The FBI investigated whether former Trump attorney Michael Cohen undertook an illegal foreign lobbying campaign, newly unsealed search warrants reveal.
A July 18, 2017 search warrant demands that Google hand over the contents of Cohen’s gmail account from January 1, 2016 onwards.
The government wrote in the warrant – issued at the start of the investigation into Cohen – that it was seeking records as part of an investigation into potential violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, as well as possible bank fraud, money laundering, and false statements charges.
The FBI asked in the warrant for “records of any funds or benefits” offered to Cohen by “any foreign government, foreign officials, foreign entities, foreign persons, or foreign principals,” as well as communications that “reveal efforts by Michael Cohen to conduct activities on behalf of, for the benefit of, or at the direction of” any foreign entity.
Another search warrant to Google – executed on November 20, 2017 – asks for the same range of information and documents, but from a time period starting on June 1, 2015.
Read the search warrants below:
