Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Turns Out the FBI Raided Trump's Lawyer's Office Looking for Information on Payments to Multiple Women

Turns Out the FBI Raided Trump's Lawyer's Office Looking for Information on Payments to Multiple Women
Michael Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the White House continues to implode.

The reason, at least partly, for an early Monday morning raid by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the office and residence of President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, may have more to do with Trump's personal indiscretions than international intrigue.

A search warrant obtained by the New York Federal Prosecutors office, based on information of potential criminal activity passed on to them from the Special Counsel's office, and signed by a federal judge relates, in part, to payments made to two women.


The first woman, Stephanie Clifford, aka adult film star Stormy Daniels, previously disclosed receiving $130,000 from the president's personal lawyer. Clifford is currently taking legal action against Trump and Cohen.

NEW YORK - MARCH 22: Stephanie Clifford, aka Stormy Daniels in her interview with Anderson Cooper. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)

Cohen admits to paying Clifford $130,000 as part of a nondisclosure agreement, securing her silence shortly before the 2016 presidential election.

The second woman is Karen McDougal who says she engaged in an almost year long affair with the then married Trump. The affair reportedly began around the same time as the president's liaison with Clifford, shortly after the birth of his third son in 2006.

McDougal, a model, claims the National Enquirer, whose chief executive, David Pecker, is a close Trump friend, paid her to remain silent about the affair. Her payment of $150,000 came from American Media Incorporated, the National Enquirer’s parent company.

George Conway/Twitter

According to several sources, federal prosecutors are looking for records about the payments and about the publisher of The National Enquirer’s role in silencing one of the women. The search warrant was carried out by the public corruption unit of the Manhattan federal attorney’s office.

Federal prosecutors, pursuing a criminal investigation, use extreme caution when deciding to search a lawyer’s files. According to several government officials, deputy U.S. attorney general Rod Rosenstein, the veteran Republican prosecutor handpicked by Mr. Trump, reviewed and signed off on Monday’s FBI raid.

As lawyers themselves, prosecutors and judges fully understand the importance of attorney client privilege. Any decision to seek information in a lawyer's records is weighed with that intimate knowledge of the relationship.

Rosenstein’s personal involvement points to the significance of the evidence that led to the execution of the warrant and the raid.

The president characterized the raid as a witch hunt and has repeatedly blamed bias for the investigations and indictments involving his campaign and administration members. However all high ranking members of the investigative team are lifelong Republicans.

In addition to Rosenstein, the top law enforcement officials involved in the raid are Special Counsel Robert Mueller, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and the United States attorney's office in New York, headed by interim US attorney Geoffrey Berman.

Berman himself was recused from participating in the investigation into Cohen by senior Justice Department officials. Others in the New York office handled the raid.

More from People/donald-trump

Donald Trump
Mehmet Eser/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Demands 'Boss Of AT&T' Fix Equipment After Failed Conference Call In Bizarre Meltdown

When most of us have technical difficulties, we contact tech support or customer service.

But if you're President of the United States, just ranting on social media—then having your White House Press Secretary post a screenshot of your post on a social media platform people actually use—is apparently the answer.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Lauren Boebert speaking to Alex Stein
Prime Time with Alex Stein/Blaze Media

Lauren Boebert Casts Doubt On Moon Landing During Wild Interview With Conspiracy Theorist

Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert was criticized after she seemingly agreed with the conspiracy theory that the moon landing was faked in a wide-ranging interview with conservative conspiracy theorist Alex Stein.

The segment began with the duo casting doubt on nuclear weapons—Boebert even joked about needing "tin foil"—and moved into weirder territory when Stein praised Boebert for "vibing" with him on the topic of the moon landing. Conspiracy theorists have long alleged the moon landing was fabricated by NASA in what they claim was an elaborate hoax.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rosie O'Donnell; Oprah Winfrey
Simon Ackerman/Getty Images; Ernesto Ruscio/GC Images

Rosie O'Donnell Calls Out Oprah For Attending Jeff Bezos' Wedding In Scathing Poem

Among the various celebrity hangers-on who attended Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's Venice wedding, the one that seemed to generate the most controversy was Oprah Winfrey.

After all, a woman known for her progressive politics whose entire ethos is about teaching people how to be their best selves, attending the wedding of man who directly funded a fascist regime dismantling our country before our eyes doesn't exactly add up.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lisa Murkowski
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Lisa Murkowski Slammed After Criticizing Massive Budget Bill She Just Voted For

Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski was slammed after she claimed that President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill is "not there yet" despite casting the deciding vote to narrowly pass it before sending it back to the House.

In a marathon voting session, the Senate narrowly passed the legislation in a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote after three Republicans joined all Democrats in opposition.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman listening to her boyfriend play guitar
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Things People Initially Found Attractive About Their Partner That Now Annoy Them

Being in a relationship can be wonderful, but it's not without its ups and downs.

In order for it to work, we have to allow it to grow and change over time rather than being locked forever into what it was when we first started dating our person.

Keep ReadingShow less