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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowPresident Donald Trump’s personal attorney has been forced to reveal that another of his clients is Fox News host Sean Hannity.
Lawyers for Michael Cohen argued in court on Monday that they could not identify Hannity because he asked that his name not be disclosed in connection with an FBI seizure of Cohen’s files. But Judge Kimba Wood made one of the lawyers identify him in open court.
The hearing in a New York City courtroom stems from a surprise raid this month on Cohen’s home and office.
The search sought information on a variety of matters, including a $130,000 payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels, who alleges she had sex with a married Trump in 2006. Daniels was in the courtroom on Monday for the arguments.
Earlier, a prosecutor said Cohen isn’t being forthcoming about his law practice.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom McKay asked Wood to require Cohen to reveal more information about his clients.
The revelation of Cohen’s representation of Hannity came after McKay complained that Cohen won't disclose the identity of a client he described as a “publicly prominent individual.”
The names of Cohen’s clients are at issue because the lawyer has argued that materials seized in an FBI raid on his home and office are subject to attorney-client privilege.
Cohen’s lawyers said investigators “took everything” during raids last week on his residence and office. They called the search “completely unprecedented.”
Daniels arrived at the courthouse Monday wearing a pink skirt and black heels. She stumbled and almost fell on the wet sidewalk outside the courthouse among a throng of reporters and camera crews.
The raid on Cohen’s offices and home sought information about a variety of matters, including a $130,000 payment made to Daniels, a stage name for Stephanie Clifford. She says she had sex with a married Trump in 2006.
Lawyers for Cohen and Trump want to be allowed to decide which items seized from his home and office are protected by attorney-client privilege before criminal prosecutors see them.
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