New York
CNN
—
Michael Cohen, former president Donald Trump’s personal attorney, met with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday. This is the clearest indication that the prosecution is focusing on the Trump Organization’s involvement in hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
When he arrived at the building, Cohen said he was responding to requests to meet with prosecutors.
“I called. I was asked to come in. That’s what we do,” he said.
About 90 minutes later, Cohen walked off with his attorney, Lanny Davis, and said, “The meeting went very well.” “I will probably see them again,” Cohen said.
Davis said he believed prosecutors were “serious” about the investigation.
Cohen previously met with Manhattan prosecutors 13 times during the course of the deep-seated investigation into the Trump organization. Their meeting on Tuesday will be their first in over a year.
The focus of the DA investigation has returned to the $130,000 paid to stop Daniels from going public about her relationship with Trump just before the 2016 election, a person familiar with the matter said. deny this matter.
The district attorney’s office also reached out to Keith Davidson, who had represented Daniels in the hush-money transaction in recent weeks, but had not scheduled an interview, a person familiar with the matter said.
Cohen was a key figure in the hush-hush system. He facilitated payments and was reimbursed by the Trump organization. For him forwarding the money to Daniels. Cohen pleaded guilty to nine federal charges against him, including campaign finance violations, and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Prosecutors are also looking into possible insurance fraud after new documents emerged from the New York Attorney General’s civil investigation into the accuracy of the Trump Organization’s financial statements, the people said.
On Friday, the Trump Organization fined $1.6 million After being convicted last month of a 10-year tax evasion scheme.
Bragg told CNN on Friday Sentencing marks the end of one chapter in the office’s investigation, but they’re moving on to the next.
“It will continue as long as the facts and the law demand it,” Bragg said when asked how long the years-long investigation would last. We’ve finished an important chapter, so much of this year was focused on this very important chapter, but now we’re moving on to the next chapter.”
Bragg inherited an investigation focused on the accuracy of the Trump Organization’s financial statements, but did not allow prosecutors to seek charges. At the time, he said once the investigation was over, he would either publicly announce the accusations or the investigation was closed.
This story has been updated with additional details.
