Judge shoots down CNN request for audio of proceedings in Cohen case

The federal district judge handling the case against President Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, on Tuesday denied a request from CNN reporters asking the court to record its proceedings in the case and make the audio available to the public.

Judge Kimba Wood, of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, said doing so would violate a standing order the court issued in 2015 prohibiting audio and video feed of court proceedings from being broadcasted, televised or photographed.

The case against Trump’s self-described “fixer” has taken hold of the national media spotlight after FBI agents raided Cohen’s home, hotel room and office last week.

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Wood on Monday denied Cohen’s attempt to stop prosecutors from reviewing the materials that the FBI seized in the raid, according to multiple reports.

Cohen had asked the court to issue a temporary injunction to block federal investigators from reviewing the materials, documents which he argues contain information protected by the attorney-client privilege.

Attorney Joanna Hendon, appearing on behalf of Trump, argued no one other than the president should determine what’s privileged material.

Wood said she will decide if a special master will have final say on whether to adjudicate what investigators can access, as Cohen has requested, or if the materials can be reviewed by a “taint team” or “filter team” of prosecutors outside the investigation, The Washington Post reported.

Wood did allow the filter team to run an initial mechanical search on the material to get an estimate of how many documents might be privileged, the report said.

CNN declined to comment to The Hill.

—Updated at 5:24 p.m.