The Michael Cohen Case: A Definitive Guide to Key Players
The longtime attorney for President Donald Trump’s real-estate empire, Michael Cohen, went to federal court on Monday in a bid to block federal prosecutors from reading documents and other materials that were seized from Cohen’s home in a sweeping raid. The porn star Stormy Daniels, whom Cohen allegedly paid off to protect Trump, was there to watch. And the hearing was presided over by Judge Kimba Wood, who ordered Cohen to reveal the name of a client he’d tried to keep secret: the Fox News host Sean Hannity.
In a blow to Cohen and Trump, who asked to review the seized documents before the government had a chance to look at them, Wood ruled that Justice Department staffers divorced from federal investigators—known as a “taint team”—could be trusted to sift through the seized materials and determine what is and isn’t protected by attorney-client privilege. Wood signaled that she would consider appointing a special master to ensure not “fairness” but “the perception of fairness,” and said the court would reconvene after all parties have a chance to review the seized material and make privilege requests.
The president of the United States is one key player with a personal link to Cohen—but there are many other people involved in the rapidly unfolding
