Donald Trump and Michael Cohen’s conversation about Karen McDougal’s payoff has been released. Trump’s former lawyer can be heard saying, “I need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend David.” CNN reports that “David” is likely, David Pecker, the head of American Media, publisher of the National Enquirer. When Cohen mentions “financing,” Trump interrupts and says, “What financing?” Cohen replies, “We’ll have to pay?” Trump can then be heard saying, “Pay with cash,” through distorted audio. It is not clear if Trump is suggesting the pay with cash or if he is saying they shouldn’t pay with cash.
The tape was played on Chris Cuomo’s Cuomo Prime Time on CNN as Cuomo welcomed Michael Cohen’s lawyer, Lanny J. Davis. Cuomo said during the show that Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, declined to be interviewed. Davis was adamant that Trump suggested that Cohen pay McDougal in cash. Davis spoke to Giuliani directly saying that the as a former U.S. Attorney, Giuliani is familiar with the types of people who deal in cash. A possible reference to Giuliani’s history in prosecuting the mafia in New York City.
Trump’s team had said that the recording would show that Trump was saying that they shouldn’t pay in cash but rather by check so that proper records could be kept. Lanny Davis told Chris Cuomo that the tape was “clear” in showing that it was Trump who suggested cash. Giuliani has said that no payment was ever from Trump to McDougal.
The New York Times was the first to report on July 20 that the FBI had possession of a tape that contained a conversation between Cohen and Trump. The tape was obtained when the FBI raided Cohen’s offices as part of their investigation into possible campaign finance violations by the Trump campaign. Trump’s lawyers had earlier waived attorney/client privilege in regard to the Justice Department’s investigation into Cohen. In 2006, former Playboy model Karen McDougal says she began a nearly year-long affair with Trump. McDougal says she sold her story to the National Enquirer for $150,000, just prior to the 2016 presidential election. The Enquirer opted to “catch-and-kill” the story and didn’t run with it. The allegations of the Enquirer’s dealings with McDougal first appeared in a Wall Street Journal story in November 2016. At that time, Trump spokesperson Hope Hicks said of the alleged affair, “We have no knowledge of any of this.”
As Cuomo went live with the story, Trump tweeted, ““The Russia Hoax, The Illicit Scheme To Clear Hillary Clinton & Frame Donald Trump” is a Hot Seller, already Number One! More importantly, it is a great book that everyone is talking about. It covers the Rigged Witch Hunt brilliantly. Congratulations to Gregg Jarrett!”
CNN had earlier reported that in total the FBI had 12 recordings of Michael Cohen, the other 11 deal mainly with Cohen’s conversations with members of the media.
