Michael Cohen recorded Trump discussing payment to Playboy model – report

Cohen’s role is being investigated by the Department of Justice, which is considering whether federal campaign finance laws were breached.

According to the New York Times, the former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has been recruited by Trump as a personal lawyer, confirmed that the recording exists and that the two-minute conversation includes Trump discussing payments to Karen McDougal, who has claimed she had an affair with Trump in 2006, shortly after the birth of his youngest son.

Giuliani claimed the payments were not made and that Trump did nothing wrong. Representatives for Trump have denied the affair.

McDougal sold her story to the National Enquirer as the presidential campaign entered its final months, which reportedly paid her $150,000 but then failed to publish.

Although Giuliani suggested to the newspaper that the content of the tape provides support for Trump, the investigation of Cohen has become a source of extreme anxiety for the White House.

Cohen was a Trump acolyte for years but has shown recent signs that his loyalty is evaporating. Earlier this month in an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopolous, Cohen said: “My wife, my daughter and my son have my first loyalty and always will.” He added: ‘I put my family and country first.”

Cohen also appears to have sat down for another television interview to be broadcast this weekend. The Rev Al Sharpton, host of MSNBC’s Sunday show PoliticsNation tweeted on Friday: “Just spent an hour w/ Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney. I bet you’re wondering what we could be talking about! Stay tuned.”

Cohen replied on Twitter, confirming the pair had spoken.

I have known Rev for almost 20 years. No one better to talk to! https://t.co/3XEoHqhQyU

— Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) July 20, 2018

Cohen’s home and offices were raided by FBI agents in April, and files seized, after a referral from Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating matters related to Russia and the Trump campaign. In July, a court released to the government 1.3m documents not designated “privileged, partially privileged or highly personal”. According to a court document, the Trump Organization was reviewing 22,633 remaining items.

Trump revealed his anxieties about Cohen in April when he tweeted that though “most people will flip if the government lets them out of trouble, even if it means lying or making up stories”, he did not “see Michael doing that”. He also called Cohen a “fine person with a wonderful family”.

The renewed focus on Karen McDougal is in addition to the payment to the porn actor Stormy Daniels, who has alleged a sexual encounter with Trump. Giuliani has confirmed she was paid via Cohen and admitted that Trump reimbursed Cohen for the $130,000 payment.

Filings by Trump showed payments of $250,000 to Cohen in 2017.