A lawyer who registers a client may be illegal

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The New York Times reports that President Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, secretly recorded a conversation with Trump regarding payments made to a former Playboy model who claims to have had an affair with the President. Nathan Rousseau Smith has more.

President Donald Trump took a shot Saturday at his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, during a Secretly recorded conversation with In 2016, tweeting that a lawyer registering a client is "possibly illegal", before ensuring to Twitter that "your favorite president" has done nothing wrong.

Cohen's lawyer, Lanny Davis, quickly retaliated by tweeting the president, and his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, in a show of deteriorating relations between the president and his former lawyer.

Trump's tweet followed Friday news that Cohen, the president's sole fixer, secretly recorded a conversation in which he and Trump discussed payments to the old model Playboy Karen McDougal who claimed to have had an affair with Trump.

The development was first reported on Friday by The New York Times. The Wall Street Journal later reported that the conversation took place in person

. A knowledgeable person, who reviewed the contact transcript but is not allowed to comment publicly, said that the recording had been done two months ago. The 2016 election and was among the documents seized during an FBI raid in April on Cohen's office, home and hotel room.

Trump's tweets went wild on both counts. in the morning) – almost unknown, "he tweeted." Even more inconceivable than a lawyer is tapping on a client – totally unheard of and possibly illegal. The good news is that your favorite president did not nothing done wrong! "

Davis answered, tweeter :" @RealDonaldTrump @POTUS @RudyGiuliani's strategy is flawed, as is # Truth's #Twitter false statement made against @ MichaelCohen212 this morning .

But in a new twist of history, Giuliani told Kelly O Donnell, a journalist at NBC on Saturday that the president waived the solicitor-client privilege attached to the tape. "He was already there, it did not seem worthwhile to object except on the principle," said Giuliani.

The recording was part of a large collection of documents and electronic records seized by the federal authorities for a long time 19659008] Cohen had made a practice of recording telephone conversations, unbeknownst to those with whom he spoke.Most states, including New York , allow recordings of telephone conversations with only the consent of a party; other states require that all parties agree to a registration or have mixed laws in the matter. was not immediately clear where Trump and Cohen were t located at the time of the call.

The recording of Cohen adds to questions about whether Trump tried to stifle prejudicial stories before the election. Trump's campaign had stated that she knew nothing about any payments to McDougal, the former Playboy Central.

McDougal, who claimed to have an affair with Trump in 2006, received a $ 150,000 payment in August 2016 from the National parent company. Enquirer. But the tabloid did not publish the story, keeping it out of public view.

The head of the parent company of Enquirer, David Pecker, is a Trump ally. In a lawsuit she has since settled, McDougal contended that Cohen secretly intervened in the deal that she struck with the tabloid owner.

Trump denied the case.

In an interview with The Times, Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani confirmed payments with Cohen on the tape, but he claimed that Trump did not commit any wrongdoing.

"Nothing in this conversation suggests that he was aware of it in advance," Giuliani said. tweet, took a poke specific to Giuliani: "Rudy claims that the tape is" exculpatory "Why is this so angry?"

The recorded conversation, now in the possession of the FBI, could also confuse the president in a criminal investigation for months. targeted Cohen.

Lanny Davis, one of Cohen's lawyers, said in a written statement Friday night that the content of the recording would not be harmful to his client.

"Obviously, there is an ongoing investigation, and we are sensitive to that," Davis said. "But suffice it to say that when the recording is heard, it will not hurt Mr. Cohen – any spin attempt can not change what's on the tape."

Revelation throws a new light on the efforts before the presidential campaign to end the detrimental revelations on Trump, as well as the mine of information that Cohen could own Federal prosecutors in New York investigated whether the actions of Cohen, there including a payment to adult movie star Stormy Daniels, have violated the campaign's funding laws as part of an extensive investigation into Trump's corruption.

Contributor: The Associated Press

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