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U.S. NEWS Saturday 21 July 2018

Trump was taped talking of

paying for Playboy model's story

By ERIC TUCKER and JENNI- his campaign had "no AMI's payment to the for-
FER PELTZ knowledge of any of this." mer centerfold amounted
Associated Press But in the recorded con- to an unreported and ille-
NEW YORK (AP) — President versation, he and Cohen gal corporate campaign
Donald Trump's former per- appear to be discussing contribution.
sonal lawyer secretly re- purchasing the rights to The Cohen investigation,
corded Trump discussing McDougal's story from the by federal prosecutors in
a potential payment for a Enquirer's parent company, New York, is separate from
former Playboy model's ac- according to the person fa- an ongoing inquiry by spe-
count of having an affair miliar with the investigation. cial counsel Robert Mueller
with him, people familiar Giuliani told the AP on Fri- into potential coordination
with an investigation into day that the conversation between the Trump cam- In this April 11, 2018, file photo, Michael Cohen, President Donald
the attorney said Friday. between the two men was paign and Russia. Trump's former attorney, walks along a sidewalk in New York.
The payment was never very brief. Cohen hasn't been Associated Press
made, according to Trump "The transaction that Mi- charged with any crime.
attorney Rudy Giuliani, who chael is talking about on A self-described fixer for let anyone paint him as "a He wouldn't say in the re-
confirmed the recording the tape never took place, Trump for more than a de- villain of this story." On Twit- cent interview whether
and said it shows Trump did but what's important is: If it cade, he said last year he ter, he scrubbed mentions he would cooperate with
nothing wrong. did take place, the presi- would "take a bullet" for and photos of Trump from prosecutors. If he decided
Former Trump lawyer Mi- dent said it has to be done Trump. But he told an in- a profile that previously to do so, it could be risky
chael Cohen surreptitiously correctly and it has to be terviewer earlier this month identified him as "Personal for the president, given
made the recording two done by check" to keep a that he now puts "family attorney to President Don- the pair's close relationship
months before Trump's 2016 proper record of it, Giuliani and country first" and won't ald J. Trump." over the years.q
election, according to a said.
person familiar with a fed- Cohen, his lawyers, McDou-
eral investigation into Co- gal's lawyer and an Ameri-
hen that brought the tape can Media Inc. spokesman
to light. The FBI now has it, didn't immediately respond
according to the person, to messages. Cohen law-
who spoke to The Associ- yer Lanny Davis declined to
ated Press on condition of comment to The New York
anonymity to discuss the Times, which first reported
ongoing inquiry. on the recording.
The conversation between The development will like-
Trump and Cohen came ly revive questions about
weeks after the National what other recordings
Enquirer's parent company of Trump's conversations
reached a $150,000 deal might exist. As a business-
to pay ex-Playmate Karen man, Trump himself occa-
McDougal for her story of sionally recorded his phone
a 2006 affair, which it nev- calls, a former Trump Or-
er published — a tabloid ganization executive told
practice known as "catch the AP last year, although
and kill." Trump denies the Trump once denied doing
affair ever happened. so.
The company, American The FBI raided Cohen's of-
Media Inc., is run by Trump fice, home and hotel room
friend and supporter David in April amid an investiga-
Pecker. tion into his business deal-
The company's payment ings, including any infor-
effectively silenced Mc- mation on payments to
Dougal through the elec- McDougal. Meanwhile, a
tion, though days before- government watchdog
hand, news of the deal group has asked the Jus-
emerged in The Wall Street tice Department and the
Journal. At the time, a Federal Election Commis-
Trump spokeswoman said sion to investigate whether