How Michael Cohen Knew About Schneiderman Abuse Scandal Way Before We Did

Michael Cohen Image by Getty Images
A lawyer for women claiming to have been abused by disgraced ex-New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman reportedly says he told Michael Cohen about the abuse claims in 2013, just before Donald Trump tweeted that the then-squeaky clean lawman could face a scandal.
Attorney Peter Gleason, who represents two women not among the four interviewed in a bombshell article that toppled Schneiderman, has written to the judge overseeing the probe into Cohen, asking that any evidence about the women be kept out of the public eye, Talking Points Memo reported.
The letter was reportedly revealed Friday during litigation over FBI raids of Cohen’s office, home, and hotel room to find evidence pertaining to matters including potential Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Gleason says he spoke to Cohen during an effort to drum up publicity for the women’s claims. Shortly after Gleason told Cohen about the accusations, Trump, who was embroiled in a legal feud with Schneiderman over Trump University, said in a tweet that Schneiderman could be removed by a scandal.
“Weiner is gone, Spitzer is gone — next will be lightweight A.G. Eric Schneiderman. Is he a crook? Wait and see, worse than Spitzer or Weiner,” Trump tweeted.
Schneiderman resigned on Monday following the publication of a New Yorker piece, in which four ex-girlfriends— two identified by name and two who remained anonymous— claimed that Schneiderman slapped and threatened them.
Contact Haley Cohen at [email protected]
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
