Washington (CNN) As the 2016 presidential campaign was in full swing, Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, took part in two financial transactions that gave him access to as much as $774,000, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing public records. The Wall Street Journal reported that, according to real estate records, Cohen increased his borrowing ability by $245,000 through a bank credit line tied to his Manhattan apartment. Months prior to the February 2016 transaction, he and his wife co-signed a mortgage on a condominium in Trump World Tower in New York, which her parents owned, giving him potential access to an additional $529,000, the Journal reported, citing different real estate records. Cohen has been at the center of a firestorm after reports surfaced that he made a payment ahead of the 2016 election to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, for her discretion on an alleged sexual encounter she had with Trump more than a decade ago. Cohen admitted to paying Daniels $130,000 in hush money out of his own pocket.

Source: CNN May 05, 2018 03:18 UTC