The law firm representing Michael Cohen is leaving the case, a possible sign that President Trump’s personal attorney may flip and cooperate with federal prosecutors, according to a media report Wednesday.
McDermott Will & Emery, a New York and Washington firm, has been representing Mr. Cohen. But ABC News said the firm will not represent him going forward.
A replacement firm has not been named, ABC News said.
The departure comes as attorneys in the case scramble to review more than 3.7 million documents seized in the April 9 raids of Mr. Cohen’s home and office.
Without legal representation, it is likely that Mr. Cohen will cooperate with federal prosecutors in New York, a source told ABC News. But it could also mean a shift in Mr. Cohen’s legal strategy.
Mr. Cohen has not been charged with a crime, but prosecutors have focused on his financial dealings, including $130,000 in hush money paid to Stephanie Clifford, better known as the porn star Stormy Daniels. Ms. Clifford has said she had an affair with Mr. Trump in 2006 before he became president, a claim the president has denied.
Currently, former federal Judge Barbara Jones is conducting a review of the materials seized in the Cohen raids to determine if any should be protected under attorney-client privilege. Judge Jones, who was appointed a special master, said last week that only 162 of the nearly 300,000 items she reviewed should be protected. She also denied three items that Mr. Cohen, Mr. Trump or the Trump organization sought to designate as privileged.
Judge Jones has until Friday to complete the review. Any remaining items will be handed to a team of federal prosecutors not connected with the case to complete the document review.
Mr. Cohen has remained silent about the ABC News report, but had been quoting Buddha and the Dalai Lama in tweets last week.
“Three things cannot be long hidden, the sun, the moon and the TRUTH,” he tweeted on Friday.
After the April 9 raids, Mr. Trump blasted the Cohen investigation.
“Attorney-client privilege is dead,” the president tweeted.
Mr. Trump has also called the raids, a “disgraceful situation” and “an attack on our country.”
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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