an odd request
FBI agents who raided Trump lawyer Michael Cohen reportedly wanted documents about his taxi medallions
The FBI agents who raided the office and hotel room of President Trump's attorney were reportedly looking for information about taxi medallions he owned, CNN reports.
The Monday night raid sent federal prosecutors rifling through Michael Cohen's documents, with what was apparently a sweeping search warrant approved by Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general. Rosenstein appointed Special Counsel Robert Mueller and is overseeing Mueller's investigation of the Trump campaign's possible involvement with Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
Sources told CNN that the raid included a request for information on Cohen's ownership of taxi medallions, which are small metal plates that function as licenses for taxicabs to operate in New York City. The medallions are valuable, peaking at $1.3 million each in 2014, though their value has sunk considerably with the popularization of rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft. Cohen has owned at least 34 medallions, an analysis by The Real Deal found.
Besides seeking information on Cohen's taxi medallions, The New York Times reports that investigators wanted records of payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Cohen has said that he paid Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, $130,000 in October 2016 as part of an agreement to secure her silence about an alleged affair with Trump. McDougal, who also says she had an affair with Trump, was paid to remain silent by the publisher of The National Enquirer, who is a close friend of the president's. Trump denies both of the affairs.
The search warrant also reportedly sought information related to possible violations of campaign finance laws and possible bank fraud.