The Atlantic’s Natasha Bertrand gave a us a first look into how Hannity’s cover was blown when she tweeted this week, “[Judge Kimba Wood] was prepared to let Ryan give her the name of Cohen’s third client under seal. At that point, an attorney for the NYT and CNN approached the podium and convinced her that the press (& public) should know. She agreed. He played pivotal role here.”

It’s as strange as it sounds: An attorney not directly involved in the court argument interrupted the hearing to convince the judge to compel Cohen to disclose his clients…

CJR gives additional details, “[Balin] noted, among other things, the ‘intense public interest’ in the hearing, and he urged the court to recognize a First Amendment right of access to the client’s identity. … Cohen’s attorneys failed to offer a persuasive counterargument, and ultimately Judge Kimba Wood ordered them to disclose publicly the secret client’s identity.”