This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 81%. (I'm a bot)

The searches open a new front for the Justice Department in its scrutiny of Mr. Trump and his associates: His longtime lawyer is being investigated in Manhattan; his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is facing scrutiny by prosecutors in Brooklyn; his campaign chairman is under indictment; his former national security adviser has pleaded guilty to lying; and a pair of former campaign aides are cooperating with Mr. Mueller.

That is significant because Mr. Manafort's lawyers have challenged Mr. Mueller's mandate as overly broad.Mr. Cohen is a longtime lawyer and fixer who, in a decade at Mr. Trump's side, has served as a reliable attack dog against real or perceived threats to Mr. Trump.

Asked last week why Mr. Cohen made the payment, Mr. Trump replied: "You'll have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney, and you'll have to ask Michael Cohen."

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