The Latest: Cohen Lawyer: ‘Spin’ Can’t Change What’s On Tape
NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on a recording of Donald Trump and his former lawyer discussing payments to an ex-Playboy model (all times local):
6:10 p.m.
An attorney for President Donald Trump’s former lawyer says “any attempt at spin cannot change what is on” a recording of Trump discussing a potential payment for a former Playboy model’s account of having an affair with him years ago.
Attorney Lanny Davis said Friday the recording won’t hurt his client, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen.
Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani (joo-lee-AH’-nee) says the payment was never made. Giuliani says what’s important is Trump said that if it were made it should be properly documented.
A person familiar with a federal investigation into Cohen tells The Associated Press that Cohen made the recording two months before Trump’s 2016 election. The person wasn’t authorized to discuss an ongoing criminal investigation and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
— By Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington.
4:40 p.m.
A spokeswoman for Melania Trump says Mrs. Trump is focused on her roles as a mother and first lady.
Spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham commented Friday after being asked for the first lady’s reaction to news that President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney recorded Trump discussing a potential payment for a former Playboy model who said she had an affair with Trump years ago.
Grisham says there will be no further comment.
Trump’s current attorney, Rudy Giuliani, told The Associated Press on Friday the payment was never made.
A person familiar with the investigation into former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen told the AP the FBI has the recording, which Cohen made two months before Trump’s 2016 election. The person was not authorized to discuss an ongoing criminal investigation and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
— By Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington.
3:15 p.m.
President Donald Trump’s attorney is confirming that Trump’s former personal lawyer recorded him discussing a potential payment for an ex-Playboy model who said she had an affair with him.
The current Trump attorney, Rudy Giuliani, told The Associated Press on Friday that the payment was never made. Giuliani says what’s important is that Trump said that if it were made, it should be by check and properly documented.
A person familiar with the investigation into former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen told the AP the FBI has the recording, made by Cohen two months before Trump’s 2016 election. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing inquiry.
Cohen hasn’t immediately responded to messages.
The recording was made weeks after the National Enquirer reached a deal to pay Karen McDougal and keep her story secret. When news of that payment emerged two days before the election, a Trump spokeswoman said his campaign had “no knowledge of any of this.”
— By Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington.
1:45 p.m.
A person familiar with an investigation into President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer says the attorney secretly recorded Trump discussing a payment to an ex-Playboy model who said she had an affair with him.
The person told The Associated Press on Friday the FBI has the recording, made two months before Trump’s 2016 election. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation into lawyer Michael Cohen.
Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani told The New York Times that Trump did discuss payments to Karen McDougal with Cohen on the less than two-minute recording but said a payment was never made. Giuliani told the newspaper the recording shows Trump did nothing wrong.
The Times first reported the existence and nature of the recording.
Giuliani, Cohen and McDougal’s lawyer haven’t immediately responded to messages from the AP.
— By Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington.
12:30 p.m.
The New York Times says President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer secretly recorded him discussing payments to an ex-Playboy model who said she had had an affair with him.
The newspaper says the FBI seized the recording during an April raid on attorney Michael Cohen’s office.
The Times cited lawyers and others familiar with the recording and reported Friday that Cohen made it two months before Trump’s 2016 election.
Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani tells the newspaper Trump did discuss the payments to Karen McDougal with Cohen on the less than two-minute recording but a payment was never made.
Giuliani says Trump told Cohen if he did make a payment to do it by check so it could be documented.
Cohen hasn’t responded to text and email messages seeking comment. His lawyer Lanny Davis declined to comment to the Times.
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