The FBI agents who raided Cohen's office were reportedly looking for information about the Access Hollywood tape
The FBI was looking for documents concerning the infamous Access Hollywood tape when they raided the office and residences of President Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, The New York Times reports. The tape, recorded in 2005 and made public just before the 2016 election, depicts Trump bragging into a hot mic about kissing and grabbing women by their genitals.
While it wasn't immediately clear what Cohen's relation might be to the tape, the news "reveals a new front in the investigation into Mr. Cohen that is being led by the United States attorney's office in Manhattan," The New York Times writes, explaining that authorities appear to be interested in Cohen's role in Trump's personal life. That helps explain, the Times writes, "why Mr. Trump was furious about the raid."
Other reports have said that the FBI agents were additionally looking for records of payments to former Playboy model Karen McDougal and adult film star Stormy Daniels, both of whom say they had sex with Trump more than a decade ago. The search warrant also reportedly sought information related to Cohen's possible violations of campaign finance laws and possible bank fraud.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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