AT&T paid Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen for "insights into understanding the new administration" — while seeking government approval for its acquisition of Time Warner. Here's our full story on @CNNMoney https://t.co/pGepOFn7Fe
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 8, 2018
It starts with a little old-school, home-grown ‘request for attention’ stipend…
AT&T confirms it paid Trump lawyer Michael Cohen for 'insights' on administration. Likely a matter of time before @Novartis confirms paying Cohen, too. https://t.co/Tecx52zPfW
— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) May 8, 2018
Trump/Cohen AT&T situation sounds a LOT like ITT situation w/Nixon White House in 1971-2 https://t.co/BQc2Y7ffji https://t.co/XSPDxvDY9y
— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) May 8, 2018
… next thing ya know, there’s talk about Russian oligarchs funneling money…
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 questions asked of Vekselberg suggest that Mueller investigators have been examining some of Cohen’s business relationships as part of the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Vekselberg is one of two Russian oligarchs the FBI stopped earlier this year after their private jets landed in New York-area airports as part of Mueller’s investigation…
FBI agents asked Vekselberg about payments his company’s American affiliate, Columbus Nova, made to Cohen, according to one source. The Russian was questioned as well about $300,000 in political donations by Andrew Intrater, Vekselberg’s American cousin who is the head of Columbus Nova, sources said…
From 2007 until March 2012, Vekselberg was a shareholder and chairman of the board of Rusal, the aluminum company controlled by Oleg Deripaska. Deripaska has business ties to former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who has been indicted on fraud and tax related charges as part of Mueller’s investigation. Manafort has pleaded not guilty. Deripaska, who also was added to the US sanctions list last month, has sued Manafort over a soured investment deal.
Lamesa Investments Ltd, an affiliate of Renova, acquired a large stake in the Bank of Cyprus at the same time Wilbur Ross, then a private equity investor, made a capital infusion into the then-struggling bank. Lamesa now holds a 9.2% stake in the Bank of Cyprus. Ross resigned from his position as vice chairman of the bank after he was confirmed as Trump’s commerce secretary.
Vekselberg also attended the December 2015 dinner in Moscow for RT, the state-controlled television channel, where Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser, sat beside Putin, according to NBC News. Flynn has pleaded guilty to lying about a call he had with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition and is cooperating with the Mueller investigation…
Say this for the Trump Occupation, they’re not shy about advertising what you can get for your money:
Reminder: Intrater and Vekselberg also gave hundreds of thousands to Trump’s inauguration fund: https://t.co/eopTJiVgVk
— Billy Elder (@BillyVonElds) May 8, 2018
Russiagate Open Thread: Buying the King’s Favor, Via His Chief MinisterPost + Comments (136)