Michael Cohen office raided by FBI

[Bootney Lee Farnsworth]

It was a crime which is serious enough that a Federal judge felt that the evidence is in danger of disappearing or Cohen could not be trusted to give up. All reports say, Cohen was not expecting this raid to take place. Since he has been with the Liar in Chief for so long, it is hard to say what they may find. I would think a dead boy would start stinking after a day or so....

Federal judges went out of their way to completely ignore the prelim injunction rules for political reasons. I trust federal judges as far as I can throw Michael Moore.

Let's see the affidavits.

 

[usmbguest5318]

What we know about this raid and Michael Cohen:

• Cohen is the guy who knows and whose documents will indicate where effectively be all the skeletons in Trump's closet.
• Mueller, in the course of his investigation, found indications that some sort of criminal activity occurred.
  • It's reasonable to presume that Cohen is the perpetrator of those acts because the FBI couldn't and wouldn't raid Cohen's offices to obtain information about Cohen's client(s). Attorney-client privilege prohibits that, unless there be indications that Cohen advised his client to commit a crime or committed one himself on behalf of his client(s).
    • See also:
      • The Crime-Fraud Exception to the Attorney-Client Privilege
        
      • The Lawyer 's Duty to Warn Clients About Limits on Confidentiality
        
      • The Attorney-Client Privilege in the United States an Age-Old Principle Modern Pressures
        
      • Reevaluating Attorney-Client Privilege in the Age of Hackers

Now just what could have Cohen been up to that is criminal and that hasn't a material enough connection to Mueller's investigation for Mueller to have retained in within his scope?

• AFAIK, Mueller hasn't interviewed Cohen.
• AFAIK, Muller hasn't interviewed Stormy Daniels.

Consequently, I don't think the Daniels matter is central to the reason for the raid, though it may have hinted at whatever is the point of the raid.

The reason behind this raid has to be substantial. To obtain an search warrant to go through an attorney's office such as this, the crimes or potential crime must have been very egregious. A federal judge must have felt Cohen could not be trusted to hand over these documents.

the crimes or potential crime must have been very egregious

I don't know that the crimes involved need be "egregious." I think for the FBI felonious is sufficient. If you construe any felony to be "egregious," well, then, yes, the crime too would have to be egregious.

The information giving rise to and supporting the probable cause assertion that a felony may have been committed needs to be strong in order for DOJ/FBI senior managers to sign off on a warrant application and a federal judge, in response to that application, to grant a "no knock" search warrant of a POTUS' personal attorney's office.

Between the two, AFAIK, it's the DOJ/FBI top level officials who'd demand the greater degree of certainty/strength as goes the probable cause. No matter what measure of independence DoJ/FBI officials are supposed to have, it'd be silly to think they'd behave so dispassionately as to "mess with" a POTUS' family members and closest confidants, most especially a POTUS' personal attorney.

To a federal judge, a person who has a nearly unassailable life appointment, on the other hand, due probable cause is due probable cause, regardless of who is the suspected/alleged criminal and the "no knock" aspect of the warrant is based only on the plausibility and risk that were the object of the warrant to have any advance notice, s/he might destroy evidence.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Mr. Cohen is at the center of several aspects of the special counsel’s investigation. He also acknowledged paying $130,000 to Stephanie Clifford, who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump.

The F.B.I. on Monday raided the office of President Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, seizing records related to several topics including payments to a pornographic-film actress.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan obtained the search warrant after receiving a referral from the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, according to Mr. Cohen’s lawyer, who called the search “completely inappropriate and unnecessary.” The search does not appear to be directly related to Mr. Mueller’s investigation, but likely resulted from information he had uncovered and gave to prosecutors in New York.

“Today the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York executed a series of search warrants and seized the privileged communications between my client, Michael Cohen, and his clients,” said Stephen Ryan, his lawyer. “I have been advised by federal prosecutors that the New York action is, in part, a referral by the Office of Special Counsel, Robert Mueller.”

More: F.B.I. Raids Office of Trump Lawyer Michael Cohen - The New York Times

Apparently involves Stormy Daniels - and more.

I am no lawyer- and as such I wonder how a search warrant like that gets past lawyer/client privilege.

I would think that the only way to break that privilege would be to allege that the lawyer may have been involved with a criminal conspiracy with his client.

Every scrap is subject to a motion to suppress.

See Cohen is not charged with a criminal conspiracy. No one is. Trump isn't even charged with a criminal conspiracy. A prosecutor does not get to investigate just to investigate and hope they find a criminal conspiracy.

A warrant isn't issued without probable cause either.

Like FISA warrants?

 

[Faun]

Here comes another for all you sex interested guys.

Alicia Machado says Trump tried to have sex with her at the same time as he was fat-shaming her

LOL

When it rains, it pours.

 

[Bootney Lee Farnsworth]

If I were a client of Cohen, and my confidential information was taken by the FBI, I would want to know what the fuck is going on immediately!!!!!

Civil Rights lawsuits finna be FLYING!!!

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

but isn't this a serious violation of attorney-client privilege? W

Spot on, professor! Those federal prosecutors really need to read a law book once in a while!

 

[JimH52]

A warrant isn't issued without probable cause either.

Which is why I want to see what the alleged probable cause is.

I do not trust judges to make the correct call in politically motivated actions such as this one.

We'll see....maybe.

Maybe we will see the reason before we see the report on why McCabe was fired. I guess Mr. Magoo is still trying to come up with some good reasons on that one.

 

[Faun]

So we're back to the Trump Russia Hoax again? Wow! The circling around sure will help the president replace Mueller soon.

I wish he would fire Mueller but I don’t think he has the balls.

 

[Hutch Starskey]

nothing like trashing our justice system. attorney climate privilege eh? illegal after illegal our democrats have truly engulfed Trump syndrome.

Attorney client privilege must be the line on fox. You're all using it.

 

[JimH52]

but isn't this a serious violation of attorney-client privilege? W

Spot on, professor! Those federal prosecutors really need to read a law book once in a while!

Oh they have,,,,,but obviously you haven't....

 

[Bootney Lee Farnsworth]

Attorney client privilege must be the line on fox. You're all using it.

Or....the fucking law???

If I were a client of Cohen, I would be HELLA pissed right now.

 

[debbiedowner]

There was no campaign contribution.

Mueller has never found anything. He has not even found a crime that did not arise out of his own questioning. What he is doing is trying to carry his investigation to everyone Trump has ever known just to keep himself relevant. Will anything Mueller found survive a motion to suppress? Democrats don't care. It's good for months of gossip.

Isn't this the same shit done to Bill Clinton? Yes. What goes around comes around.

Not even close.

Give me a fucking break they investigated one thing that led to another.

 

[Hutch Starskey]

Trump has enough $$$$$ he didn't need to use campaign $$$$$ for anything

When it's used to benefit the campaign, it's all relevant.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Trump has enough $$$$$ he didn't need to use campaign $$$$$ for anything

When it's used to benefit the campaign, it's all relevant.

You mean Trump can't buy a pizza...cuz Russia????

 

[Bootney Lee Farnsworth]

When it's used to benefit the campaign, it's all relevant.

So, all the information in every one of Cohen's client files is relevant to this inquiry?

Wow.

Liberalism is officially dead in America. Overrun by commies and other Statist Authoritarians.

Unbelievable.

 

[Hutch Starskey]

Nothing they find on Trump can be used due to attorney client privilege

Not on "criminal" conduct.

Attorney-client privilege ends when the lawyer starts breaking the law.

Trump/Cohen better call Saul

What law did Cohen break? You know he hasn't been charged with any crime.

Prosecutors would love to be able to raid lawyer's offices. They would do it in every case.

This is Mueller rolling it all. If he is wrong, his career is over along with a goodly chunk of the FBI.

A warrant requires probable cause that a crime or crimes have been committed, fool.

no, you must state what the crime is you're going after. so what is the crime?

It hasn't been released yet, dope.

We do know however that there certainly was probable cause.

 

[Faun]

A warrant isn't issued without probable cause either.

Which is why I want to see what the alleged probable cause is.

I do not trust judges to make the correct call in politically motivated actions such as this one.

We'll see....maybe.

Probable cause? Cohen’s own admission that he made s campaign contribution of $127,300 over the legal limit.

 

[Bootney Lee Farnsworth]

We do know however that there certainly was probable cause.

Which was what?

 

[usmbguest5318]

nothing like trashing our justice system. attorney climate privilege eh? illegal after illegal our democrats have truly engulfed Trump syndrome.

Attorney client privilege must be the line on fox. You're all using it.

That privilege isn't worth a hill of beans if Cohen is the suspected criminal, which given attorney-client privilege, is more likely the case than is Trump's being the suspect as goes the raid on Cohen's offices.

 

[Hutch Starskey]

Mr. Cohen is at the center of several aspects of the special counsel’s investigation. He also acknowledged paying $130,000 to Stephanie Clifford, who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump.

The F.B.I. on Monday raided the office of President Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, seizing records related to several topics including payments to a pornographic-film actress.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan obtained the search warrant after receiving a referral from the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, according to Mr. Cohen’s lawyer, who called the search “completely inappropriate and unnecessary.” The search does not appear to be directly related to Mr. Mueller’s investigation, but likely resulted from information he had uncovered and gave to prosecutors in New York.

“Today the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York executed a series of search warrants and seized the privileged communications between my client, Michael Cohen, and his clients,” said Stephen Ryan, his lawyer. “I have been advised by federal prosecutors that the New York action is, in part, a referral by the Office of Special Counsel, Robert Mueller.”

More: F.B.I. Raids Office of Trump Lawyer Michael Cohen - The New York Times

Apparently involves Stormy Daniels - and more.

I am no lawyer- and as such I wonder how a search warrant like that gets past lawyer/client privilege.

I would think that the only way to break that privilege would be to allege that the lawyer may have been involved with a criminal conspiracy with his client.

Every scrap is subject to a motion to suppress.

See Cohen is not charged with a criminal conspiracy. No one is. Trump isn't even charged with a criminal conspiracy. A prosecutor does not get to investigate just to investigate and hope they find a criminal conspiracy.

A warrant isn't issued without probable cause either.

and we are allowed to know what the supposed crime is. so what is it?

Why do you always ask such dumbassed questions? You know that hasn't come out yet.