Trump distances himself from his personal lawyer as probe moves forward

[webfact]

Trump distances himself from his personal lawyer as probe moves forward

By Brendan Pierson and Doina Chiacu

 

U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen exits a hotel in New York City, U.S., April 15, 2018. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/Files

 

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump distanced himself from his longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen on Thursday, hours before a judge ruled that documents seized from Cohen by the FBI should be reviewed by an independent court-appointed official.

 

The appointment of former judge Barbara Jones as a "special master," to review the documents and decide which ones prosecutors should be allowed to see, was essentially a compromise that both prosecutors and Cohen's lawyers had said they would be open to, even though that option was not their first choice.

 

The FBI raided Cohen's office and home on April 9, infuriating Trump. Prosecutors said they had been investigating the lawyer for months, largely over his business dealings rather than his legal work.

 

Once they receive the documents from Jones, prosecutors could use them in their case.

 

It is not clear if those documents pertain to Trump's business dealings. But earlier on Thursday in an interview with Fox News, Trump said Cohen had handled only "a tiny, tiny little fraction" of his overall legal work.

 

He said the investigation "doesn't have to do with me" and "they're looking at something having to do with his business. I have nothing to do with his business."

 

Trump, who has said little publicly about an adult-film star who says she was paid to stay silent about a one-night stand she had with Trump in 2006, also confirmed for the first time that Cohen had represented him in "this crazy Stormy Daniels deal."

 

Trump and Cohen have sought to limit which of the seized documents prosecutors could see, citing attorney-client privilege.

The prosecutors initially said the documents should be reviewed by lawyers within their own office, who would be walled off from the main prosecution team. Cohen argued that his lawyers should get a first look.

 

U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood instead decided at an hour-long hearing on Thursday to opt to ask a special master to see the documents first.

 

The prosecutors have begun to turn all of the seized materials over to Jones, who will review them to determine what is protected by attorney-client privilege. Lawyers for Cohen and Trump will be able to review in tandem, so they can object to Jones' decisions if they disagree, the judge said.

 

The parties are due back in court to check in on the progress on May 24. Without setting a specific deadline, Wood indicated she may intervene if it were going too slowly.

 

Jones has served in a similar role in a number of other matters. In 2016, she was appointed the independent review officer for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters to hear corruption charges at the labour union, and has overseen corporate compliance cases.

 

Prosecutors have said they do not believe the papers are likely to contain many privileged documents related to Trump. In a court filing on Thursday morning, they cited Trump's comment that Cohen handled only a small part of his legal work.

 

Cohen has admitted paying $130,000 to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, before the 2016 election to secure her silence about having sex with Trump, which he denies. Cohen said the payment was legal, and Daniels has sued to end her nondisclosure agreement.

 

Prosecutors are investigating Cohen for possible bank and tax fraud, possible campaign law violations linked to the payment to Daniels, and perhaps other matters related to Trump's presidential campaign, a person familiar with the probe has said.

 

The investigation stemmed in part from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's inquiry into possible collusion between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, something that Trump has repeatedly denied.

 

(Reporting by Brendan Pierson, Jonathan Stempel and Karen Freifeld in New York and Doina Chiacu in Washington; Writing by Doina Chiacu and Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Susan Thomas and Grant McCool)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-04-27

[Somtamnication]

Not really. He had a mental breakdown today on Fox News. He pretty much admitted to everything under the sun. 

[boomerangutang]

Trump is going thru his typical pattern - he does with everyone close to him, except maybe Barron.

 

A. "I always pick the best people."  Obama and HRC pick the worst, worthy of the DC swamp

B.  Don't you just love that person that I picked!  He/She is the greatest!  He/she praises me, so naturally I like them too.

C. (to the press corps) Don't pick on that great person. You're all fake news, doing horrible jobs.  I  hope you all go out of business.

D.  "I will never fire that person."  (the day  before Trump fired Comey, he threw a kiss to Comey in front of a gathering of men at the WH).  10 weeks before Trump fired US Attorney Preet Bahara, Trump promised his job was ironclad safe.

E.  Trump fires him/her. Then adds either....

E1:   "That person was just a coffee boy, I barely knew him, rarely saw him. He was a nobody."

. . . . .or 

E2.  "That person was great, but I had to let him/her go.  So what if he/she appeared corrupt/wife-beater or involved in mafia-like biz, told lies constantly......  he/she is great, and we wish him/her a great career."

 

[boomerangutang]

12 minutes ago, Somtamnication said:

Not really. He had a mental breakdown today on Fox News. He pretty much admitted to everything under the sun. 

who did?

[mamypoko]

cream, no sugar

[Expatthailover]

Typical action of a person with no moral compass and the spine of a jellyfish.

All these people he throws to the wolves will have their day of reckoning

[Jingthing]

"trump" demands total loyalty from his underlings. When things go south in a way that might hurt him, he gives none back. Not only is "trump" a horrible president, he's a horrible human being as well. 

[Berkshire]

2 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

who did?

[MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace went through one 42 second answer from Trump’s Fox and Friends interview and showed how the president blew up his legal defenses in both the Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels cases.]

 

https://www.politicususa.com/2018/04/26/nicolle-wallace-trump-legal-defenses.html

[Langsuan Man]

The conclusion for those who are too busy to read the above:

 

Quote

Trump didn’t just stop at harming his legal defense. He set it on fire and celebrated while it burned.

The 30 minute Fox and Friends ramble is the downside of having no one in the White House to tell Trump no. Going on Fox and Friends and riffing about his legal strategy was the worst thing that he could have done. Trump is probably going to lose the Stormy Daniels case, and he could end up in criminal jeopardy because one of the few defenses that he could have invoked has now been taken away.

Trump is screwed, and if his lawyers were smart, they would quit today.

 

[Chomper Higgot]

I watched Trump on 'Fox and Friends' it was extremely uncomfortable to sit through, like being in the company of a lunatic waving a kitchen knife at his own throat.

 

The segment started with the Fox crew smiling and effervescently talking up they have an interview with the president 'bring you our viewer the president of the United States ....'

 

Within minutes of Trump coming on stream the mood changed, he started with praising himself as he does and then switched to his unhinged ranting. The look on the faces of the Fox presenters tells it all, they become increasingly worried. He continues ranting, hands glorious nuggets to the Mueller investigation and Stormy Danniels' legal team before Fox eventually pull the plug. 

 

The man is totally unhinged. 

[Thailand]

He threw himself under the bus! 

[boomerangutang]

5 minutes ago, Thailand said:

He threw himself under the bus! 

that's one big bumpety-bump, ......or Trumpety-trump (take your pick).

[boomerangutang]

And to think, we're only in the second inning of a double header. 

There's lots more to come, folks.  LOTS MORE!

 

 

[boomerangutang]

I can picture Republican politicians, who are up for re-election, at their suburban Maryland homes:

They're probably camped out in the master bathroom, sitting on the toilet, pulling on what little wisps of hair they still have, shouting at the walls; "why? why? why?  How did God let this happen? I was compelled to support this idiot, and now he's hanging around my neck like a flock of dead and rotting albatrosses."

 

The politicians' spouses are probably tapping at the bathroom doors saying things like, "Dear, come on down and eat some food.  You'll feel better.   Trump will probably resign before the election, so everything will be fine.  Don't be so hard on yourself."

 

[Chomper Higgot]

Dream wrap up: 

 

Melania appoints Avenatti in Trump v Trump.

[spidermike007]

3 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

who did?

Trump did. His interview was horrific. He just cannot help but shoot himself in the foot, nearly every time he opens his mouth. He rarely speaks with his intellect, however small it is. He is usually coming from a place of anger, hatred, vengefulness, spite, and nastiness. So, it is hard for him to apply any reason or common sense to what he says. This man child is truly his worst enemy. He may have been a fair negotiator while in the development business, but he is terrible as a president. He cannot negotiate himself out of a paper bag. Now, he is getting really paranoid. I think Mueller has enough to put him away, or at the very least enough to force him to resign.

 

Of course he is distancing himself from Cohen, that is what he does. He will praise you one day, and throw you under the bus, the next day. Everything this man ever says is totally insincere. 

 

Get used to saying President Pence. Tiny Don will not last another year at this rate.

[Chomper Higgot]

13 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Trump did. His interview was horrific. He just cannot help but shoot himself in the foot, nearly every time he opens his mouth. He rarely speaks with his intellect, however small it is. He is usually coming from a place of anger, hatred, vengefulness, spite, and nastiness. So, it is hard for him to apply any reason or common sense to what he says. This man child is truly his worst enemy. He may have been a fair negotiator while in the development business, but he is terrible as a president. He cannot negotiate himself out of a paper bag. Now, he is getting really paranoid. I think Mueller has enough to put him away, or at the very least enough to force him to resign.

 

Of course he is distancing himself from Cohen, that is what he does. He will praise you one day, and throw you under the bus, the next day. Everything this man ever says is totally insincere. 

 

Get used to saying President Pence. Tiny Don will not last another year at this rate.

We should non of us assume that Pence himself is not deeply involved in Trump's Russia scandal. 

[Chomper Higgot]

Where are all the illibrals when their man is grabbing the headlines like this?

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Where are all the illibrals when their man is grabbing the headlines like this?

It will take a bit of time to decide what on earth you are going to say this time to make him a hero again.

On the other hand just go:

MAGA

[Emster23]

" Government lawyers argued today in a court filing that since trump says Cohen is barely his attorney, evidence seized in the Cohen raid should barely be protected by attorney/client privilege, which could mean that prosecutors gain access to more evidence connecting him to more possible crimes.”

Narcissist behavior at its best, this may have been his thinking: "I am smarter than anyone else, I don't take advice from inferior people (meaning everyone else), I can outsmart them all"

 If he is not a moron, he sure does a good impression of one

[boomerangutang]

I strongly suspect Trump took Guiliani on-board in order to try and arrange a way for Trump to shoehorn his way out of all this.

 

I think Guiliani is talking to Mueller, saying things like,

 

- - - - - - - - - - - -

 

"Ok, Trump knows he's cornered.  He knows he's up shit creek.  He's got legal squads coming at him from multiple directions.   Can we just drop all charges if he resigns?

 

....and let him wander off to the pasture in peace.  He's 71 and president, after all.  Why should we pursue and prosecute a man who was fairly elected by Americans? 

 

His enemies want him out, so if he agrees to slip out gracefully, then everyone (right and left) loses a bit, but nobody loses big time.  Plus, it will look better from overseas, if Trump is eased out, rather than deposed and forced to testify in several court trials, and impeached and further humiliated.  Melania is going through hell.  Mr. Mueller, you must do this as a patriot, for the sake of the USA. If he's let off, I will vouch that he will divorce himself from politics."

- - - - - - - -

Personally, I (Boomers) would puke if Trump were let off, .....but I can picture Guiliani trying his darndest to convince Mueller to let Trump go quietly out the back door.

 

 

Edited April 27, 2018 by boomerangutang

[samran]

7 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Not really. He had a mental breakdown today on Fox News. He pretty much admitted to everything under the sun. 

Clearly proving himself as a ‘stable genuis’.

 

Or to use Australian political parlance, Donny is ‘all tip and no iceberg’

[RobFord]

Prosecutors were on this in less than two hours.

What a moron.

 

[boomerangutang]

By now trying to distance himself from Cohen, Trump is also distancing himself from lawyer-client privilege.  Yet he wants lawyer client privilege.  Flip - flop - flip - flop.

 

It reminds me of when I was a little boy, and my brother and I jumped in the sea by a pier.  It was deep water, and there was a rock sticking out of the water, 10 feet away.  We swam to the rock, but it was so covered by black sea urchins, we couldn't even touch it.  So we swam back to the pier, but that also had sea urchins every square inch.  We felt stuck in the middle, danger on all sides.

[scorecard]

5 hours ago, samran said:

Clearly proving himself as a ‘stable genuis’.

 

Or to use Australian political parlance, Donny is ‘all tip and no iceberg’

 

Just wondering what he will say in the discussions with the North Korean guy coming soon, or is he going to mouth off / insult people beforehand and sink the discussions?

 

 

 

Edited April 27, 2018 by scorecard

[scorecard]

4 hours ago, RobFord said:

Prosecutors were on this in less than two hours.

What a moron.

 

 

Would you buy a used car from any of this trio?

 

 

[riclag]

7 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

I strongly suspect Trump took Guiliani on-board in order to try and arrange a way for Trump to shoehorn his way out of all this.

 

I think Guiliani is talking to Mueller, saying things like,

 

- - - - - - - - - - - -

 

"Ok, Trump knows he's cornered.  He knows he's up shit creek.  He's got legal squads coming at him from multiple directions.   Can we just drop all charges if he resigns?

 

....and let him wander off to the pasture in peace.  He's 71 and president, after all.  Why should we pursue and prosecute a man who was fairly elected by Americans? 

 

His enemies want him out, so if he agrees to slip out gracefully, then everyone (right and left) loses a bit, but nobody loses big time.  Plus, it will look better from overseas, if Trump is eased out, rather than deposed and forced to testify in several court trials, and impeached and further humiliated.  Melania is going through hell.  Mr. Mueller, you must do this as a patriot, for the sake of the USA. If he's let off, I will vouch that he will divorce himself from politics."

- - - - - - - -

Personally, I (Boomers) would puke if Trump were let off, .....but I can picture Guiliani trying his darndest to convince Mueller to let Trump go quietly out the back door.

 

 

You have quotes .Just curious whats the source

[Scott]

Off-topic, troll posts and replies removed.  

[stevenl]

28 minutes ago, riclag said:

You have quotes .Just curious whats the source

I think he is saying things like ... should answer your question. Poster's thoughts, not quotes.

[rudi49jr]

Usually I can not watch Trump or listen to him speak without breaking out in hives and needing a bucket to throw up in, but I decided to watch that Fox and Friends live interview with Trump anyway, and I was flabbergasted. I mean, this man, the president of the USA, the most powerful man on earth, could not formulate a coherent sentence to save his life, he was all over the place all the time, mostly ranting and raving, and also telling everyone how great he thinks he is. He was like a 12-year-old on speed, what a meltdown! And the thing is that Trump had no idea - probably still hasn't - that he made a complete spectacle of himself. Maybe his handlers should fit him with one of those shock collars they use to train dogs, so they have a way of shutting him up when he flies off the handle, or says something stupid.