A New York taxi kingpin and business partner of President Donald Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen has agreed to cooperate with the government, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
Freidman, known as New York’s « Taxi King, » was indicted on state charges last year by then-New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who alleged Freidman and others failed to pay $5 million in MTA surcharges between 2012 and 2015.
Freidman’s agreement, given his ties to Cohen as a business partner, may put still more pressure on the Trump associate and attorney, who faced federal raids in April before the Justice Department announced it had been conducting a months-long investigation into him.
CNN previously reported the FBI searches included a request for documents related to Cohen’s ownership of taxi medallions and sought information about taxi owners who had financial dealings with Cohen.
Cohen’s role as Trump’s personal attorney has come under increasing scrutiny, due in large part to the payment he conceded facilitating to the adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani later admitted that Trump had repaid Cohen.
News of the raids in early April prompted Trump’s outrage, as he called the searches « an attack on our country. »
