Donald Trump’s attorney and legal fixer, Michael Cohen, was paid half a million dollars by a company affiliated with a Russian oligarch closely linked to Vladimir Putin, according to extraordinary allegations published on Tuesday. Cohen, his attorney, and the Republican National Committee – for which Cohen is a deputy finance chairman – did not respond to requests for comment. Novartis, a Swiss-based pharmaceuticals firm, did not dispute that it paid Cohen. CNN subsequently reported on Tuesday that he was specifically asked by Mueller’s investigators about the alleged payments to Cohen. “After the inauguration, the firm hired Michael Cohen as a business consultant regarding potential sources of capital and potential investments in real estate and other ventures,” said Owens.

Source: The Guardian May 08, 2018 23:07 UTC