New York (AFP) – Federal agents raided the New York offices of President Donald Trump’s longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen on Monday, Cohen’s own attorney Stephen Ryan said.

Ryan said the action was taken in part on behalf of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating links between Russia and the Trump campaign.

“The decision by the US attorney’s office in New York to conduct their investigation using search warrants is completely inappropriate and unnecessary,” Ryan said.

“It resulted in the unnecessary seizure of protected attorney-client communications between a lawyer and his clients.”