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Federal judge unseals FBI's Mar-a-Lago search warrant, revealing new details

A federal judge has unsealed the search warrant that authorized the FBI search of former President Donald Trump's Florida home. The document reveals highly-classified documents were recovered from Mar-a-Lago, and indicates it's part of an investigation into possible violations of the Espionage Act. CBS News chief election and campaign correspondent Robert Costa reports, and then criminal defense attorney Joseph Tully joins CBS News senior investigative correspondent Catherine Herridge with more on the significance.

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NY prosecutors interview Cohen an 8th time in Trump inquiry

Michael Cohen, former personal attorney for Donald Trump, arrives at the Manhattan District Attorney's office, Friday, March 19, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)NEW YORK – Donald Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, was interviewed on Friday for an eighth time by New York prosecutors investigating the former president's finances. Cohen met with investigators at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office amid a swirl of new activity in the the criminal inquiry, including fresh subpoenas and face-to-face meetings with key witnesses. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. also is scrutinizing hush-money payments paid to women on Trump’s behalf. AdHis office is now in possession of eight years of Trump’s tax records after a lengthy legal battle.

Trump's taxes in hand, Manhattan DA's probe heats up

FILE - In this Friday Feb. 14, 2020, file photo, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., center, leaves Criminal Court in New York. New York prosecutors are asking new questions about former President Donald Trump's Seven Springs estate in Mount Kisco, N.Y., trying to determine whether the value of the century-old mansion was improperly inflated to reduce the former president's taxes. AdIn a recent interview with Cohen, investigators asked questions about Trump's Seven Springs estate as part of an inquiry into whether the value of the 213-acre Westchester County property was improperly inflated to reduce his taxes. Ad“The work continues,” Vance wrote, echoing his short statement after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last month that he could have Trump's tax records. The amount was based on a professional appraisal that valued the full Seven Springs property at $56.5 million as of Dec. 1, 2015.

Claimed value of sleepy NY estate could come to haunt Trump

The Seven Springs, a property owned by former U.S. President Donald Trump, is covered in snow, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, in Mount Kisco, N.Y. Meyer's daughter, the late Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham, was married at Seven Springs in 1940. The amount was based on a professional appraisal that valued the full Seven Springs property at $56.5 million as of Dec. 1, 2015. AdCohen testified that Trump had financial statements saying Seven Springs was worth $291 million as of 2012. Along with the mansion, Seven Springs has a Tudor-style home once owned by ketchup magnate H.J.

What NY prosecutors could learn from Trump's tax records

Vance Jr. fought for a year and a half to get access to former President Donald Trumps tax records. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)NEW YORK – Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. fought for a year and a half to get access to former President Donald Trump’s tax records. Whether Trump's records will contain evidence of a crime is uncertain. It isn’t clear, though, whether Trump’s tax records will add much to that part of the probe. “They'll look at the billings of attorneys to see what their expenses were for.”Monday's ruling does not ensure the public will see Trump's financial records.

Riot lawsuit just part of Trump's post-impeachment problems

The former "Apprentice" contestant is trying to get her defamation lawsuit against former President Donald Trump moving again now that he's no longer president. Federal prosecutors in Washington, meanwhile, have charged some 200 Trump supporters with crimes related to the riot, including more serious conspiracy charges. There has been no indication that Trump would be charged in the riot though prosecutors have said they are looking at all angles. The same U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan also appears to have moved on from its investigation of Trump’s inaugural committee. Recently, her office has won a series of court rulings forcing Trump’s company and a law firm it hired to turn over troves of records.

Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen, once foes, talk Trump

When Donald Trump left the White House in January 2021, he remained "Individual-1" in the federal campaign finance crimes case against his former attorney, Michael Cohen. The prosecution stemmed from six-figure payments Cohen arranged to Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, to keep them quiet during the campaign about alleged affairs with Trump. Federal prosecutors charged Cohen with skirting campaign contribution rules by arranging the hush-money payment to Daniels and a similar payment to Playboy model Karen McDougal. Cohen and Daniels are united not only in infamy but deep regret over Trump. “I’ve been face to face with evil in the most intimate way,” Daniels said.

What of 'Individual-1'? Feds' Trump campaign case is 'dead'

When Donald Trump left the White House in January 2021, he remained "Individual-1" in the federal campaign finance crimes case against his former attorney, Michael Cohen. The prosecution stemmed from six-figure payments Cohen arranged to Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, to keep them quiet during the campaign about alleged affairs with Trump. Trump himself had been publicly implicated by prosecutors as complicit in Cohen's campaign finance crimes during his 2016 run for office. The attorney spoke on the condition of anonymity because prosecutors have not discussed the case publicly. The Manhattan prosecutor’s probe includes a look at the 2016 hush-money payoffs.

NY prosecutors interview Michael Cohen about Trump finances

FILE - In this March 6, 2019 file photo, Michael Cohen returns to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington. New York prosecutors conducted an hours-long interview Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, with Cohen, President Donald Trump's former attorney, asking a range of questions about Trump's business dealings, according to three people familiar with the meeting. Scott Applewhite, File)NEW YORK – New York prosecutors conducted an hourslong interview Thursday of Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, asking a range of questions about Trump's business dealings, according to three people familiar with the meeting. The interview, at least the second of Cohen by the Manhattan district attorney's office, comes amid a long-running grand jury investigation into Trump's business dealings. Jack Weisselberg, the son of Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg, is a director of Ladder Capital.

Michael Cohen writes foreword for Trump impeachment book

A bound edition about President Donald Trumps second impeachment will feature a foreword from an estranged associate _ former Trump attorney Michael Cohen. Skyhorse Publishing announced that The Second Impeachment Report" comes out Feb. 9. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)NEW YORK – A bound edition of materials about President Donald Trump's second impeachment will feature a foreword from an estranged associate — former Trump attorney Michael Cohen. Skyhorse Publishing announced that “The Second Impeachment Report: Materials in Support of H. Res. Cohen already has written a book about his falling out with Trump, the bestselling “Disloyal.” In his foreword to the new book, he writes, “We should never have to call Donald Trump ‘Mr.

New law cracks down on shell companies to combat corruption

FILE - This Thursday, June 6, 2019 file photo shows the U.S. Treasury Department building at dusk in Washington. “It required all kinds of shoe-leather investigating to identify who was really behind these shell companies,” recalled Alonso. For the first time, shell companies will be required to provide the names of their owners or face stiff penalties and jail sentences. The information will be stored in a confidential database accessible to federal law enforcement and shared with banks who are often unwitting accomplices to international corruption. Box and a registered agent who is frequently a law firm dedicated to churning out companies in bulk.

New round of Trump clemency benefits Manafort, other allies

FILE - In this Thursday, June 27, 2019 file photo, Paul Manafort arrives in court in New York. President Trump's former campaign manager is to be arraigned on state mortgage fraud charges. Manafort, who led Trump's campaign during a pivotal period in 2016 before being ousted over his ties to Ukraine, was among the first people charged as part of Mueller’s investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Though the charges against Manafort did not concern the central thrust of Mueller's mandate — whether the Trump campaign and Russia colluded to tip the election — he was nonetheless a pivotal figure in the investigation. Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009.

Trump expected to flex pardon powers on way out door

WASHINGTON – Advocates and lawyers anticipate a flurry of clemency action from President Donald Trump in the coming weeks that could test the limits of presidential pardon power. No, Mr. President, that would be a gross abuse of the presidential pardon authority,” Schumer said. Trump then featured Johnson's story in a Super Bowl ad and pardoned her during this year's Republican National Convention. He has participated in several meetings at the White House during Trump's term as officials brainstormed potential changes to the formal clemency process. “For those people that should be free," he said, Trump's friends-and-family approach to pardons is "a deep and real tragedy."

Ousted US prosecutor Berman hired by white-shoe NY law firm

NEW YORK – Geoffrey S. Berman, the ousted federal prosecutor in Manhattan who led several investigations into President Donald Trump's allies, has been hired by a white-shoe law firm in New York. Berman will provide criminal defense in white-collar cases and work on complex commercial litigation at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, the firm announced Tuesday. The firm is “well known for its cutting-edge counsel to top tier companies and high-profile individuals,” Berman said in a statement. Fried Frank described Berman as “one of the most respected prosecutors in the United States.”Berman is also a visiting professor at Stanford Law School. “I told the attorney general that I was not interested,” Berman told the panel.

Criminal probe, legal fights await Trump after White House

FILE - In this Nov. 5, 2020 file photo, President Donald Trump speaks at the White House in Washington. The president's legal entanglements are likely to intensify when leaves the White House in January 2021 and loses immunity from prosecution. The probe led by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. is one of several legal entanglements likely to intensify when Trump loses power — and immunity from prosecution — upon leaving the White House. Trump faces two New York state inquiries into whether he misled tax authorities, banks or business partners. Carroll says Trump raped her in the mid-1990s in a New York department store.

NY probes Trump consulting payments that reduced his taxes

FILE- In this June 13, 2017, file photo, Ivanka Trump joins her father, President Donald Trump, as they walk across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. If true, that wouldn’t necessarily pose a problem for Ivanka Trump herself, as long as she paid income tax on the consulting payments, which she reported publicly. The Times wrote that there was no indication Ivanka Trump is a target of either the state's or the city's investigation. James and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., both Democrats, are both conducting wide-ranging inquiries into Trump's business affairs. Vance has been involved in a long court battle seeking access to Trump's tax filings as part of the investigation.

Trump defied gravity; now falls back to earth, future TBD

WASHINGTON – Donald Trump, who defied political gravity with his extraordinary rise from reality star and businessman to the presidency, has fallen back to earth. “When Donald Trump loses there will never be a peaceful transition to power,” said Trump’s longtime lawyer and fixer-turned-critic Michael Cohen. And Trump squandered it,” he said, arguing that Trump would likely be seen as “an insurgent figure,” even though 25% of the American public “will always see Donald Trump as their Rambo and John Wayne figure combined." Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., has become a particular favorite with the president’s loyal supporters on the campaign trail, meaning the Trump name could endure. Many of Trump’s supporters see his influence continuing.

Appeals court hears fight over Trump tax returns — again

If the three-judge panel refuses to put a hold on the enforcement of the subpoena, Trump’s lawyers will be forced to ask the Supreme Court to prolong the legal fight. Trump’s lawyers appealed to the 2nd U.S. The Supreme Court in July ruled that the presidency in and of itself doesn’t shield Trump from the investigation, prompting Trump’s lawyers to raise new objections and start the appellate process over again. Vance's office argued in court papers this week that there's “a mountainous record” of public allegations of misconduct to support its efforts to obtain Trump’s tax returns, such as news reports alleging Trump or his companies inflated or minimized the value of assets for business and tax purposes. Even if Vance does get Trump’s tax records, those would be part of a confidential grand jury investigation and not automatically be made public.

Trump lawyers: DA's fight for tax returns built on innuendo

Trump's lawyers maintain that the subpoena was issued in bad faith and is overly broad. “But this is all misdirection,” Trump’s lawyers wrote. With its decision, the Supreme Court returned the case to U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero in Manhattan so Trump’s lawyers could seek to block the subpoena on other grounds. Trump has said he expects the case to return to the Supreme Court, making it unlikely the dispute will be resolved before the November election. Even if Vance does get Trump’s tax records, those would be part of a confidential grand jury investigation and not automatically be made public.

Judge: Eric Trump must give NY deposition before election

State Judge Arthur Engoron said Eric Trump, an executive at the family's Trump Organization, had no legal basis to postpone a subpoena seeking his deposition testimony under oath, concluding that neither the probe nor the court were “bound by the timelines of the national election." In a court filing last week, Eric Trump’s lawyers said he was willing to comply with the subpoena, but could do so only after the Nov. 3 election. Eric Trump’s lawyers had proposed four dates for him to testify, the earliest being Nov. 19. Eric Trump switched lawyers in mid-July, Futerfas said, contributing to the need for a delay. Eric Trump did not participate in Wednesday's hearing, which was held via Skype.

Lawyers: Trump son won't testify in NY probe before election

Eric Trump, the son of President Donald Trump, speaks at a campaign rally for his father, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Saco, Maine. The lawyers argued Eric Trump’s “extreme travel schedule” related to his father’s reelection campaign prevented him from testifying sooner in state Attorney General Letitia James’ civil probe. James sought court intervention after Eric Trump's lawyers abruptly canceled an interview with investigators that had been planned for late July. Eric Trump, the third of Trump’s five children, visited a Trump campaign field office in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on Thursday and attended an event titled "Fighting for Maine Lobster with Eric Trump." Eric Trump’s lawyers have proposed four dates for him to testify, the earliest being Nov. 19, which they contend is just 30 days after others are scheduled to be deposed in the investigation.

Maddow beneficiary of scramble for attention by authors

NEW YORK – It's high season for books that pick apart Donald Trump's presidency, and Rachel Maddow is a big beneficiary. With less than two months before the election, authors are elbowing each other for space on the best-seller lists. Conservative authors have also sought attention for new books during the political season. That was the case with Schmidt's book. Maddow gave more attention to Schmidt's discussion about why Trump's personal and business dealings with Russia have not been investigated.

South Africa's ruling party rejects Trump comment on Mandela

JOHANNESBURG The report that U.S. President Donald Trump made crude, disparaging remarks about Nelson Mandela, South Africa's Nobel Peace Prize-winning former leader, has drawn an angry response from South Africa's ruling party and others. South Africa's ruling African National Congress party said Tuesday that Trump is not fit to comment on Mandela's accomplishments. You dont have that idea when you are arrogant, superficial, and uninformed.The U.S. ambassador to South Africa, Lana Marks, responded to the controversy with a diplomatically worded statement. I have discussed South Africa with President Trump many times, and he has only ever spoken positively about the country," said Marks. "The U.S. remains committed to working together with South Africa to realize the promise of a more peaceful, more productive, more prosperous 21st century Africa.

Cohen memoir casts him as 'star witness' against Trump

But I bet theyd think its cool that I slept with a porn star.The White House called Cohen's memoir fan fiction." It seemed to them that I wouldnt listen to anyone, not even the people who loved me most, as I gradually gave up control of my mind to Trump, Cohen writes. I was the canary in the coal mine for the millions of Americans who are still mesmerized by the power of Trump, Cohen writes. The memoir offers an introspective and at times self-loathing apology for the role Cohen played in Trump's political ascent. This story is all I have left for my wife, my children and the country I love so much, Cohen writes.

Cohen memoir casts him as 'star witness' against Trump

FILE - In this March 6, 2019 file photo, Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, returns to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington. But I bet theyd think its cool that I slept with a porn star.The White House called Cohen's memoir fan fiction." It seemed to (my family) that I wouldnt listen to anyone, not even the people who loved me most, as I gradually gave up control of my mind to Trump, Cohen writes. In a far more personal episode, Cohen writes of Trump leering at Cohens then-15-year-old daughter at Trumps New Jersey golf club in 2012. This story is all I have left for my wife, my children and the country I love so much, Cohen writes.

Experts: Cohen may profit from criminal exploits in tell-all

FILE - This July 24, 2020, file photo shows Michael Cohen, center, President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, returning to his apartment, in New York, after being released from prison. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)NEW YORK When Michael Cohen testified before Congress last year, Republican lawmakers worried aloud that President Donald Trump's former fixer would parlay the spectacle and his criminal exploits into a bestseller. It pains me that we are sitting here adding another chapter to his book," said Rep. Carol Miller of West Virginia. The New York Attorney General's Office declined to comment. Cohen was released to home confinement in July and the government lifted a ban on him speaking publicly.

Court shields Trump tax returns, likely until after election

With a temporary stay in place and Trump expecting a return to the Supreme Court, it's unlikely that the case will be resolved or any tax returns will be turned over before the November election. Trump's lawyers argued that a stay keeping the tax returns under wraps will protect him from irreparable harm such as leaks from secret grand jury proceedings while they appeal a lower-court ruling two weeks ago that granted Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s office access to Trump's tax returns. At that stage, Trump's lawyers argued that the subpoena was issued in bad faith, overly broad, might have been politically motivated and amounted to harassment. Were not allowed to make that public, which is what has led to his speculation about the grand jury scope. Trump is the only modern president who has refused to release his tax returns.

Once-powerful NY lawmaker due to surrender for prison term

FILE- In this July 27, 2018 file photo, former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, right, arrives at federal court in New York. In a handwritten letter to the judge, Silver had asked that he be spared a prison term that would cause him to die in prison. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)NEW YORK Following years of fending off going to prison, former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is about to begin serving time. His conviction in federal court in Manhattan was overturned on appeal before he was convicted again in 2018. The federal prison in Otisville is about 80 miles (130 kilometers) from New York City, tucked in the lush countryside south of the Catskill Mountains.