US Judge Rules Seized Trump Lawyer Documents to be Independently Reviewed

[louis c]

Source: Reuters

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - A federal judge ruled on Thursday that a court-appointed independent official should be the first to examine documents seized by FBI agents from U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.

The agents raided Cohen's office and home on April 9, an action that infuriated the president. Prosecutors said in a court filing several days later that they have been investigating the lawyer for months, largely over his business dealings rather than his legal work.

The seizure of the documents has led to a legal spat as to who should be allowed to review them.

"The letters I received from counsel for Mr Cohen and the intervenors has convinced me that this process can go quickly with the special master, assuming everyone works as hard as you have represented you will work," said U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood.

Read more: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/us-judge-rules-seized-trump-lawyer-documents-to-be-independently-reviewed/ar-AAwnPBO?li=BBnb7Kz&OCID=HPDHP

[cilla4progress]

1. Oh, not going to give Donnie

a first crack at it, as requested?

[dembotoz]

2. pick me pick me

something might slip out from time to time but i won't charge much.......less than stormy did anyway

[Mr.Bill]

3. I think Sally Yates would be a good independent official.

After all, she doesn't work for any government agency anymore.

[louis c]

4. Former Judge Barbara Jones has been chosen Special Master in Cohen-Trump case

<snip>The person chosen to review materials seized from President Donald Trump’s lawyer cut her teeth as a mob prosecutor, presided as a judge over white-collar crime cases and decided the fates of corporate chieftain Bernie Ebbers and NFL running back Ray Rice.

Barbara Jones, 70, was appointed at a hearing Thursday to sift through material seized on April 9 by the FBI from the premises and electronic devices of Michael Cohen, a longtime Trump attorney.

Jones, who retired from the federal bench a half-decade ago, will decide what records may contain communications protected by attorney-client privilege, making them off-limits to prosecutors. Her determinations may help shape the direction of a criminal investigation that prosecutors have said is focused on Cohen’s personal business and financial dealings.

Jones sent mobsters to prison as a federal prosecutor in New York, and became the first woman to lead a federal organized crime task force. She was the judge who sentenced WorldCom’s Ebbers to 25 years in prison for orchestrating an $11 billion accounting fraud. In 2016, after retiring from the bench, she joined Bracewell LLP after an exodus of lawyers including Rudy Giuliani.<Snip>


Link;
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-26/in-trump-lawyer-case-judge-names-an-ex-judge-as-special-master

[lagomorph777]

10. Jones doesn't like mobsters? Bad news for Cohen and Pres. Turd!

[louis c]

11. Bill Clinton Appointment to the bench.

We'll never hear the end of that from the Moron-in-Chief

[AJT]

5. Doesn't this mean that only the documents pertaining to the Stormy Daniels case

will be allowed into evidence? I don't see that this is good thing. All of the other documents will go back to Cohen and won't be used by Mueller to build a case against Trump on money laundering or anything else. Am I wrong? I'm not a lawyer.

[Mr.Bill]

6. It depends on what the search warrant gave them permission to look for.

Anything having to do with collusion to commit criminal activity by the attorney and client is not protected by attorney client privilege.

I doubt Trump and Cohen could plan lunch without committing a felony.

[blugbox]

7. This is my take...

From the text:

Prosecutors said in a court filing several days later that they have been investigating the lawyer for months, largely over his business dealings rather than his legal work.

To me, this particular investigation is about his business mostly, but who knows. I mean if there were glaring declarations of guilt in those communications, would they just have to hand them back?

[LiberalFighter]

8. And DT tweeted that he did very little in regards to the legal work with Cohen.

It was mostly businesses. Hmm

[SergeStorms]

12. That may be true pertaining to Mueller's investigation....

but if there are any other crimes discovered she'll forward those to the proper authorities. She's not going to overlook evidence of other crimes, much to Cohen's and Trump's chagrin.

[moriah]

9. A special master is certainly reasonable, and she was a Clinton appointee.

Seems to be very experienced in prosecuting racketeering/financial crimes, too.