This paragraph from Michael Cohen's new book is quite the tease

[Suburban Warrior]

Link to tweet

?s=21

[Tommy_Carcetti]

1. David Corn's book made reference to this.

When he was meeting with the Agalarovs in Las Vegas to plan the Miss Universe pageant in Moscow, apparently they all went out to some showclub where there was some performance called "Hot for Teacher" where strippers dressed as "teachers" urinated on "students."

[Laelth]

2. I admit that I am tempted to buy that one. n/t

-Laelth

[dem4decades]

3. Any paragraph with Soviet Union and golden showers about Trump has my approval.

[nolabear]

4. Download the foreword at the website. It's QUITE the potboiler!

It’s self-serving, dramatic, hyperbolic af, and I hate to admit pretty damned intriguing.

[BamaRefugee]

5. Whatever happened to the, I thought, law about a felon can't profit from his crimes?

Did trump sign an executive order overturning that or something?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. There are a lot of state laws, and maybe some federal ones,

holding that a writer can't make a profit off a book about his crimes, but that doesn't mean he can't write the book at all.

[efhmc]

26. But isn't it more of an observation of DJT's crimes?

[Maraya1969]

10. My question also and what about lawyer client privilege? Does that end after the

relationship ends?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. The privilege doesn't apply if the lawyer is a participant in the crimes in question,

which Cohen clearly was. And in a lot of situations he wasn't acting as Trump's lawyer at all; that is, he wasn't doing legal work, but just acting as Trump's fixer/bag man.

[frazzled]

11. What about attorney-client privelege?

Not that I care in this case ...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

13. See #12. The crime-fraud exception to the privilege means Cohen can talk

Last edited Thu Aug 13, 2020, 05:20 PM - Edit history (1)

about crimes and fraudulent activities he participated in or that Trump asked for advice about, as well as to actions that didn't involve him acting as an attorney.

[mr_lebowski]

17. Might apply to violent crimes only, not sure ... would kinda make sense if it were that way (nt)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

18. No, it applies to all crimes as well as some civil torts like fraud.

If the client asks the lawyer for advice about how to commit or cover up a crime in progress or a future crime, or if the lawyer advises the client about committing or covering up a crime, that communication is not privileged. Also, if the communication about a current or future crime doesn't relate to the offering of legal advice at all, it's not privileged. https://www.justia.com/criminal/working-with-a-criminal-lawyer/the-crime-fraud-exception/

[mr_lebowski]

21. I was addressing the question related to the legality of a felon profiting

by writing a book discussing their crime(s).

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

22. There are laws in various states (maybe federal, not sure)

that prevent people from making money off books about their crimes, but that doesn't mean they can't write them at all.

[mr_lebowski]

23. I saw you mentioned that ...

I wonder what, if any, law applies in this case.

It wouldn't surprise me if the law in some places only applies to violent crimes, but I don't know either way.

I'm wondering if he's going to make money or not, basically.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

24. They are called "Son of Sam" laws, and some have been ruled unconstitutional

After hearing reports that serial killer David Berkowitz was being offered a substantial amount of money for the rights to his story, the New York Assembly passed a law requiring that an accused or convicted criminal’s income from works describing his crime be deposited in an escrow account. The funds from the escrow account were then to be used to reimburse crime victims for the harm they had suffered. The Supreme Court held that particular statute was unconstitutional in Simon & Schuster v. Crime Victims Board, 502 U.S. 105 (1991). Some other similar laws are still on the books.
https://www.freedomforuminstitute.org/first-amendment-center/topics/freedom-of-speech-2/arts-first-amendment-overview/son-of-sam-laws/

Most of these laws are intended to require the proceeds of the criminal's book to be used to compensate the writer's victim. I did a little digging and found that there is a federal Son of Sam statute, 18 USC 3681, which allows a court to order book and other profits to be confiscated in cases of espionage or physical injury to a victim. So it looks like Cohen might get to keep the money.

[grantcart]

25. The original NY Son of Sam law was found to be unconstitutional

Because it was too inclusive.

A revised bill was passed that allows victims (presumably victims of violent crimes) to claim some or all of the earnings in the book.

Wouldn't apply in this case.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. Link to the foreword:

https://disloyalthebook.com/download-the-disloyal-foreword-written-by-michael-cohen/

I can hardly wait until the book is made into a TV mini-series!

[handmade34]

16. oh my

just read it... what a lead in

might have to buy it

[efhmc]

27. Not working for me.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

28. The site might have crashed.

[Frustratedlady]

7. Yeah, I thought the Golden Shower was IN Russia, not Vegas.

I should think the story of the Orange Marvel should be very interesting. Did I remember correctly that Michael has a copy of the Golden Shower video?

[tableturner]

15. Maybe BOTH places.....

[LisaL]

19. That's what I would conclude.

[C_U_L8R]

9. He got me at Golden Showers.

Trump is gonna wet his pants over this.

[LisaL]

20. And Trump has the gull to claim to be a germaphobe.

NT

[avebury]

14. I may have to buy this book, particularly since Trump

tried to keep him in prison because he refused to sign the agreement not to talk to the press.

[onetexan]

29. Rachel Maddow is covering this right now on her show

She's reading passages of Cohen's book - very revealing.