Trump lawyer heard allegations against Schneiderman years ago, attorney says

close

Video

Schneiderman faces criminal investigation over abuse claims

Former New York attorney general steps down, denies assault allegations.

A New York attorney reportedly told President Donald Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, years ago that former New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman was allegedly abusing women.

Schneiderman, a frequent legal nemesis of Trump, resigned this week after the New Yorker magazine published the accounts of four women who claimed they were slapped and choked by him. Schneiderman has denied the charges.

Attorney Peter Gleason said in a letter filed with a federal judge Friday that he was contacted "some years ago" by two women who accused Schneiderman of sexual misconduct. But Gleason denied that the women were among the four who were quoted in the New Yorker article, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Gleason said he discussed the matter with retired New York Post columnist Stephen Dunleavy and advised the women not to speak with prosecutors.

According to Gleason, Dunleavy offered to talk about the issue with Trump prior to his presidency.

Gleason said he then got a call from Cohen, Trump's lawyer, and "shared with him certain details" of Schneiderman's alleged "vile attacks" on the women.

In his letter, Gleason asked U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood to issue a protective order sealing "any and all correspondence that Mr. Cohen may have memorialized regarding our communications."

In a brief phone interview Friday, Gleason said Cohen told him during their 2013 conversation that if Trump ran for governor, he would make the allegations about Schneiderman public.

Schneiderman's lawyer, Isabelle Kirshner, declined to comment. Lawyers for Cohen and Trump didn't return email messages.

Wood ordered Gleason on Friday afternoon either to file a memorandum supporting his request for a protective order by May 18, or withdraw the request.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.