Michael Cohen's mystery third client is Sean Hannity

[edpc]

Hannity said he has at least 7 or 8 lawyers...never considered Cohen as one..just friends who he occasionally asked legal advice from..I guess Cohen thought differently although he was never officially hired, retained or billed..he will discuss this later on his show tonight

Get ready to hear ‘besmirch’ a lot over the next few days.   


That will be shortly followed by a ‘scheduled vacation.’

[cato potatoe]

Legal or not, we'll learn what it was about soon enough.  Sean may as well put it out there.

[DB]

...and joking aside, it seems very reasonable that Cohen may have given advice for free to someone like Hannity.  He may be looking at it as starting a professional relationship with someone of media influence.  Like a free sample at Baskin Robbins.

Or it is a way for Trump to reward Hannity for his support without a paper trail. Weak, but possible.

[mystery-ak]

Sean Hannity
✔
@seanhannity

Michael Cohen has never represented me in any matter.  I never retained him, received an invoice, or paid legal fees.  I have occasionally had brief discussions with him about legal questions about which I wanted his input and perspective.
2:58 PM - Apr 16, 2018

excerpt:
“Michael Cohen has never represented me in any matter,” Hannity tweeted. “I never retained him, received an invoice, or paid legal fees. I have occasionally had brief discussions with him about legal questions about which I wanted his input and perspective.”

“I assumed those conversations were confidential, but to be absolutely clear they never involved any matter between me and a third-party,” he added.


more here
http://thehill.com/homenews/media/383417-hannity-downplays-connection-to-trumps-personal-lawyer

[edpc]

The judge had already said last Friday the client list would be made public. 


That list will be a public record, Wood said, because the identities of an attorney’s clients are not subject to attorney-client privilege unless the mere name itself would reveal the kind of advice sought or given.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/13/michael-cohen-hearing-fbi-raid-522053

[240B]

Too weird.
Hannity says he is not a client.
Cohen says he is.

I seriously do not know what to make of all this. Too bizarre.

[edpc]

excerpt:
“Michael Cohen has never represented me in any matter,” Hannity tweeted. “I never retained him, received an invoice, or paid legal fees. I have occasionally had brief discussions with him about legal questions about which I wanted his input and perspective.”

“I assumed those conversations were confidential, but to be absolutely clear they never involved any matter between me and a third-party,” he added.

And we mostly definitely didn’t honeymoon together in Prague.

[edpc]

I wonder who clients 4-8 are.  Everyone remembers who was client number 9.

[INVAR]

IMHO being forced to "out" Hannity...like the raid on Cohen's house and office...is some more brinksmanship on the part of the Mueller probe to try and push Trump to fire him.

Kimba Wood is the senior Justice for e Southern District of New York.  IIRC Mueller's #2 worked in that office and more than likely leaked to the current U.S. Attorney what they needed to get the warrant on Cohen.

To me that smacks of collusion between Muller and the Judges/lawyers for the Southern District of NY.

What better way to embarrass the President more than they already have than to do this big "reveal" of one of the President's favorite TV hosts in open court?

I think we're getting warmer.

It's what the Oligarchy can see what they can get away with and set as a precedent that is most important right now.

[driftdiver]

Did you sign anything and did you believe you were a client in doing so? Or was the counsel someone you already had agreements with.

Hannity says he wasn't a client.

@DB
Generally lawyers give you a free meeting.  You don't sign anything unless you hire them.  That meeting is considered privlidged.

I don't spend hannity money on lawyers either.

[Right_in_Virginia]

[corbe]

   Hannity was an azzwipe ever before he fell in love with Trump.

[Concerned]

Which means there’s no privilege.

Exactly. Based on what we know of his “work” for other “clients”, it seems unlikely to me there are “thousands if not millions of documents” which are attorney-client privileged.

[Victoria33]

And, how does the judge justify this?

@Sanguine

The judge said a list of clients is not priviledged information.

[INVAR]

   Hannity was an azzwipe ever before he fell in love with Trump.

I couldn't handle watching him for more than 5 minutes after the days of Hannity and Colmes because "Let me tell you something..." got repetitive to the point of nausea.

His radio show I never liked at any time ever.

[Right_in_Virginia]

How can there be privilege if there's no contract, retainer or payment???

In general, as long as the prospective client is seeking legal advice or representation and reasonably believes the communication will be confidential, the consultation is privileged. This is so even if the would-be client never pays or hires the attorney.

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/does-the-attorney-client-privilege-apply-havent-hired-the-lawyer-yet.html

[Sanguine]

@Sanguine

The judge said a list of clients is not priviledged information.

Well, okay.....

[driftdiver]

   Hannity was an azzwipe ever before he fell in love with Trump.

I don't like Hannity either but what's happening is wrong.

[corbe]

   Hannity's been swimming in the NYC/DC/GOP Swamp for years and I don't give a $hit what happens to him. 
   I know Hannity is claiming now it was Real Estate advice he was seeking from Cohen but Trump's personal Attorney is a well known 'FIXER' of sexual improprieties. 
   I'd bet Hannity's Wife is pizzed about this revelation.


                 Maybe I should have hired this derelict of a Lawyer

[XenaLee]

I don't like Hannity either but what's happening is wrong.

Meanwhile.... the idiots in Congress.... still have their secret CYA fund set up from which to "settle" sexual incidents... at taxpayer expense, and perps names are kept a SECRET from the taxpayers that are paying for it.

Congress, once again and still, above the law and oh-so-much-more special that those of us whose taxes pay their damned friggin salaries.

[truth_seeker]

How can there be privilege if there's no contract, retainer or payment???

Simple. The relationship exists, with or without a written contract. And with or without the exchange of consideration.

At least in California, a contract for services can be verbal. And there are many implied aspects of contracts.

Likewise a professional owes his client certain standards of performance, ethics, honest dealing, fiduciary responsibility, if a deal and money result, or if they get no result.

Each profession has its own professional standards, plus the state has even more.

Remember how CPAs used to "self-regulate," until Arthur Andersen and Enron?
 

[truth_seeker]

Which means there’s no privilege.

That is not so.

[Cyber Liberty]

Somebody needs to ask this judge to force Congress to release the names of the Congresscritters who paid mistresses off with taxpayer money.

[truth_seeker]

@DB
Generally lawyers give you a free meeting.  You don't sign anything unless you hire them.  That meeting is considered privlidged.

I don't spend hannity money on lawyers either.

In several fields, they advertise an initial no charge consultation.

Free does not negate the fact it is a legally binding, implied (verbal) contract.

Professional and legal standards do apply.

Since nothing about the subjects of Sean'sconsultation is divulged, the judge must think it is no big deal.

However I believe the judge is wrong.

[XenaLee]

Somebody needs to ask this judge to force Congress to release the names of the Congresscritters who paid mistresses off with taxpayer money.

Hell yeah!