Judge Kimba Wood has asked all parties in the Michael Cohen case to submit suggestions for people who might serve as special master to review FBI-seized materials for possible attorney-client privilege should she choose to go that route.
The government suggested three former federal magistrate judges.
[Frank] Maas spent 17 years on the federal bench and was appointed as an arbitrator to resolve disputes arising out of Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme.
[James] Francis spent more than 30 years as a federal magistrate and was, for a time, the Chief Magistrate in the Southern District of New York. He oversaw the settlements of hundreds of lawsuits over mass arrests by the NYPD during the 2004 Republican National Convention.
[Theodore] Katz served 21 years as a federal magistrate in New York and became known as a thoughtful settlement judge. In one notable case, he presided over the settlement of a breach of advertising contract involving actress Charlize Theron.
Cohen's lawyers submitted the names of four former federal prosecutors.
Cohen’s attorneys suggested Bart Schwartz of Guidepost Solutions, Joan McPhee of Ropes & Gray LLP, Tai Park of Park Jensen Bennett LLP or George S. Canellos of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy.
Canellos is a former enforcement director for the Securities and Exchange Commission. Park defended Ng Lap Seng in a United Nation’s bribery case. All four are former prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, the same office that has been investigating Cohen for months over what they’ve called “personal business matters.”
President Trump's lawyer recommended no one.
“The president objects to anyone other than himself making the initial assessment of what’s privileged,” his attorney Joanna Hendon said.
Judge Wood has not ruled yet on whether she will use a special master, and prosecutors have made it clear they would prefer to use their "taint team" which exists for this exact purpose.
On Monday Wood declined to issue a temporary restraining order but she did not rule on how the review would proceed. Prosecutors agreed to provide copies of everything seized – including 10 boxes of documents and about a dozen electronic devices – to the legal teams of Cohen and Trump and promised not to read anything until the judge decides.
Cohen wants 4 former federal prosecutors to review material seized in FBI raid (ABC News)