Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for Porny Daniels, just unloaded a bombshell on Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen.
After significant investigation, we have discovered that Mr. Trump’s atty Mr. Cohen received approximately $500,000 in the mos. after the election from a company controlled by a Russian Oligarc with close ties to Mr. Putin. These monies may have reimbursed the $130k payment.
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 8, 2018
Wow. He then posted a 7 page document with the full allegations he unleashed.
The Executive Summary from our first Preliminary Report on Findings may be accessed via the link below. Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen have a lot of explaining to do.https://t.co/179WvIkRlD
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 8, 2018
After the media started picking up the story, it was revealed that Mueller has ALREADY interviewed the Russian oligarch about the payment to Cohen!!!
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators have questioned a Russian oligarch about hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments his company’s US affiliate made to President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, after the election, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Viktor Vekselberg, chairman of asset manager Renova Group, is an oligarch close to Vladimir Putin, and last month the Trump administration placed him on a list of sanctioned Russians for activities including election interference. The purpose of the payments, which predate the sanctions, and the nature of the business relationship between Vekselberg and Cohen is unclear.
The scrutiny of the payments could add to the legal troubles for Cohen, whose home and office were raided last month as part of a criminal investigation by federal prosecutors in Manhattan. In court documents, the prosecutors said at least part of their inquiry stemmed from a referral from Mueller’s office.
Wow. Then, Cohen’s lawyer, a lawyer for a lawyer, appeared to CONFIRM the exchange of money, while denying it was a payment:
Michael Cohen’s attorney, Steve Ryan, won’t discuss the $500,000 Michael Avenatti says Cohen received from Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg in 2017. “I understand the shorthand you’re using, but it wasn’t a payment,” Ryan says before hanging up.
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) May 8, 2018
Yeah that’s not a very good defense. I wonder what they’re going to say about this because I doubt Avenatti would drop such yuge accusations if they were false, and run the risk of getting sued.
So… the plot thickens.
UPDATE!!!
More more more!!
Avenatti claimed Cohen received other payments from corporations at his dummy company – AT&T has confirmed that is true.
We have reached out to AT&T and Novartis about Avenatti’s claim that they paid Cohen $200K and $400K respectively. If they didn’t pay him, it seems very easy to put all this to rest.
— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) May 8, 2018
But if they did, in fact, wire money to the president’s lawyer’s secret LLC … buckle up folks.
BREAKING: @ATT confirms payments to Cohen LLC >>
— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) May 8, 2018
Full Stmt: “Essential Consulting was one of several firms we engaged in early 2017 to provide insights into understanding the new administration. They did no legal or lobbying work for us, and the contract ended in December 2017”
Also:
Must see: How Russian oligarchs like Viktor Vekselberg (in Avenatti's report) are connected to Trump and each other. Amazing work by @dallasnews >>> pic.twitter.com/cVGjMNbMXQ
— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) May 8, 2018
To sum up:
The claims in @MichaelAvenatti's document are the ultimate "Whoa, if true." He's basically saying Cohen's LLC was a slush vehicle for illegal contributions/payments from a Russian oligarch and who knows who else.
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) May 8, 2018
So lemme put a little bit of a sharper point on all this. Novartis pays Cohen 400k in carefully sturctured transactions & gets a meeting w Trump. Cohen gets all the money and Trump does the work of taking the meeting. Knowing what you know about the president how likely is that ?
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) May 8, 2018
What an idiot!!! Everyone knows nothing will come of these stupid accusations from Porny Daniels!! #MAGA!!!!
UPDATE
DRUG COMPANY NOVARTIS CONFIRMS KINDA:
NEW: Pharma-Giant @Novartis spokesperson tells me "any agreements with Essential Consultants were entered before our current CEO taking office in February of this year and have expired."
— Michael Cappetta (@MCappetta) May 8, 2018
According to @MichaelAvenatti, Novartis paid $399k to Michael Cohen's consulting firm.
Dang. What an enormous nothingburger. Hehehe.