The following article by Max Greenwood was posted on the Hill website May 25, 2018:
President Trump‘s personal attorney Michael Cohen continues to serve as the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) deputy finance chairman despite being the subject of an FBI raid and ongoing criminal investigation, RNC spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said Friday.
“There’s ongoing litigation, and we’ll take it step by step, but yes, he is still [serving as deputy finance chair],” McEnany told the online news-streaming service Cheddar.
Asked whether the RNC was concerned about Cohen’s potential violations of campaign finance law, Kayleigh demurred, saying that she was instead concerned about the April raid on Cohen’s home, office and hotel room.
Attorneys for Cohen have argued that some of the materials seized in that search are protected under attorney–client privilege and should not be reviewed by investigators.
“I have concerns about the violation of attorney–client privilege when the Southern District of New York invaded his office, swept up material, violating the president’s privacy, his client’s privacy, Michael Cohen’s privacy,” she said.
It was revealed last month that Cohen was under investigation for a number of possible crimes, including wire fraud and campaign finance violations related to a $130,000 nondisclosure payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels, who says she had an affair with Trump more than a decade ago.
The payment, made weeks before the 2016 presidential election and just after the release of Trump’s infamous “Access Hollywood” hot mic recording, is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit from Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
McEnany declined to say whether Cohen would be removed from his post at the RNC if formal charges were filed against him, saying that the party would “see how it plays out.”
“I’m not going to engage in hypotheticals,” she said. “Take it step by step, day by day. We’ll see how it plays out.”
The RNC has faced multiple allegations against its top finance officials this year. Former finance chairman Steve Wynn, the casino magnate, stepped down in January after reports that several women had accused him of sexual misconduct.