Michael Cohen reportedly negotiated a $1.6 million payout to a former Playboy model who said a top RNC fundraiser impregnated her
- President Donald Trump's longtime lawyer, Michael Cohen, reportedly negotiated a $1.6 million settlement to a former Playboy model who said top Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy got her pregnant.
- Broidy is a close friend of Trump's, and he works on the Republican National Committee with Cohen.
- The alleged payment was reportedly negotiated in late 2017, and the first payment was due on December 1.
- Cohen's property was raided earlier this week by FBI agents reportedly investigating him for bank fraud, wire fraud, and violations of election law.
- Broidy's name has also come up in connection to the Russia investigation.
President Donald Trump's longtime personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, negotiated a large payment to a former Playboy model who claims top Republican National Committee (RNC) official Elliott Broidy got her pregnant, The Wall Street Journal reported.
According to The Journal, the deal was negotiated in late 2017 and blocks the woman from disclosing details of her relationship with Broidy. The first payment was reportedly due on December 1.
Broidy acknowledged his relationship with the former model in a statement to the outlet, saying he had a consensual relationship with her.
"At the end of our relationship, this woman shared with me that she was pregnant," the statement continued. "She alone decided that she did not want to continue with the pregnancy and I offered to help her financially during this difficult period."
Broidy, who is married, is a close friend of Trump's and works on the RNC with Cohen.
Cohen's name became a staple in headlines this week after it surfaced that the FBI raided his home and office on Monday after reportedly getting a referral from special counsel Robert Mueller. According to The New York Times, Mueller made the referral after he likely discovered evidence of wrongdoing connected to Cohen that was not within his purview in the Russia investigation.
The Washington Post later reported that Cohen is under investigation for bank fraud, wire fraud, and violations of election law.
When they raided his property, investigators seized records of payments to two women who claim to have had an affair with Trump; materials connected to the "Access Hollywood" tape featuring Trump; tape recordings of Cohen's conversations with his associates; attorney-client communications between Trump and Cohen; and Cohen's electronic devices and personal financial records.
Broidy's name, meanwhile, has also come up in connection to Mueller's investigation.
In recent months, Mueller has been looking into whether foreign governments sought to influence the Trump campaign or administration's platform and push policies favorable to their views.