LEGAL/MICHAEL COHEN/TRUMP PEOPLE: “A court-appointed official has finished reviewing which materials seized from U.S. President Donald Trump’s longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen can be used in a criminal investigation, according to a court filing on Thursday [8-9-18]. Lawyers for Cohen and Trump had said that some of the seized materials were protected by attorney-client privilege, which would stop prosecutors from using them. Barbara Jones, a former federal judge, had been tasked with vetting those claims of privilege. The end of Jones’ review came about two weeks after CNN reported that Cohen was willing to tell Special Counsel Robert Mueller that Trump knew in advance about a June 2016 meeting involving his son and a Kremlin-connected lawyer, which Trump has denied. The report, along with public statements by Cohen, has raised the possibility that Cohen might seek a plea deal and cooperate with Mueller against the president. Cohen has not been charged with any crime.”
–Brendan Pierson, “Review of materials seized from Trump lawyer Cohen wraps up,” Reuters, August 9, 2018 3:40 pm