Al Sharpton says he spent an hour chatting with Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer who is under investigation

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Al Sharpton says he spent an hour chatting with Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer who is under investigation

Michael Cohen

Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Michael Cohen.

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  • President Donald Trump's former longtime lawyer Michael Cohen recently chatted with the Reverend Al Sharpton.
  • Sharpton tweeted about the discussion on Friday.
  • Of Sharpton, Cohen said there was "No one better to talk to!"

President Donald Trump's former longtime lawyer Michael Cohen chatted with the Reverend Al Sharpton for an hour, Sharpton announced on Twitter on Friday morning.

Cohen responded to Sharpton's tweet minutes later, saying there wasn't anyone "better to talk to!"

"Just spent an hour w/ Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney," Sharpton, the host of MSNBC's "PoliticsNation," tweeted Friday morning. "I bet you're wondering what we could be talking about! Stay tuned."

"I have known Rev for almost 20 years," Cohen responded. "No one better to talk to!"

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Cohen is the focus of a criminal investigation in the Southern District of New York into whether he violated campaign-finance laws, committed bank fraud and/or wire fraud, engaged in illegal lobbying, or participated in other crimes. The FBI raided Cohen's home, hotel room, and office in April, seizing more than 4 million documents.

At the center of Cohen's troubles is a $130,000 hush-money payment he facilitated weeks before the 2016 presidential election to porn star Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, to keep her from talking about her allegation of a 2006 affair with Trump. The FBI sought documents related to that payment and other similar agreements with women.

Trump, Cohen, and the White House denied that an affair took place. Originally, Cohen said Trump did not reimburse him for the payment. In May, Trump admitted to paying back his lawyer for the cost.

Cohen has split with Trump dramatically in recent weeks. He has gone from virtual silence to suddenly sounding as if he is ready to turn on the president at a moment's notice.

Cohen also split with his legal team and hired a pair of new attorneys. Cohen's defense will now be guided by Guy Petrillo, a partner at Petrillo Klein & Boxer who has extensive experience in the Southern District of New York and is the kind of lawyer a person would choose if they were seeking to cut a deal with prosecutors, experts told Business Insider.

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Cohen has also brought on Lanny Davis, notable for his work as a lawyer and representative for President Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

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