The New York Times is reporting Monday afternoon that the FBI on Monday raided the office of President Trump’s personal lawyer Michael D. Cohen and seized records.
Breaking News: The FBI raided the office of President Trump’s personal lawyer, seizing records on many topics, including payments to Stormy Daniels https://t.co/RsLccMlias
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 9, 2018
Before the Russian collusion crowd gets too excited, it seems that the raid wasn’t directly related to Robert Mueller’s investigation, but rather was the result of information uncovered and turned over during Mueller’s fishing expedition:
So Far this raid on @MichaelCohen212 is like all the earlier indictments Manafort, Gates, etc. etc. It has nothing to do with #Russiagate
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) April 9, 2018
.@nytimes reports that the raid of Michael Cohen's office by FBI "does not appear to be directly related to [special counsel Robert] Mueller’s investigation, but likely resulted from information he had uncovered and gave to prosecutors in New York." https://t.co/khYs1nxUm7
— Cristiano Lima (@viaCristiano) April 9, 2018
So given this Cohen raid is an SDNY investigation referred by Mueller, and not a Mueller action, it would appear there is a SECOND criminal investigation into the president's inner circle.
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) April 9, 2018
Big: F.B.I. Raids Office of Trump’s Longtime Lawyer Michael Cohen, on referral from Mueller. The seized documents include info about Stormy Daniels payments, emails, tax documents and business records. https://t.co/xUSW6nXkXn
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) April 9, 2018
Tax documents? That should get Rachel Maddow and others salivating.
“The seized records include communications between Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen, which would likely require a special team of agents to review because conversations between lawyers and clients are protected from scrutiny in most instances.” https://t.co/8ySbM3YVzq
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) April 9, 2018
The threshold for raiding a lawyer's office and taking client records has got to be pretty high.
— Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) April 9, 2018
Michael Cohen’s attorney has already issued a statement on the raid:
New statement from Michael Cohen’s attorney confirming raid (via @carolelee) pic.twitter.com/XMtbFUaoXb
— Monica Alba (@albamonica) April 9, 2018
Stormy Daniels’ lawyer has also issued a tweet in response:
See below and review my comments and predictions last week on CNN and MSNBC. An enormous amount of misplaced faith has been placed on MC's shoulders IMO. If he does not hold up, this could end very very badly for DJT and others. F.B.I. Raids Cohen Offices https://t.co/ijYXxDpiGH
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) April 9, 2018
In the meantime:
Liveshot from Cohen offices pic.twitter.com/RZ4t5vXUzn
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) April 9, 2018
Michael Cohen’s office prepared for FBI raid. pic.twitter.com/9VMEfGbXCS
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) April 9, 2018
How I feel right now with the fact that my week is now going to be filled with news about Michael Cohenhttps://t.co/TRhpWC4pQ6
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) April 9, 2018
Here’s the take from #NeverTrump GOP media guy Rick Wilson:
Process this fact, because right now the President is tearing out his wispy hair poof…
There's a meaningful chance Robert Mueller's team now has all of the many, many NDAs Trump had with his many, many women.
And Trump's tax returns. pic.twitter.com/clwdJ7ixfQ
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) April 9, 2018
Another perspective:
One interesting development in this whole Trump-Russia-but-not-Trump-any-more-and-not-Russia-but-on-we-go spectacle is that a lot of people who should know better do little clappy backflips when attorneys' private papers and work product are seized by the FBI.
— (((≠))) (@ThomasHCrown) April 9, 2018
Especially when the probability of those papers being leaked is way above 50%.
— Neil Thompson (@boyfromsi) April 9, 2018
Cold take: I don't think we know enough yet to conclude whether the FBI raid on Cohen's office is mad prosecutorial overreach or legitimate pursuit of criminal wrongdoing.
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) April 9, 2018
The buddy comedy with Cohen and Manafort escaping to Eastern Europe trying to beat extradition is gonna be lit af.
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) April 9, 2018
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with additional tweets.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member