May 8 (Reuters) - AT&T Inc. said on Tuesday it had hired Essential Consultants, a company linked to Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, to advise it on working with the new administration in early 2017, around the time of Trump’s inauguration. Avenatti’s report said AT&T had paid $200,000 in four equal payments to Essential Consultants between Oct, 3, 2017 and Jan. 3, 2018. “Essential Consultants was one of several firms we engaged in early 2017 to provide insights into understanding the new administration,” AT&T said in a statement. Daniels had previously said she was paid $130,000 by Cohen to stay quiet about a sexual encounter with Trump, an encounter which Trump has denied. The Wall Street Journal released a 2016 Delaware certificate of formation for Essential Consultants that was signed by Michael Cohen.

Source: Huffington Post May 09, 2018 03:22 UTC