The New York Times is reportedly attempting to gain access to search warrants in the U.S. government’s investigation of President Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen.
The Associated Press reported that the newspaper asked a federal judge to unseal the warrants and any related court filings on Friday, with The Times’s attorney arguing that the public interest “could not be higher.”
{mosads}Cohen’s attorney and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan are opposing the request, according to AP.
The development comes more than a month after Cohen pleaded guilty to eight federal charges, including five counts of tax evasion and one count of making a false statement to a federally insured bank.
In his plea, Cohen also said he violated campaign finance law at Trump’s instruction, without specifically mentioning Trump by name, with a $130,000 nondisclosure payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels. Daniels has claimed that she had an affair with Trump more than a decade ago. Trump has denied her allegations.
The FBI raided Cohen’s office, home and hotel room in April and seized 3.7 million documents. The search warrants related to the raid have remained under seal.