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*NEW YORK: President Donald Trump was secretly taped two months before the2016 election discussing a payment to hush up an alleged affair with aPlayboy model and the FBI has the recording, bombshell reports claimedFriday.*
The tape was reputedly made by his former longtime lawyer Michael Cohen,who is under federal investigation in New York for his business dealingsand reportedly whether hush payments violated campaign finance laws.
The Republican commander-in-chief on Friday did not answer questionsshouted out by reporters about the Cohen tape as he prepared to fly out ofthe White House en route to his New Jersey golf club.
The New York Times broke the story, saying the FBI seized the recordingduring a raid on Cohen´s office earlier this year, quoting lawyers andothers familiar with the recording. Cohen has not yet been arrested orcharged.
Former Playboy model Karen McDougal claims she had a months-long affairwith Trump after they met in 2006, shortly after Trump´s wife Melania gavebirth to their son Barron. She told CNN previously that he tried to pay herfor sex.
The Wall Street Journal said the September 2016 conversation between Trumpand Cohen was about buying the rights to McDougal´s story, which she sold amonth earlier to The National Enquirer for $150,000.
The tabloid ultimately sat on it, preventing it from becoming public. Thechairman of its parent company, American Media, is a Trump friend.
Friday´s reports raise questions about why Trump´s campaign deniedknowledge of the deal between McDougal and American Media when it becamepublic, as well as fan speculation about how much damage Cohen can inflicton the president.
Trump´s current personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, confirmed to the Timesthat the Cohen tape existed, but claimed the president had done nothingwrong.
*Stormy and McDougal*
The recording was less than two minutes and gave no indication that Trumphad prior knowledge about the media payment to McDougal, Giuliani told theTimes.
“It helps us, rather than hurts us,” he was quoted as saying by the Journal.
Cohen´s lawyer, Lanny Davis, declined to comment Friday.
The FBI raided Cohen´s home and office in April on a referral from specialcounsel Robert Mueller, who is looking into Russian interference in the2016 election and whether the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow.
The Justice Department says Cohen has been under investigation for monthsfor criminal conduct largely centered on his personal business dealings.
Prosecutors are apparently interested in payments he made on Trump´s behalfto porn actress Stormy Daniels, and other business dealings related toTrump.
Both Daniels and McDougal allege they had affairs with Trump around thesame time, in 2006.
Cohen, who became Trump´s personal lawyer in 2007, is infamous for paying$130,000 to Daniels — real name, Stephanie Clifford — shortly before the2016 election to keep quiet about her alleged affair with Trump.
– ´Multiple´ tapes –
Her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, claimed Friday there were “multiple” tapesand urged Cohen to release all audio recordings publicly.
“All of them should be released for the benefit of the American public,” hetold CNN.
“This is the tip of the iceberg,” he added. “When all of this evidenceultimately comes to light and I hope that it will… this is going to spella significant problem for Michael Cohen and a larger problem for thepresident.”
Cohen initially said he used his own money to pay Daniels and was notreimbursed by Trump. The US president has subsequently conceded that Cohenwas paid back, despite initially denying knowledge of the payment.
Through White House officials, Trump has denied a relationship with Daniels.
In one recent interview, Cohen apparently signaled a potential willingnessto cooperate with prosecutors against the Republican president.
“To be crystal clear, my wife, my daughter and my son, and this countryhave my first loyalty,” Cohen told ABC News in an interview released onJuly 2.
After The National Enquirer sat on her story, McDougal accused AmericanMedia of misleading her into signing the contract and Cohen of interveninginappropriately. In April, the group agreed to release her from the deal. -APP/AFP