Judge to Michael Cohen: Only Eight Communications Are Protected by Attorney-Client Privilege

Manhattan Federal Court Judge Kimba Wood issued an order on Friday determining that only eight items of communication, out of some 292,226 seized by the FBI from Michael Cohen’s office and home, were protected by attorney-client privilege. Last week, Barbara Jones, a retired federal judge who was appointed as the special master to oversee the documents, determined that only 162 items were privileged. Only eight of those, according to Wood, involved direct consultation between Cohen and one of his clients. Cohen, a longtime attorney and friend of President Trump’s, is being investigated for possible wire fraud, bank fraud and potential violations of campaign finance law.