The FBI agents who raided the office of President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen were apparently attempting to find any records related to the 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape that was released just before the 2016 presidential elections.
The New York Times reported Wednesday that the agents were seeking records related to the tape, in which President Trump can be heard talking about grabbing and kissing women without their approval.
Sources briefed on the warrant told the Times that despite the tape the FBI agents were also searching for any type of evidence that Trump’s personal “fixer” had attempted to conceal damaging information about the President during the election.
After the tape was released Trump faced intense backlash and had a hard time trying to distance himself from the remarks, saying at the time that it was “locker room talk.” The President at the time also stated the voice on the tape might not be really him.
However, the former “Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush, who was also on the tape with Trump, responded to the President’s excuses in a Washington Post op-ed just after those reports appeared in public, saying that it was definitely Trump who did the talking.
Since the tape was released, more than a dozen women have come forward to accuse President Trump of sexual misconduct.
Both Trump and the White House have denied the allegations.
According to the Times, the agents who raided Cohen’s hotel room and office on Monday were also searching for information on payments made to women who have accused Trump of extramarital affairs, including adult-film star Stormy Daniels.
Meanwhile, Cohen’s lawyer said in a statement Monday that the federal prosecutors in Manhattan had obtained the search warrant after receiving a referral “in part” from special counsel Robert Mueller.
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