The shell company used by President Donald Trump's attorney Michael Cohen to pay off Stormy Daniels received about $500,000 last year from a business led by a Russian billionaire who is close to President Vladimir Putin, according to the porn star's lawyer.
Cohen's company, Essential Consultants LLC, received the money from a U.S. offshoot of the business empire of Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, lawyer Michael Avenatti claimed in a report he released Tuesday.
Avenatti disclosed a wide array of previously unreported Cohen financial transactions since October 2016; he also alleged multiple cases of potential bank fraud.
Cohen's company, according to the report, received large sums of money from companies with an interest in Trump administration business.
Novartis, the pharmaceutical giant, paid Essential Consultants nearly $400,000; AT&T, $200,000; and Korea Aerospace Industries LTD, $150,000. The report gave no indication of what services Cohen provided.
AT&T spokeswoman Megan Ketterer said in a written statement: "Essential Consultants was one of several firms we engaged in early 2017 to provide insights into understanding the new administration."
But it's the roughly $500,000 that Essential Consultants received from the Vekselberg business that was most notable in the Avenatti report.
Investigators for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III questioned Vekselberg about the payments after they stopped him at a New York-area airport for questioning when he arrived on a private jet this year, according to CNN.
Cohen, who is under federal criminal investigation for potential bank fraud, did not respond to an email seeking comment on the payments, nor did his lawyer.
On Twitter, Avenatti suggested that money from the Vekselberg company, Columbus Nova LLC, may have reimbursed Cohen for the $130,000 he paid Daniels to keep quiet about her alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump.
Avenatti tweted: "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."
