Michael Cohen Secretly Taped Trump Discussing Payment to Playboy Model
Source: New York Times
WASHINGTON President Trumps longtime lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, secretly recorded a conversation with Mr. Trump two months before the presidential election in which they discussed payments to a former Playboy model who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump, according to lawyers and others familiar with the recording.
The F.B.I. seized the recording this year during a raid on Mr. Cohens office. The Justice Department is investigating Mr. Cohens involvement in paying women to tamp down embarrassing news stories about Mr. Trump ahead of the 2016 election. Prosecutors want to know whether that violated federal campaign finance laws, and any conversation with Mr. Trump about those payments would be of keen interest to them.
The recordings existence further draws Mr. Trump into questions about tactics he and his associates used to keep aspects of his personal and business life a secret. And it highlights the potential legal and political danger that Mr. Cohen represents to Mr. Trump. Once the keeper of many of Mr. Trumps secrets, Mr. Cohen is now seen as increasingly willing to consider cooperating with prosecutors.
Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mr. Trumps personal lawyer, confirmed in a telephone conversation on Friday that Mr. Trump had discussed the payments with Mr. Cohen on the tape but said the payment was ultimately never made. He said the recording was less than two minutes and demonstrated that the president had done nothing wrong.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/20/us/politics/michael-cohen-trump-tape.html
grantcart
(53,061 posts)oberliner
(58,724 posts)And that has implications, just as does the recording itself.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)louis c
(8,652 posts)oberliner
(58,724 posts)Towards the end.
louis c
(8,652 posts)Yellowdog88
(66 posts)In the NYT link (I can't read that now).
If so, still seems like it would be a smart and common practice for MC to do when speaking to this client.
Begs the question: what about Shera Bechard?
mobeau69
(11,132 posts)Botany
(70,447 posts)Trump was paying some kind of blackmail and or hush money. Having a President who
is open to blackmail isn't a good thing. God only knows what Putin has on Trump.
Cohen has flipped big time and that will bring down Trump
Calista241
(5,586 posts)Trump would have the expectation of attorney / client privilege when discussing a legal matter. And a discussion about a payment associated with an NDA or other legal agreement is most certainly covered by privilege.
It doesn't matter if Cohen wants to testify, or flip, or do whatever, only Trump can waive privilege. And if Trump can prove Cohen leaked this; Cohen's law license is in jeopardy, and he might as well just sign all his assets and bank accounts over to Trump because he's going to take everything.
dameatball
(7,394 posts)Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)An atty-client communication can be used in court, if it's seen only by the lawyers for the two parties, their staff, the court, and jury. It can't be spoken about in open court or given to witnesses. It will be sealed in the public records.
There is also an exception to the atty-client communication: when it is in furtherance of an illegal activity. Not privileged.
spooky3
(34,403 posts)ProfessorGAC
(64,852 posts). . .using it in impeachment hearings? Aren't rules of evidence different there, as well as the privilege aspects of the case?
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)I was a litigation paralegal for decades, so I only know about regular rules of evidence...impeachment is something else.
But this paying off of women...unless they're talking about doing it in an illegal way, it's not illegal to pay someone to keep quiet, I think. Right? It's just how they got the money and reported it that might be the legal problem. And you KNOW they didn't pay for it out of pocket. Not these guys, who love to use "OPM," as Trump calls it. (other people's money)
TexasBushwhacker
(20,140 posts)or to use campaign funds or have a donor pay on his behalf.
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)And whether Cohen DID do something illegal, if Trump told him to.
I tend to think this was a regular procedure with them, and Trump didn't have to tell him where to get the $$$.
ProfessorGAC
(64,852 posts)Seems very different to me, especially after the dick sucking earlier this week.
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)the momentum against him and against republicans
can't wait to hear the tape
elmac
(4,642 posts)he could murder someone on 5th avenue and his supporters would still vote for him.
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)Who 100% regret their vote. The latest yesterday by a good friend, a retired USAF officer. He said after the putin thing trump is a turncoat.
I said...what about trumps big balls? He said he would like to kick them where the sun don't shine,
ffr
(22,665 posts)Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)George II
(67,782 posts)"I don't know anything about it, it's fake news". Yeah donnie, if your lips are moving you're lying!
ailsagirl
(22,885 posts)NewJeffCT
(56,828 posts)if Trump has done nothing wrong, why has he denied his involvement all along?
Guilty
mobeau69
(11,132 posts)Scurrilous
(38,687 posts)BumRushDaShow
(128,441 posts)jcgoldie
(11,612 posts)All his bullshit is running together for me and I cant keep the scandals straight.
jalan48
(13,841 posts)Major Nikon
(36,818 posts)As if more were needed. Most Americans already do or should know Trump is a fucking moron, a fucking traitor, and a fucking liar. The rest don't seem to care as they undoubtedly share one or more of those attributes and consider them virtuous. So no, it won't really make a difference.
Doreen
(11,686 posts)who are being recorded? I ask this because you would think the repukes would use that against Cohen to make it invalid.
Major Nikon
(36,818 posts)Most states are single party consent meaning as long as one party knows the conversation is being recorded it's legal. A few states require all parties to have knowledge the conversation is being recorded.
7962
(11,841 posts)But that may change
NY requires only one-party consent. There may be ethical issues with respect to a NY lawyer surreptiously recording communications, especially communications with a client.
exboyfil
(17,862 posts)No wonder he worked for Trump so long. He is just as much a weasel. I guess he thought this day might come.
marshall
(6,665 posts)Could it have been a common practice of his to record conversations with his clients? And how many other attorneys do this?
B2G
(9,766 posts)Would it be admissible? Is that legal?
7962
(11,841 posts)This was an ongoing affair, Stormy was a one night deal.
Achilleaze
(15,543 posts)disgusting
bucolic_frolic
(43,044 posts)Link to tweet
Dafna Linzer
?Verified account @DafnaLinzer
I know for a fact there are multiple tapes @MichaelAvenatti just told @mitchellreports
12:31 PM - 20 Jul 2018
7962
(11,841 posts)Ginger42
(59 posts)Tony Posnanski
@tonyposnanski
Waiting for Trump to address the Michael Cohen tape and explain that if you take out the words would, Playboy, money, alter the first sentence, and remove three double negatives...he basically told Michael Cohen that he wants to donate more money to hungry children.
Bess Kalb
@bessbell
Its so fun to still be living in the time before he says The phony tape is FAKE. Slimy Michael Cohen is working with the corrupt (and very biased) FBI. Sad! The dying fake media eats it up! Real Americans (the super elites) know this witch hunt is FAKE NEWS. No tape! #MAGA.
JuanPa
@jpbrammer
Michael Cohen is like the Dr. Leo Spaceman of lawyering
?
@ManInTheHoody
Michael Cohen: Can you say that thing about paying off Karen McDougal again?
Trump: What's that clicking sound?
Cohen: Huh? What clicking sound?
Trump: I thought i heard a click.
Cohen: I didn't hear anything.
Trump: Obama is tapping my phone.
Gothmog
(144,919 posts)Blue Owl
(50,256 posts)n/t
edbermac
(15,933 posts)PearliePoo2
(7,768 posts)She said some of the recordings are with VERY prominent people and the tape's content will be very embarrassing for all involved.
Hmmm, as far as I know Cohen only had three clients. Correct me if I'm wrong: trump, Broidy and Hannity. Oh my!
sarcasmo
(23,968 posts)Happyhippychick
(8,379 posts)Air Force One.
mahatmakanejeeves
(57,290 posts)It's very important, in assuring accurate coverage, to note that this tape is allegedly about the President of the United States' hush money payments to the Playboy Playmate and not his hush money payments to the adult actress. Let's be fair and balanced here journalists.
Link to tweet
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)This is a common thing, probably...politicians paying off mistresses or whoever.
So it matters regarding Cohen, if he went around laws to get the money for the payment(s). But it doesn't matter if Trump is instructing Cohen to pay someone off. That's not illegal. Unless he wants to use campaign funds for it or whatever, & directs Coehn to do something illegal.
Bernardo de La Paz
(48,955 posts)2 posted on 7/20/2018, 1:05:27 PM by Mr. K
10 posted on 7/20/2018, 1:08:01 PM by MNJohnnie
19 posted on 7/20/2018, 1:09:16 PM by AllAmericanGirl44
30 posted on 07/20/2018 9:11:23 AM PDT by martinidon
74 posted on 07/20/2018 9:24:11 AM PDT by cowboyusa (America Cowboy UP!)
duforsure
(11,884 posts)Also it shows he's no more faithful to his wife than he is to our country. More tapes will come out and exposed him more for all his lying.
spooky3
(34,403 posts)Stormy Daniels rather than McDougal. In any case, I don't believe anything that Rudy says without independent evidence.
palustris
(53 posts)Like Putin for example. As Finn I probably don't find this particular Cohen case quite as important than Americans do.
But as generalization I find it interesting that it doesn't seem too difficult to get all kinds of kompromat on Trump.
Access Hollywood, (unpublished) Apprentice racism tapes, these cheating on Melania tapes, Putin's pee tape and likely these are only tip of the iceberg.
palustris
(53 posts)is to contact some of his associates because everyone seems to have something on him.
How this walking security risk has the highest security access is beyond me.
As foreigner I don't know, but aren't there any kind of security checks on people wanting to become the President in United States?
IronLionZion
(45,380 posts)I'm still waiting for an answer to what exactly makes Trump more American than me when we were both born in NYC with immigrant grandparents.
Somehow I'm the immigrant job stealer who is not to be trusted with a government security clearance because my foreign skin color would be too expensive for background checks.
But this asshole with his Russian connections and immigrant wives is the real salt of the earth heartland all American blond bastard.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(107,739 posts)GeorgeGist
(25,311 posts)The Old Grey lady is quite the prude.