Rand Paul backs President Trump, saying Robert Mueller 'abused his authority' with FBI raid

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul is planting his feet in President Donald Trump's corner.

The Kentucky Republican defended Trump on Fox News, saying Tuesday that the FBI's raid on the president's longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen went too far, and took aim at special prosecutor Robert Mueller as a result.

"What does this have to do with Russia?" Paul said on Fox News. "Going after someone's personal attorney is a great overstep I think in the authority of the prosecutor ... I think that Mueller has abused his authority."

The U.S. attorney's office in New York approved a series of search warrants to be executed at Cohen's law office in Manhattan on Monday, prompting harsh criticism on Twitter from Trump such as "Attorney-client privilege is dead!"

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Mueller referred the case over to the Southern District of New York, according to the Washington Post, for potential campaign finance violations, bank fraud and wire fraud.

While the special prosecutor's primary focus has been investigating possible Russian influence in the 2016 election, controversy has surrounded Cohen after the Wall Street Journal revealed he paid Stephanie Clifford, otherwise known as porn actress Stormy Daniels, $130,000 of his own money to keep her quiet about an alleged affair between her and Trump.

Trump tweeted Tuesday morning "A TOTAL WITCH HUNT!!!" and Paul said on Fox News that he agrees with the President.

"The President's right, it's a witch hunt," Paul said. "We never should have had a special prosecutor in the first place, because he is no longer looking at Russia. He's looking at some personal dealings with the president's lawyer."

Thomas Novelly: 502-582-4465; tnovelly@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @TomNovelly. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/tomn.