Michael Cohen Secretly Taped Trump Discussing Payment to Playboy Model

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Trump’s 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. Cohen’s office. The Justice Department is investigating Mr. Cohen’s 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 recording’s 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. Trump’s secrets, Mr. Cohen is now seen as increasingly willing to consider cooperating with prosecutors.

Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mr. Trump’s 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]

1. Has to be a leak from Cohen's side

[oberliner]

3. Cohen just did an interview with Al Shaprton

[H2O Man]

9. Right.

And that has implications, just as does the recording itself.

[dalton99a]

17. +1

[oberliner]

2. This model in question is Karen McDougal

[louis c]

5. or, maybe Broidy's Playboy Model affair

[oberliner]

8. McDougal is identified in the NY Times story

Towards the end.

[louis c]

13. of course, this is just one of many, many tapes in the government's possession (NT)

[Yellowdog88]

7. I assume that's

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]

25. Here's the CNN story

https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/20/politics/michael-cohen-donald-trump-playboy-model-recording/index.html

[Botany]

4. This tells me two things

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]

38. Those tapes would be unusable in a trial or any other official activity.

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]

42. Crap. Burst my balloon. Oh well.

[Honeycombe8]

45. It can be used in court.

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]

50. thanks! nt

[ProfessorGAC]

52. How Would The Law Handle. . .

. . .using it in impeachment hearings? Aren't rules of evidence different there, as well as the privilege aspects of the case?

[Honeycombe8]

56. I don't know about that.

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]

59. It would be illegal to use money from his "foundation"

or to use campaign funds or have a donor pay on his behalf.

[Honeycombe8]

60. Yes...if he discussed where the money should come from. Or just telling Cohen to pay her off.

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]

61. That's Why I Asked

Seems very different to me, especially after the dick sucking earlier this week.

[beachbum bob]

6. he will lie and say its not his voice, his supporters don't care he lies but it keeps building

the momentum against him and against republicans

can't wait to hear the tape

[elmac]

10. in his own words

he could murder someone on 5th avenue and his supporters would still vote for him.

[beachbum bob]

36. Luckily They are a shrinking minority, personally I know 4 trump voters

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]

11. Keep turning on this traitor, Rus-publi-sians!

[colorado_ufo]

40. Yes!

[Honeycombe8]

48. Great variation on that word! I'm gonna borrow that! Rusplubissians! nt

[George II]

12. bwahahahahaha!!!!

"I don't know anything about it, it's fake news". Yeah donnie, if your lips are moving you're lying!

[ailsagirl]

46. bwahahahahaha!!!! pt 2

[NewJeffCT]

14. Hey Rudy

if Trump has done nothing wrong, why has he denied his involvement all along?

[ffr]

18. +1

Guilty

[mobeau69]

32. It's a conpiracy whether they made the payment or not.

[Scurrilous]

15. K&R

[BumRushDaShow]

16. "demonstrated that the president had done nothing wrong"

[jcgoldie]

19. Has he directly denied the McDougal story?

All his bullshit is running together for me and I cant keep the scandals straight.

[jalan48]

20. Will it make a difference or is it just another outrage?

[Major Nikon]

22. More evidence that Trump lied

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]

21. Isn't it illegal to tape conversations without telling all the people

who are being recorded? I ask this because you would think the repukes would use that against Cohen to make it invalid.

[Major Nikon]

24. Depends on the state(s) for the participants

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]

29. I think in CA everyone needs to know. Here in Ga, I think only one needs to.

But that may change

[FUGAMC]

33. No.

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]

35. You think

No wonder he worked for Trump so long. He is just as much a weasel. I guess he thought this day might come.

[marshall]

58. His other clients must be very nervous

Could it have been a common practice of his to record conversations with his clients? And how many other attorneys do this?

[B2G]

23. What are the implications of 'secretly' recording a conversation?

Would it be admissible? Is that legal?

[7962]

26. To me, THIS is the much bigger scandal than Stormy.

This was an ongoing affair, Stormy was a one night deal.

[Achilleaze]

27. republican family values role model doing his thing

disgusting

[bucolic_frolic]

28. Bet you can't eat just one

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]

30. Thats the ONLY thing there were multiples of......

[Ginger42]

31. Twitter's having fun

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
It’s 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]

34. Has trump tweeted about this yet?

[Blue Owl]

37. Hey Mitch, time to move the goalposts again

n/t

[edbermac]

39. FAKE TAPES!

[PearliePoo2]

41. Gloria Borger CNN said her sources say there are MORE tapes other than trump

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]

54. Client #3 has to be on the tape.

[Happyhippychick]

43. Someone tell Melania, I need to see her swat his hand away from hers again while they board

Air Force One.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

44. "It's very important, in assuring accurate coverage, to note that this tape is allegedly about...."

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]

47. I don't think people care about this.

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]

63. First reply in a thread at FReak site about this: "I don't care".

I dont care
2 posted on 7/20/2018, 1:05:27 PM by Mr. K

Fake News story 938,589 about Trump from the NY DNC office
10 posted on 7/20/2018, 1:08:01 PM by MNJohnnie

Two months before the election. Whatever, so bored with this lame fat butt stripper story.
19 posted on 7/20/2018, 1:09:16 PM by AllAmericanGirl44

You are correct! The media does not get it. We Don’t Care!
30 posted on 07/20/2018 9:11:23 AM PDT by martinidon

They keep trying. PT’s 46 percent base is with him no matter what, an it’s growing.
74 posted on 07/20/2018 9:24:11 AM PDT by cowboyusa (America Cowboy UP!)

[duforsure]

49. trump once again shown to be a serial liar

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]

51. Didn't Giuliani say weeks ago that Trump repaid Cohen in full? Or maybe that was for

Stormy Daniels rather than McDougal. In any case, I don't believe anything that Rudy says without independent evidence.

[palustris]

53. It looks like everyone has kompromat on Trump

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]

57. Also to get blackmail material on him, it seems all you need to do...

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]

55. People have lost security clearances for much less

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]

62. He's not going to be your fall guy Trumpy

[GeorgeGist]

64. Playboy MODEL?

The Old Grey lady is quite the prude.