FBI recovers WhatsApp, Signal data from Trump lawyer's phone
Washington, June 16 : The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has recovered encrypted data from messaging apps WhatsApp and Signal stored on one of the BlackBerry smartphones owned by US President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen.
According to a report in arstechnica.com on Saturday, a letter submitted to the presiding judge in the case against Cohen revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation recovered over 700 pages of messages and call logs from encrypted messaging apps on a smartphone belonging to Cohen.
"The messages and call logs together constitute 731 pages of potential evidence," the report added.
WhatsApp and Signal store their messages in encrypted databases on the device.
"A cryptographic key is required to decrypt the contents of such a database, and there are tools readily available to access the WhatsApp database on a PC," the report said.
Cohen has until June 25 to review the materials and make any claims of attorney-client privilege.
"After that, any messages he claims are protected will be reviewed by the Special Master, retired federal judge Barbara Jones," the report added.
Cohen has filed for a restraining order against porn star Stormy Daniels' attorney Michael Avenatti is representing her in the case. to prevent him from speaking to the press about the adult film star's lawsuit.
"Avenatti's actions are mainly driven by his seemingly unquenchable thirst for publicity," the filing said on Thursday night, alleging that the adult film star's lawyer "routinely denigrates" Cohen, CNN reported.
Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 days before the 2016 election as part of a non-disclosure agreement to prevent the porn star from publicly discussing her alleged sexual encounter with Trump.
Trump has also acknowledged that he personally reimbursed Cohen for that payment.
Daniels is suing the two men as well as Essential Consultants, Cohen's shell company, to try to nullify the 2016 agreement. Avenatti is representing her in the case.
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Petrol pump worker killed as SUV hits motorcycle head-on in Gurugram
Gurugram (PTI): A petrol pump worker died after an SUV rammed into his motorcycle in the Sushant Lok area here, police said on Thursday.
The accused driver fled the scene, leaving the vehicle after the accident. An FIR has been registered at the Sushant Lok police station, they said.
According to police, the accident occurred on Wednesday afternoon when Mukesh was travelling from Sector 44 to Sushant Lok on Vyapar Kendra Road for some work.
Near Vyapar Kendra, a white Thar coming from the wrong side at high speed hit his motorcycle head-on, leaving him critically injured, they said.
The driver fled the scene, leaving the vehicle behind, police added.
Eyewitnesses claimed the vehicle had no number plates either at the front or rear.
Locals took Mukesh to a private hospital, where he died during treatment, police said. He was a resident of Rohta Patti in Palwal and worked at a petrol pump in Sector 44.
An FIR was registered against the unidentified driver, based on a complaint lodged by his brother Ashok. The body was handed over to the family after a post-mortem on Thursday, police said.
“The Thar vehicle has been seized from the spot. CCTV footage from the area is being examined, and the driver will be arrested soon,” a Gurugram police spokesperson said.
