President Trump and his personal attorney Michael Cohen knew about domestic abuse allegations against former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, according to a lawyer close to the case.
In a letter filed in the Southern District of New York, lawyer Peter J. Gleason wrote that Trump and Cohen knew that two women came to him about sexual abuse they endured by Schneiderman. He explained that his law firm was contacted by two unrelated women who at two separate times roughly one year apart said Schneiderman was “sexually inappropriate with them.”
Gleason said he told the first woman that Schneiderman was so elite that he would be protected against her allegations, despite the existence of “entities that were established to protect her.” He advised the second woman not to report the incident to the Manhattan District Attorney Office “based on my past experience in reporting prima facia political corruption that was ignored by the office.”
Instead, Gleason said he talked with Stephen Dunleavy, a retired journalist best known for his column for the New York Post. Dunleavy suggested to Gleason he tell Trump, and Gleason took that advice.
“Mr. Dunleavy did indeed discuss this very matter with Mr. Trump as evidenced by a phone call I received from Attorney Michael Cohen,” Gleason wrote. “During my communications with Mr. Cohen I shard with him certain details of Schneiderman’s vile attacks on these two women.”
Gleason’s letter didn’t say when he told Trump or Cohen, and didn’t explain why it might have made sense to tell Trump.
Gleason wrote the letter to request a protective order “regarding any and all records that may be contained in the seized files of Mr. Cohen regarding my discussions with Mr. Cohen concerning two women that were sexually victimized by Mr. Schneiderman.”
Cohen’s records were raided by the FBI on April 9 following a referral to the Southern District of New York by special counsel Robert Mueller. A special master is reviewing the materials seized in the raids to determine what falls under attorney-client privilege. Cohen is under federal criminal investigation, but has not been charged.
Gleason’s letter also mentioned the “reckless behavior” by Michael Avenatti, the lawyer who is representing porn star Stormy Daniels in two separate lawsuits against Cohen and Trump.
Avenatti has been disclosing financial records and emails belonging to Cohen this week and has not revealed how he got the confidential information. Cohen’s lawyers have been fighting back, accusing Avenatti of leaking a “toxic mix” of information.
As a result, Gleason asked Judge Kimba Wood to issue a protective order and seal “any and all correspondence” that Cohen may have memorialized regarding their communications about Schneiderman’s alleged assaults.
Schneiderman resigned this week after the New Yorker reported accusations by four of Schneiderman’s prior romantic partners detailing physical abuse against them.
It was not clear if the two unnamed women by Gleason are two of the four in the recent New Yorker report.
