Prosecutors To Get 1 Million Files From Michael Cohen’s Phone

Federal prosecutors investigating Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, will receive 1 million files seized from three of his cell phones on Wednesday, according to a filing submitted to the court by special master Barbara Jones.

Jones said in a letter to the judge Tuesday night that none of the items taken from the phones have been designated privileged or highly personal and that subject to a final verification will be released to the government. She also said investigators from the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York have already received access to nearly 300,000 pieces of potential evidence acquired from Cohen’s office and residences in April’s raid.

Cohen is under investigation for potential bank fraud, wire fraud and campaign finance violations in an investigation into his role in possibly suppressing damaging stories about then-presidential candidate Trump.

Jones also reported additional electronic data from the past two weeks such as “electronic data from a video recorder, two computers and mobile storage devices.”

U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood, who appointed Jones, will consider at Wednesday’s hearing whether to allow attorney Michael Avenatti, who represents adult film star Stormy Daniels, to intervene in the case. Cohen had paid Daniels $130,000 in 2016 to remain silent about her alleged 2006 affair with Trump. Cohen’s attorneys have insisted that involving Avenatti in the case would be “inappropriate.” They cited a recent bankruptcy case against Avenatti’s firm, which he said is unrelated to Daniels’ case and called it “a red herring to distract the court.”

The back and forth between Avenatti and Cohen’s lawyers has played out in court, cable news and social media. Cohen’s attorneys cited in their letter against Avenatti a tweet of his questioning whether Qatar was “paying MC’s legal bills” after it came out that Cohen had sought at least $1 million from the government of Qatar in exchange for access to and advice about the incoming Trump presidency, according to the Washington Post.

Why is Mr. Cohen’s attorney Mr. Ryan representing Mr. Cohen at the same time he is working for Qatar? Especially in light of the Qatar bribery allegations revealed earlier this week? Are they paying MC’s legal bills? No wonder he is trying to keep me out of the case! #Conflict

— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 19, 2018