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Trump on Cohen raid: It is a total witch-hunt

This article is more than 12 months old

WASHINGTON: A furious Mr Donald Trump blasted the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller as a "disgrace" and a "witch-hunt" after Federal Bureau of Investigation agents raided the New York offices of the US President's personal lawyer Michael Cohen.

Agents seized files relating to Mr Cohen's work, which included making a US$130,000 (S$170,000) payment before the 2016 election to an adult film actress who says she had a tryst with Mr Trump a decade earlier.

Mr Cohen's own lawyer, Mr Stephen Ryan, said agents were working in part on the request of Mr Mueller, the independent prosecutor investigating links between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Mr Trump angrily denounced the raid on Mr Cohen.

"It is a disgraceful situation. It is a total witch-hunt, I have been saying it for a long time," he told reporters.

"It is an attack on our country in a true sense. It is an attack on what we all stand for."

But the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Mr Adam Schiff, said it was a Trump-appointed prosecutor who had sought the search warrant, which was approved by a judge. "That is no witch-hunt. That is the rule of law," Mr Schiff tweeted.

Asked if he wants to fire Mr Mueller, Mr Trump replied: "We'll see what happens. Many people have said, 'you should fire him.'" - AFP

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