(RNN) – Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, secretly recorded a conversation with him in which they discussed payments to a former Playboy model, the New York Times reported Friday.
Cohen's apartment, office and personal properties were raided in April as the FBI sought information about the alleged payments to former Playboy model Karen McDougal and adult film star Stormy Daniels.
The FBI seized the recording during the raid on Cohen’s office, according to the New York Times. It has been shared with the president's lawyers, the paper reported.
Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani told multiple news outlets that the president did discuss payments with Cohen on the tape. Ultimately, they were never made to McDougal, he said.
Giuliani said the recording is less than two minutes long and showed Trump had done nothing wrong.
Another source with knowledge of the tape described the conversation differently. The source told CNN that the tape is not good for the president. There was no elaboration.
McDougal said she began a nearly yearlong affair with the president in 2006. It allegedly took place shortly after his wife, Melania Trump, gave birth to their son Barron.
McDougal sold her story to The National Enquirer for $150,000 near the end of the presidential campaign. Ultimately, the tabloid decided not to publish it.
She has accused Cohen of secretly taking part in a deal to bury the story.
David Pecker, the chairman of The Enquirer’s parent company, is a friend of the president and McDougal’s allegation is part of the FBI investigation.
Cohen reportedly paid $130,000 to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, in the weeks leading up to the election to keep quiet about an affair she had with Trump back in 2006. Daniels also signed a non-disclosure agreement.
She signed it just days before Trump won the 2016 presidential election. Now, she claims that the agreement does not have any legal standing because Trump never signed it.
In an effort to prove she's not coming forward now just to collect another big payday, Daniels has offered to pay back the $130,000.
Even so, Trump's legal team claims Daniels has violated the NDA and is suing her for $20 million.
In April, a reporter asked Trump regarding the payment: “Then why did Michael Cohen make it, if there was no truth to her allegations?”
"You'll have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael's my attorney and you'll have to ask Michael," Trump responded.
The president said he wasn't sure where Cohen got the money either, and ignored the question asking if the lawyer had an account to cover expenses.
During a 60 Minutes interview in March, Daniels said she felt coerced to sign the non-disclosure agreement about the sexual encounter. Daniels also claimed she received threats, warning her not to speak about the affair.
Copyright 2018 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
