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Trump’s Lawyer Requests Time to Review Papers Seized by FBI From Attorney Cohen

NEW YORK (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump's attorney Joanna Hendon on Friday persuaded a US federal judge to give Trump until Monday to determine which records seized by the FBI from his personal lawyer Michael Cohen should be kept secret from federal prosecutors.
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"As a privilege holder, he [Trump] has an acute interest in those proceedings and the manner in which these materials are reviewed," Hendon said, asking Judge Kimba Wood at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York to postpone the hearing until next Monday. "I’m not trying to delay. I’m just trying to ensure that it’s done scrupulously."

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Under US law, communications between attorneys and their clients are privileged and must remain confidential, but judges can grant exceptions in cases involving criminal wrongdoing.

On Monday, the FBI raided Cohen’s office, hotel room and home, seizing numerous documents and other evidence.

The raid was the result of a tip from Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US election and purported collusion between Moscow and Trump's campaign team. Russia and Trump have both denied allegations of collusion, and the Kremlin has called accusations that it interfered in the election "absurd."

Cohen is seeking to stop the US government from reviewing the documents. He argued in a court filing on Friday that the seized materials must be reviewed by his attorneys to determine which of them should remain protected by attorney-client privilege.

Hendon argued that Trump is within his rights to object to the disclosure of records relating to his longtime legal representation by Cohen.

Judge Wood delayed until Monday a hearing in which Cohen’s attorneys will argue for a restraining order to temporarily ban federal prosecutors from inspecting the records.

Earlier this day, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders failed to confirm whether Cohen continues to serve as President Donald Trump's personal attorney despite being the subject of a criminal investigation.

When asked whether Trump is still associated with Cohen, Sanders said, "I am not sure… I have to check."

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