Trump Blasts Cohen's 'Totally Unheard Of and Perhaps Illegal' Recording of Conversations
President Donald Trump lashed out Saturday at what he suggested was the possible illegal taping of conversations he had with his former attorney.
“Inconceivable that the government would break into a lawyer’s office (early in the morning) – almost unheard of. Even more inconceivable that a lawyer would tape a client – totally unheard of & perhaps illegal. The good news is that your favorite President did nothing wrong!” Trump tweeted Saturday.
Inconceivable that the government would break into a lawyer’s office (early in the morning) – almost unheard of. Even more inconceivable that a lawyer would tape a client – totally unheard of & perhaps illegal. The good news is that your favorite President did nothing wrong!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 21, 2018
The tweet concerned both federal investigators’ actions in raising the offices of attorney Michael Cohen in April and Cohen’s recording of a meeting between Trump and Cohen regarding money payments to former Playboy playmate Karen McDougal, the Washington Examiner reported.
On Friday, The New York Times reported that Cohen had taped Trump during conversations regarding McDougal, who has said Trump had an affair with her in 2006 after Melania Trump gave birth to the couple’s son, Barron. Trump has denied her claim.
The National Enquirer paid McDougal $150,000 for her story, but never published it, effectively keeping the story out of the public eye.
The Times said that it was told by Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s lawyer, that the tape-recorded Trump and Cohen discussing making payments to McDougal, and that Trump nothing wrong.
“Nothing in that conversation suggests that (Trump) had any knowledge of it in advance,” Giuliani said, according to NBC. “In the big scheme of things, it’s powerful exculpatory evidence.”
On Friday, CNBC reported that Trump did not know he was being taped, and that although Cohen had other tapes, most were merely bits of conversation and that there were no other “substantive tapes.”
The Justice Department is investigating claims of women who said they were paid not to discuss sexual misconduct by Trump in the past. Cohen is also being investigated for alleged bank and tax fraud.
Cohen’s lawyer, Lanny Davis, issued a brief statement Friday that he was “sensitive” to the ongoing investigation.
“Suffice it to say that when the recording is heard, it will not hurt Mr. Cohen. Any attempt at spin cannot change what is on the tape,” he said, according to the BBC.
The tape was fodder for discussion Friday on the Fox News show “Outnumbered.”
Jessica Tarlov said the issue could revolve around whether campaign funds were used in any payoff.
“The legal issue here is going to be whether campaign funds were misused,” Tarlov said, Fox News reported.
Daily Caller editor-in-chief Christopher Bedford downplayed the report about the tape.
“Can you imagine stopping someone at the polls who was going to vote for President Donald Trump and saying, ‘What if I told you Donald Trump dated a Playboy model?'” Bedford said. “You think that’s going to change a vote?”
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