NEW YORK — Media personality Sean Hannity has been revealed as Michael Cohen’s third client after a judge ordered his name be released Monday.
Cohen’s lawyers argued Hannity’s name should not be revealed—saying is was “likely to be embarrassing or detrimental to the client.”
Hannity released a brief statement: “Michael Cohen has never represented me in any matter. I never retained him, received an invoice, or paid legal fees. I have occasionally had brief discussions with him about legal questions about which I wanted his input and perspective. I assumed those conversations were confidential, but to be absolutely clear they never involved any matter between me and a third-party.”
Michael Cohen has never represented me in any matter. I never retained him, received an invoice, or paid legal fees. I have occasionally had brief discussions with him about legal questions about which I wanted his input and perspective.
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) April 16, 2018
I assumed those conversations were confidential, but to be absolutely clear they never involved any matter between me and a third-party.
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) April 16, 2018
On April 9, 2018, Cohen’s offices were raided by the FBI. He is under investigation by federal prosecutors into multiple matters, including bank fraud, wire fraud and campaign finance violations, relating in part to payments made to Stormy Daniels.
The FBI obtained the warrant after a referral from Robert Mueller’s Special Counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections, although underlying reasons for the raid were not revealed.
Cohen used Essential Consultants LLC to pay adult film actress Daniels regarding an alleged affair she had with Trump in 2006. Cohen told The New York Times in February 2018 that the $130,000 was paid to Daniels from his own pocket, that it was not a campaign contribution, and that he was not reimbursed for making it by either the Trump Organization or the Trump campaign.
