They are surveiling these boys. NYT got word on the same day.:damnanimated:
this shyt happened literally hours ago
Trump Called Michael Cohen as Their Lawyers Went to Court Over Seized Trump Documents
Trump Called Michael Cohen as Their Lawyers Went to Court Over Seized Trump Documents
By
MATT APUZZO, EILEEN SULLIVAN,
MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and
MAGGIE HABERMANAPRIL 13, 2018
Members of the media approached President Trump’s personal attorney, Michael D. Cohen, in New York on Thursday. Justin Lane/EPA, via Shutterstock
President Trump phoned his longtime confidant, Michael D. Cohen, to “check in” on Friday as lawyers for the two men went to court to block the Justice Department from reading seized documents related to Mr. Cohen’s decade of work for Mr. Trump, according to two people familiar with the call.
It is not clear what else they discussed in a call that came days after a series of F.B.I. raids. Depending on what was said, the call could be problematic for both men, as defense lawyers often advise their clients not to talk to each other during investigations. Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen still were trying to determine what exactly was seized.
The raids were even broader than have been previously reported. Prosecutors said the raids were part of a monthslong investigation into Mr. Cohen. In addition to searching Mr. Cohen’s office and hotel room, prosecutors also obtained warrants to seize material from his cellphones, tablet, laptop and a safe deposit box, according to people briefed on the warrants.
“The searches are the result of a monthslong investigation into Cohen, and seek evidence of crimes, many of which have nothing to do with his work as an attorney, but rather relate to Cohen’s own business dealings,” federal prosecutors wrote in court papers filed on Friday.
The court papers also disclosed that prosecutors — before the raids on Monday — had already obtained secret search warrants for several of Mr. Cohen’s email accounts as part of what they said was a grand jury investigation.
The uncertainty around what was taken has heightened the unease around Mr. Trump, whose lawyers had projected confidence in their dealings with the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, but were caught flat-footed by the extraordinary raids on Mr. Cohen. The lawyers fear that Mr. Cohen will not be forthcoming about what was in his files, leaving them girding for the unknown.
A hurriedly scheduled court appearance in Manhattan on Friday reflected that worry. The seized documents could shed light on the president’s relationship with Mr. Cohen who has helped steer him through some of his thorniest personal and business dilemmas. Joanna C. Hendon, a lawyer for Mr. Trump, asked a federal judge to temporarily prohibit the Justice Department from reviewing those materials until the matter can be litigated.
“Those searches have been executed and the evidence is locked down. I’m not trying to delay,” Ms. Hendon said. “I’m just trying to ensure that it’s done scrupulously.”
Mr. Cohen’s lawyers have called the
raids of his offices and hotel room an overreach of the law, and the
president has said that the
attorney-client privilege is dead because of the action.
Mr. Cohen wants his lawyers to be able to review the files and withhold privileged material before prosecutors can see them. As an alternative, he asked that an independent lawyer be allowed to review the files first, which prosecutors said would delay the investigation. Prosecutors argued in their court filing that the request by Mr. Cohen’s lawyer “belies the true intent of his motion: To delay the case” and “deprive” prosecutors of evidence. Judge Kimba M. Wood of United States District Court postponed any decision until a follow-up hearing Monday.
Federal agents seized documents that dated back years, some of which are related to payments to two women who have said they had affairs with Mr. Trump. Other documents seized included information about the
role of The National Enquirer in silencing one of the women, people briefed on the investigation have said.
The warrant sought all documents, including emails between Mr. Cohen and Mr. Trump, related to Mr. Cohen’s efforts to suppress negative publicity ahead of the 2016 election.
Communications between lawyers and their clients are normally off limits to prosecutors but there are exceptions, including when the materials are considered part of an ongoing crime.
The raid on Mr. Cohen surprised and angered the president, who has been frustrated with the ongoing special counsel investigation into Russia’s 2016 election interference, the Kremlin’s possible coordination with Trump associates and whether the president has been deliberately trying to obstruct those inquiries.
On Monday, Mr. Trump called the raid an “attack on our country in a true sense.”
Federal agents in New York were looking for information about Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who claims she had a nearly yearlong affair with Mr. Trump shortly after the birth of his youngest son in 2006. American Media Inc., which owns the National Enquirer, paid Ms. McDougal $150,000. The chief executive of America Media Inc. is a friend of Mr. Trump’s.
Agents were also searching Mr. Cohen’s office and hotel room for information related to Stephanie Clifford, better known as Stormy Daniels, a pornographic film actress. Ms. Clifford has said she had sex with Mr. Trump while he was married. Mr. Cohen has acknowledged that
he paid Ms. Clifford $130,000 as part of a nondisclosure agreement to secure her silence days before the 2016 presidential election. Mr. Trump recently told reporters
he knew nothing about the agreement.
The seized records also include communications between Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen, who joined Mr. Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, in 2006, which would most likely require a special team of agents to review because conversations between lawyers and clients are protected from scrutiny in most instances.
Searching a law office is one of the most sensitive — and most heavily reviewed — activities the Justice Department conducts. It is rare to seek documents from lawyers in any case, but doing so by search rather than subpoena is unusually aggressive and is typically reserved for cases when prosecutors believe that the lawyer would conceal or destroy evidence if asked for it.
@DonKnock @dza @88m3 @wire28 @smitty22 @fact @Hood Critic @ExodusNirvana @Blessed Is the Man @dtownreppin214 @JKFrazier @BigMoneyGrip @Soymuscle Mike @.r. @Dorian Breh @Dameon Farrow @TheNig @VR Tripper @re'up @Blackfyre_Berserker @Cali_livin