FBI raid on Cohen update

The F.B.I. agents who raided the office of President Trump’s personal lawyer on Monday were looking for records about payments to two women who claim they had affairs with Mr. Trump, and information related to the publisher of The National Enquirer’s role in silencing one of the women, several people briefed on the investigation said.

The search warrant carried out by the public corruption unit of the Manhattan federal attorney’s office seeks information about Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who claims she carried on a nearly yearlong affair with Mr. Trump shortly after the birth of his son in 2006. Ms. McDougal was paid $150,000 by American Media Inc., The Enquirer’s parent company, whose chief executive is a friend of Mr. Trump’s.

Agents were also searching the office and hotel room of the lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, for information related to Stephanie Clifford, better known as Stormy Daniels, who says she also had sex with Mr. Trump while he was married.

[...]

[T]he raids on Monday suggest that the political challenges for the president are becoming serious legal issues, as criminal investigators dig into Mr. Cohen’s activities, including, potentially, his communications with the president about the payments.

  NYT

This worked out really well for Mueller. His referral to NY FBI on matters concerning the Trump affairs leaves his investigation clear of accusations of following a personal matter, but whatever information the NY FBI turns up from its investigation of Cohen's documents that relates to Trump's Russia entanglement will then be in turn referred back to Mueller, I'm sure. Kinda slick.

The F.B.I. also searched for records related to Mr. Cohen’s taxicab business, apparently a separate line of inquiry unrelated to Mr. Trump. Mr. Cohen is a longtime owner of taxi medallions, at one point operating a fleet of more than 200 cabs in Manhattan.

His taxi company? He's playing fast and loose with his taxi company? Jesus, is there anything above-board about this guy? Rhetorical question.

Mr. Trump called the court-authorized raids an “attack on our country” — unusually harsh language that he has not used to describe Russia’s attempts to influence an American election using hacking and propaganda.

He equates himself with the country now. The Sun King.

Louis XIV brought France to its peak of absolute power and his words 'L'etat c'est moi' ('I am the state') express the spirit of a rule in which the king held all political authority.

Rod J. Rosenstein, the veteran Republican prosecutor handpicked by Mr. Trump to serve as deputy attorney general, personally signed off on Monday’s F.B.I. decision to raid the office of Mr. Cohen, a longtime confidant of Mr. Trump, several government officials said.

We'll miss you, Rod.

Privately, people close to the president said, he has also blamed Mr. Cohen for publicly acknowledging the payments to Ms. Clifford.

I'm sure he's blamed everyone but himself.

Mr. Rosenstein’s personal involvement in the decision signals that the evidence seen by law enforcement officials was significant enough to convince the Justice Department’s second in command that such an aggressive move was necessary.

Mr. Trump’s advisers have spent the last 24 hours trying to persuade the president not to make an impulsive decision that could put the president in more legal jeopardy and ignite a controversy that could consume his presidency, several people close to Mr. Trump said.

Which is already consumed by the Russia investigation. What's one more scandal?

Justice Department regulations require prosecutors to consult with senior criminal prosecutors in Washington, but not necessarily the deputy attorney general, before conducting a search of a lawyer’s files.

The involvement of Mr. Rosenstein and top prosecutors in New York in the raid of Mr. Cohen’s office makes it harder for Mr. Trump to argue that his legal problems are the result of a witch hunt led by Mr. Mueller.

Oh, really?

This morning:

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.