The evidence in the Manhattan DA’s criminal fraud case against former President Donald Trump includes a secretly made 2016 recording of Trump and a witness, thought to be Michael Cohen.
An ABC News report states that the files contained a discussion of a plan to buy the silence of Playboy model Karen McDougal prior to the 2016 election.
The recording is included in a document known as an Automatic Discovery Form that lists the kind of evidence Manhattan prosecutors have amassed during their multi-year investigation, in preparation for it to be turned over to Trump’s attorneys as they prepare his defense.
The filing does not identify the witness or say when the recording was made or when Trump’s lawyers were made aware of it. NBC News has reached out to attorneys and a spokesperson for Trump for a response.
A key witness in the case, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, previously released a secretly taped audio recording of a discussion he had with Trump about the hush money payments in 2016. It’s unclear if the recording referred to in the court filing is the same one.