outraged enough to care about Bill, why are the same people not being outspoken here? Or is just morally reprehensible if you are a Democrat?

[janclaes47]

1 minute ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

Interesting. 20 years after the  event, we still see Bill Clinton getting slammed by Republicans for his infidelity. Raiding the Presidents lawyer is as mentioned above, unprecedented and lends serious credence to the fact that Donald is a philanderer. If they were morally outraged enough to care about Bill, why are the same people not being outspoken here? Or is just morally reprehensible if you are a Democrat?

Clinton's infidelity happened while he was in office, Trumps suspected infidelity happened decades before he was elected.

[Expatthailover]

Rule of law don.

Getting that warrant would have meant extreme scrutiny being applied.

As ye shall sow so shall ye reap

[car720]

16 minutes ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

Interesting. 20 years after the  event, we still see Bill Clinton getting slammed by Republicans for his infidelity. Raiding the Presidents lawyer is as mentioned above, unprecedented and lends serious credence to the fact that Donald is a philanderer. If they were morally outraged enough to care about Bill, why are the same people not being outspoken here? Or is just morally reprehensible if you are a Democrat?

I still think poor Hugh Grant should have learned from Bill Clinton.

[ThreeEyedRaven]

17 minutes ago, janclaes47 said:

Clinton's infidelity happened while he was in office, Trumps suspected infidelity happened decades before he was elected.

Suspected infidelity? Oh, that's good. To get a warrant to search the Presidents lawyers office and home, which I repeat was described as unprecedented and that the warrant was also described as having to be bulletproof, would suggest that the FBI believe said infidelity is a sure thing. Along with the general masses I would add. I think some though would still be in denial if they saw some of it on video.

It does bring in to question though when being morally bankrupt is acceptable? Doing so when President is undeniably wrong. But to elect someone with the same philandering tendencies, which seem to have stretched back many many years, beginning decades back, but continuing until quite recently, is acceptable is it? You are either morally sound, or you are not.

Edited April 11, 2018 by ThreeEyedRaven

[RobFord]

Hey, the $130,000 he doesn’t know about was paid for something that didn’t happen before he was president. 

 

Whats the problem?

 

 

[pedro01]

Almost a year since the investigation into collusion was started.

 

No evidence of collusion.

 

Instead - an attempt to get Trump on what is essentially a technicality. That a pay off to get a tart to keep her mouth shut was a campaign contribution.

 

Now - we all know that it wasn't a campaign contribution, we all know it's a technicality, we all know that Mueller is doing nothing more than digging in all directions looking for dirt on Trump.

 

Let's say Mueller is successful - that he finds some dirt on Trump in the attorney files... It leads to Trump being ousted.... the people on the left will be ecstatic - their 'noble' cause to oust Trump (because, after all - Trump voters are stupid) is going to backfire on them. The people that voted for Trump are going to be very unhappy. It's going to be a crisis, there will be violence across America as those on the right feel disenfranchised.

 

Even as people read this post, they are formulating insults to reply to me. They are gathering all their hateful speech about Trump and his base.

 

The level of hatred from the left is bordering on insanity. Cooler heads need to prevail. The Democrats need new leadership. Not nutty Pelosi, not whiney Clinton and not Crazy Bernie - but someone new & well balanced, someone people can relate to. More of a centrist.Get that guy in at the Dems and Trump is finished... But nope.... it's slash and burn, whine and attack. 

 

Politics has gone off the rails completely.

[quandow]

In New York, if you perform a legal action for a client without their consent, you get disbarred. And we all KNOW how loyal Trump is to the hired help.

[Becker]

15 minutes ago, pedro01 said:

Almost a year since the investigation into collusion was started.

 

No evidence of collusion.

 

Instead - an attempt to get Trump on what is essentially a technicality. That a pay off to get a tart to keep her mouth shut was a campaign contribution.

 

Now - we all know that it wasn't a campaign contribution, we all know it's a technicality, we all know that Mueller is doing nothing more than digging in all directions looking for dirt on Trump.

 

Let's say Mueller is successful - that he finds some dirt on Trump in the attorney files... It leads to Trump being ousted.... the people on the left will be ecstatic - their 'noble' cause to oust Trump (because, after all - Trump voters are stupid) is going to backfire on them. The people that voted for Trump are going to be very unhappy. It's going to be a crisis, there will be violence across America as those on the right feel disenfranchised.

 

Even as people read this post, they are formulating insults to reply to me. They are gathering all their hateful speech about Trump and his base.

 

The level of hatred from the left is bordering on insanity. Cooler heads need to prevail. The Democrats need new leadership. Not nutty Pelosi, not whiney Clinton and not Crazy Bernie - but someone new & well balanced, someone people can relate to. More of a centrist.Get that guy in at the Dems and Trump is finished... But nope.... it's slash and burn, whine and attack. 

 

Politics has gone off the rails completely.

"The level of hatred from the left is bordering on insanity."

 

The insane position we're finding ourselves in (the elected president is TOTALLY unfit for office due to extremely serious character flaws) is wholly owned by those on the right that threw all sense of logic, reason and critical thinking overboard in their quest for a return to the "white fifties" and voted for that moral abomination. So please don't make a fool of yourself and blame the left when your chosen one gets hated on.

The best thing that could happen now was if the man-child dropped from a heart attack but if that doesn't happen I can live with a few good 'ol boys firing their AR-15s in the air if he's impeached.

Anything is better than a day more with the "stable genius" controlling the launch codes.

[silverhawk_usa]

I wish the media would quit calling everything a "Raid"!  It conjures up images of armed SWAT teams crashing in doors.  The "execution of a search warrant" of this nature is generally done as politely, methodically and professionly as the situation allows.  As now stated by Cohen himself.  It may seem like semantics, but there is a world of difference.

[RobFord]

I’m sure Cohen would describe it as a raid.

 

 

[zaphod reborn]

1 hour ago, janclaes47 said:

Clinton's infidelity happened while he was in office, Trumps suspected infidelity happened decades before he was elected.

This is only tangentially related to Trump.  Cohen told the press he took out a home line of credit loan to pay Daniels $130,000.  Trump said he knew nothing about the payment.  Mueller probably had Cohen's bank loan application in his files and which required Cohen to state the purpose of the loan.  Cohen lied as to the purpose of the loan, so will be charged with bank fraud.  Also, he wired the money to Daniels' lawyer and that becomes wire fraud.  The payment may have been an FEC violation as an undeclared campaign contribution.

 

Cohen has assets, including real estate holdings and taxi medallions, that far exceed the amount he could have earned as his work as a lawyer.  He is being investigated by the US Attorney in SDNY for laundering Russian oligarch money.  If he has communications and documents that relate to Trump-Russia, such as the efforts to put together a Trump Tower Moscow deal with Felix Sater, that evidence is going to be turned over to Mueller.  Poor Trump, but this is what happens when you bring a Russian-styled mafia gang into your campaign and into the White House.

[mike324]

2 hours ago, pedro01 said:

Almost a year since the investigation into collusion was started.

No evidence of collusion.

Instead - an attempt to get Trump on what is essentially a technicality. That a pay off to get a tart to keep her mouth shut was a campaign contribution.

 

Now - we all know that it wasn't a campaign contribution, we all know it's a technicality, we all know that Mueller is doing nothing more than digging in all directions looking for dirt on Trump.

 

Let's say Mueller is successful - that he finds some dirt on Trump in the attorney files... It leads to Trump being ousted.... the people on the left will be ecstatic - their 'noble' cause to oust Trump (because, after all - Trump voters are stupid) is going to backfire on them. The people that voted for Trump are going to be very unhappy. It's going to be a crisis, there will be violence across America as those on the right feel disenfranchised.

 

Even as people read this post, they are formulating insults to reply to me. They are gathering all their hateful speech about Trump and his base.

 

The level of hatred from the left is bordering on insanity. Cooler heads need to prevail. The Democrats need new leadership. Not nutty Pelosi, not whiney Clinton and not Crazy Bernie - but someone new & well balanced, someone people can relate to. More of a centrist.Get that guy in at the Dems and Trump is finished... But nope.... it's slash and burn, whine and attack. 

 

Politics has gone off the rails completely.

You still don't see the big picture? Trumps aides have been working with the Russians and breaking laws for decades. Heck perhaps Trump is so afraid because he broke some laws himself too.

 

Its not about some girl that Trump might have slept with.

 

The right doesn't need to feel disfranchised, Trump has already done that to the country himself. He blamed Obama for everything, made up fake stories and his supporters swallowed it all up. The country is already very divided and at war with each other.

[lannarebirth]

6 minutes ago, mike324 said:

. The country is already very divided and at war with each other.

 

Trump is the result of that, not the cause of that. No, I'm not defending him.

[watcharacters]

3 hours ago, janclaes47 said:

Clinton's infidelity happened while he was in office, Trumps suspected infidelity happened decades before he was elected.

 

When are the denials happening?

 

Edit:   Please make that "accused" instead of "suspected".    The major problem seems to be a signed non disclosure agreement and without that obstacle all could be deposed under oath which would settle the entire matter.   

 

To add:       I am sorry  my president who  I would hope would be a model for all  citizens is having to deal with these kind of matters.

 

Edited April 11, 2018 by watcharacters

[attrayant]

40 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

I am sorry  my president who  I would hope would be a model for all  citizens is having to deal with these kind of matters.

 

A sexual predator who openly lies and can't string together a sentence past a fourth grade level?  Nice role model you've got there.

[watcharacters]

32 minutes ago, attrayant said:

 

A sexual predator who openly lies and can't string together a sentence past a fourth grade level?  Nice role model you've got there.

 

 

I can't disagree with  what you suggest.   But so far there have only been  accusations.

 

 

The current POTUS was voted into office by  the electoral college system and he is rightfully the president.  As such I have to  appreciate the office he holds while I may not favor the person in that office.

 

 

President Trump has an extremely devoted/faithful  power base.

 

 

Edited April 11, 2018 by watcharacters

[Jingthing]

 
 
I can't disagree with  what you suggest.   But so far there have only been  accusations.
 
 
The current POTUS was voted into office by  the electoral college system and he is rightfully the president.  As such I have to  appreciate the office he holds while I may not favor the person in that office.
 
 
President Trump has an extremely devoted/faithful  power base.
 
 

Wait for November ...

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[watcharacters]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Wait for November ...

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

 

 

I have  little choice other than to wait.

 

I may not be breathing by then but who knows or cares? 

 

[selftaopath]

4 hours ago, janclaes47 said:

Clinton's infidelity happened while he was in office, Trumps suspected infidelity happened decades before he was elected.

Do you believe this is only a/b Trump's sex acts? Maybe you would like to view this:

 

[attrayant]

15 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

But so far there have only been  accusations.

 

Accusations?  No, they are not just accusations.  They are things that happened.

 

Sexual predation proclivities caught on tape: He admitted the Access Hollywood remarks.

 

It's not just an accusation that he lies; his lies are well researched and fact-checked.  He's as bold as brass about it.  Lied right to the face of our Canadian ally, then bragged about it later.

 

It's not just an "accusation" that he can't string together a sentence, it's an analysis: Trump speaks at a fourth grade level; lowest of last fifteen presidents.  One might suggest he could speak more eloquently, and that he's just adopting a folksy, barely-educated speaking style in order to appeal to his base.  That's not reassuring either.

 

Quote

President Trump has an extremely devoted/faithful  power base.

 

I don't quite get the relevance of this statement, or why you offered it.  Is that supposed to be a good thing?  It's okay to have a barely-educated, corrupt, authoritarian strongman leader as long as a third of the country halfheartedly approves?

[Jingthing]

Exactly. To suggest this is about consensual sex is a cynical pro-"trump" deflection. Anyone that has been watching this news story would know that long ago. The time for that kind of argument is over. "trump" is in real jeopardy now and he bloody well knows it.  He's now a desperate cornered man and sadly he's likely to do some crazy and dangerous things before this is over. 

 

The honorable thing now would be for him to resign because his replacement, though ideologically abhorrent to most Americans, is at least competent. He won't of course. He's the OPPOSITE of an honorable man. 

Edited April 11, 2018 by Jingthing

[jimmyyy]

I think we will find this is the end of the Mueller investigations.  Two of the bill of rights were broken when they did this.  I see a lawsuit being filed against the Mueller team and the DOJ by trumps attorney which will over turn this investigation and open it up for what it really is.  A liberal Cuck witch hunt.  I for one will enjoy watching them squirm.  #MAGA2020

Edited April 11, 2018 by jimmyyy

[watcharacters]

3 minutes ago, attrayant said:

 

Accusations?  No, they are not just accusations.  They are things that happened.

 

Sexual predation proclivities caught on tape: He admitted the Access Hollywood remarks.

 

It's not just an accusation that he lies; his lies are well researched and fact-checked.  He's as bold as brass about it.  Lied right to the face of our Canadian ally, then bragged about it later.

 

It's not just an "accusation" that he can't string together a sentence, it's an analysis: Trump speaks at a fourth grade level; lowest of last fifteen presidents.  One might suggest he could speak more eloquently, and that he's just adopting a folksy, barely-educated speaking style in order to appeal to his base.  That's not reassuring either.

 

 

I don't quite get the relevance of this statement, or why you offered it.  Is that supposed to be a good thing?  It's okay to have a barely-educated, corrupt, authoritarian strongman leader as long as a third of the country halfheartedly approves?

 

 

 

I'm merely confirming the fact that this man is not only well cashed up but he has a nearly fanatical support base.   Removing him from office would take a literal "smoking gun in his hand" after shooting his most detested opponent  in congress.

 

Like the other poster suggested it has to come out in future elections.

 

 

[Basil B]

5 hours ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

Interesting. 20 years after the  event, we still see Bill Clinton getting slammed by Republicans for his infidelity. Raiding the Presidents lawyer is as mentioned above, unprecedented and lends serious credence to the fact that Donald is a philanderer. If they were morally outraged enough to care about Bill, why are the same people not being outspoken here? Or is just morally reprehensible if you are a Democrat?

My thoughts exactly...

 

Where are those Republicans who called for Bill to resign and tried to force him out of office???

[Basil B]

If the report is true and they are only looking into payments to two ladies I presume even if they come across other smoking guns, that evidence would be inadmissible???

[Jingthing]

 
 
 
I'm merely confirming the fact that this man is not only well cashed up but he has a nearly fanatical support base.   Removing him from office would take a literal "smoking gun in his hand" after shooting his most detested opponent  in congress.
 
Like the other poster suggested it has to come out in future elections.
 
 

You misunderstood me. There will be impeachable offenses. The democrats will take the house in November. They will impeach him. Whether he is convicted or not will be up to the senate. His core base fanatics about 35 percent will just have to eventually digest that they backed a criminally corrupt turkey.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Jingthing]

 
 
 
I'm merely confirming the fact that this man is not only well cashed up but he has a nearly fanatical support base.   Removing him from office would take a literal "smoking gun in his hand" after shooting his most detested opponent  in congress.
 
Like the other poster suggested it has to come out in future elections.
 
 

You misunderstood me. There will be impeachable offenses. The democrats will take the house in November. They will impeach him. Whether he is convicted or not will be up to the senate. His core base fanatics about 35 percent will just have to eventually digest that they backed a criminally corrupt turkey.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[watcharacters]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

You misunderstood me. There will be impeachable offenses. The democrats will take the house in November. They will impeach him. Whether he is convicted or not will be up to the senate. His core base fanatics about 35 percent will just have to eventually digest that they backed a criminally corrupt turkey.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

 

 

I agree he WILL NOT be convicted!