Cohen Secretly Recorded Trump Discussing Payments to Playboy Model - Reports

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen secretly recorded a conversation he had with the president about payments to ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal, the New York Times reported on Friday.

The discussion about paying McDougal, who said she had an extramarital affair with Trump, took place two months prior to the 2016 presidential election, the media reported citing lawyers and other sources with knowledge of the recording.

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The recording was seized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) during a raid of Cohen’s office earlier this year, the report said.

McDougal sold her story for $150,000 to the National Enquirer which refrained from publishing the story for the remainder of the 2016 campaign. The 1998 Playmate of the Year has accused Cohen of making a secret deal with the head of the publication, who happens to be friends with Trump.

Cohen’s alleged deal with the Enquirer, according to the report, is also part of the FBI’s probe.

On April 9, the FBI raided Cohen’s office, home and hotel room, seizing various documents related to several issues, including payments made during Trump’s presidential campaign to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have an affair with Trump.