Flipping Cohen against Trump may not be so easy [View all]
Secrecy issues make turning a lawyer against a client a legal minefield, experts say
By JOSH GERSTEIN 04/24/2018 05:00 AM EDT
Getting Michael Cohen to rat out President Donald Trump may not be as simple as it sounds.
Although Trumps detractors are rooting for Trump's personal attorney to flip on the president and cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller to escape a potentially harsh prison sentence, legal obstacles make it difficult for lawyers to expose their clients guarded secrets.
Even if Cohen is determined to break his confidences with Trump, legal ethics might deter federal prosecutors from coaxing him to betray his professional confidences with Trump, legal veterans and experts say.
"This idea of 'flipping' Cohenthey can't just flip a lawyer to testify against a client," longtime defense attorney Harvey Silverglate said. Even if Cohen doesn't know better, one would think the FBI and the prosecutors would know better."
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https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/24/cohen-trump-attorney-legal-minefield-546336