There is another story of trump and a German Playboy model in 1993 while Marla Maples was 4 months pregnant. Have lawyers been paying off people since 1993. The Daily Mail has an extensive article with photos--hard or trump to deny.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5678917/Playmate-Elke-Jeinsen-sa....
If really does make one really nauseous.
A convincing article in NY Mag offers a theory about Broidy's payment to a playboy model as a bribe for Trump:
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/05/theory-playboy-model-had-af...
1
Presumably if this constituted evidence of collusion Mueller would have kept it in his team.
9
And when Sarah Sanders was asked about all of this during the WH press briefing, her response was "No comment." I wonder why............
18
When it comes to Trump and his gopher Cohen, the old story of bringing the snake in from the cold holds true. America, the snake has bitten you and you now ask why: "You knew I was a snake when you took me in"....But guess we need more evidence to explain it.
That will come.
20
REAL campaign finance reform including NO corporate money and free tv is the only thing that can save us.
23
Hello? This is called pay to play folks and it's done by both parties. What do you think lobbyist and consultants are for? It's to give plausible deniability when bribing politicians. Do you really think the Clinton Foundation is a charity organization?
7
So strange that in 2009 the Russian Reset Button Democrats did so much to appease KGB Putin. President Obama even used the word ' czars ' to describe his regulatory advisers ! Russian spies were returned. Uranium deals were made. The Democrats sure changed their tune fast when they feared losing the 2016 election because they couldn't seem to silence candidate Donald Trump like they did the other Republican candidates ...even when they sent ruffians in to disrupt his campaign rallies....
3
I have finally grown not only to fundamentally disagree with this administration - I have grown to despise the individuals in it. And that is different.
20
Keep peeling back the onion, layer by layer, Free Press. The truth will be revealed at the core, proving once for all the secrets Trump & Assoc hid from the American public, IRS, FBI, election laws, etc.
45
if this is not a scam, what is, people? the crooks are running the show and pretending they are making us all "great". I cannot believe we are so degenerate as to not call this out for what it is, FOX News or anyone else!
33
Michelle Wolf was right, why else would M. Cohen be doing shakedowns on behalf of Trump?
Because he needs the money or just wants the money?
This is a new low, even for Trump.
23
Plutocracy plutocracy plutocracy. And there is only one real solution because a system bought and owned by the rich will not reform itself.
Look to the French and Russian Revolutions for inspiration
21
I read recently that Cohen was connected with a scheme to defraud insurance companies that cover automobile accidents. Cohen developed a scheme whereby actors (plants) claimed to be injured in auto accidents where his cabs took the "victims" to a group of shady doctors who participated in the scheme to defraud insurance companies with false reports of fraudulent injuries.
This activity is not unlike crooked lawyers called ambulance chasers. Supposedly this scheme was investigated in New York and some of the participants may have gone to jail, except for Mr. Cohen. Apparently oligarchs - both American and Russian - thought Cohen was an oligarchs' lawyer who could funnel millions of dollars through an account he controlled for illegal payments. Wouldn't it be humorous if oligarch money were used by Cohen to pay off Trump's dalliances? When Mueller's investigation is concluded (hopefully with Trump and his Republican backers in jail) maybe we should have a Congressional investigation into how Citizens United might be used for the benefit of US oligarchs to the detriment of our country.
20
Donald, you’re hot on the right trail. Here’s an interesting article in New York magazine describing how it might all work, with a focus on how $1.6 million from Broidy could have been funneled through Cohen to pay the Playboy women for President Dennison’s dalliance. (If link stripped, google nymag playboy broidy trump.) http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/05/theory-playboy-model-had-af...
6
Hey, this is fake news! Mr. Cohen explained all this--he got the $130K by taking out a second mortgage on his house!
Seriously folks, this may be one of the most damaging revelations yet. My feeling is Mr. Cohen is in super serious trouble. The question remaining would be how seriously this might impact President Trump. Those of us who were around for Watergate and similar scandals find that two old watchwords once again ring true, "Follow the money," and, "What did he know, and when did he know it?"
20
I wonder what came out from that airplane when "A Russian billionaire, whose jet-setting travel intersected with Donald Trump’s stops at the Charlotte and Las Vegas airports during the presidential campaign, I don't think It was a “pure coincidence”.
I wonder if they brought big containers full of cash.
27
Once again, this is all part of the Trump administrations plan to drain the old Washington DC Swamp to make the new Washington DC sewer.
19
Wrapped & tied. #Guilty
14
"It is unclear whether that or any of the other transactions were improper...."
That's all there is to this story right now, folks. Move along.
3
The Russian money in the headline is no surprise really due to Cohen's (and Trump's) Russian mob connections. It's just more of the same. For me the big story is AT&T's attempted bribe. AT&T based in Texas is an American Company run by Americans. I would like to see a better explanation followed by an apology and a firing. I hope the media keeps at this story.
27
does the foreign corrupt practices act (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_Corrupt_Practices_Act ) apply to domestic transactions? the US had moral authority to enforce this act globally --these bribers of Cohen/Trump show one rule applies at home and another for others
5
Michael Cohen is a case study in why ethics matter. At every turn his actions are those of someone lacking an ethical core: bagman for a billionaire who grabs at women, shady dealings with relatives to buy taxi medallions, payoffs from corporations for access to what influence he has in the White House. A multitude of other examples. Somewhere, somehow, society has to teach the Michael Cohens among us that ethics matter, that greed is not good.
32
Swampy
13
the more shady it gets the more his approval ratings go up.
6
Is everyone playing six degrees of separation?
11
So receiving $4m to provide access to someone who is not registered as a lobbyist is ok but Hillary’s speeches to Goldman Sachs were pay to play?
25
Lets not forget that Trump has many lawyers. He stated Michael Cohen only handled a tiny amount of his work. So one assumes people are investigating his other attorneys and their bank accounts. Didn’t Steve Bannon say, in the Michael Wolfe book, that Trumps Attorney Kasowitz? had handled perhaps a hundred similar cases. And Roger Stone seems like another perfect candidate for transporting suitcases of cash.
14
I was reading The Federalist Papers and in No. 22 Madison writes that foreign influence over a traitorous leader could (and gave historical examples) destroy a republic. Made me rather uneasy to say the least.
25
Congress as a collective body has a constitutional obligation to protect the Republic from an out of control, corrupt President. They all swore an oath to fulfill this obligation regardless of party affiliation. How bad do things have to get before these wimps cut short their luncheons with K Street lobbyists and do their job? If 99% of us did our jobs with the same level of incompetence, we'd be sitting on the curb. Please contact your Representative and Senators, Democrat or Republican, and let them know that silence and inaction in response to corruption of this magnitude cannot be ignored. If they can't or won't show the courage needed to their job, we'll hire someone who will.
19
I am taking AT&T at their word:
Mister Cohen did "no legal ..." work for us.
Very true, probably everything he did for them was illegal.
39
No disrespect to Will Shakespeare, but let's not kill all the lawyers, shall we? It's the lawyers and a free press that will lead us out of this nightmare.
20
Trump wants us all to focus on North Korea and Iran right now. I worry this major story is not getting the attention it deserves.
18
This article gives "follow the money" whole new meaning. No wonder this investigation is taking so long, it might eventually be able to bring down the whole Republican Party. Just waiting for the breakthrough with the Kochs and Mercers. Whew, let the good times roll!
18
Note again that it’s not just Trump. The Republican Party seems to be fine with this.
Complicit. All of them.
33
The whole things smells fishy
I don't believe in the excuses used by AT&T and Novartis
18
Truly, the most corrupt president in the history of the US. Remember when he was chanting "lock her up" at Hillary Clinton. His corruption is far, far worse. Also, remember when conservatives and the GOP were up in arms about Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, why are these same people seemingly okay with Trump's Stormy Daniels affair, and the payment of hush money. Why are evangelical Christians still supporting Trump, extra marital affairs and bribery are not consistent with their beliefs? Why are people constantly giving trump a pass?
20
Much has been made of the "disappointment" Cohen must have felt to be out of the White House crew.
I suspect it is intentional, as he was set up to both launder money and to take pay for play with a bit of distance from the White House.
20
Jim Hightower, in the current "Hightower Lowdown" lays out evidence to show that the Koch brothers have been patiently waging a successful coup for the past 40 years to put the wealthy and their corporations and financial institutions in control and beyond the reach of everyone else. (For details, see https://hightowerlowdown.org/article/patience-and-secrecy-cloak-the-koch...
This story provides much evidence of their success. I was aghast at the number of companies with past and current connections to Cohen's LLC, most of which are playing down or denying their involvement. But the money trail is as brightly lit as the klieg lights on a movie set. Institutionalized greed has demonstrated repeatedly that it can obtain legal rights to defend and acquire.
In addition to the push to de-personhood corporations, we need to make it Constitutionally mandatory that all such entities protect and enrich the Common Good above all else, including profits.
30
Just asking whether the Porn lawyer should be investigated for leaking banking information about private citizen. Hope they do and a special counsel should be named to do it.
7
What law did he violate?
6
The Treasury Department just announced that it's opening an investigation into who leaked Cohen's banking records. Bet money it's either Mueller's prosecutorial team or the prosecutors from the Southern District. Either way, someone's going to prison.
3
Larry, Michael Cohen was/is the lawyer of the president of the United States. As such, he is not acting as a "private citizen" and his dealings are very much the legitimate subject of discussion in the public sphere.
15
It sure seems that both American companies and foreign companies were paying Cohen because they thought they would gain access to Trump, but we actually do not know that. Is it a crime? I do not think so. How is it different than companies and indeed governments paying lobbies millions of dollars for the lobby's access to congress? Still, it seems unwholesome. And, the porn actress received 130,000 that might have come from the corporate fund: so where did the rest of the money go? Back to Stormy. She got some consideration for the one and only sex act with DT. What does that make her and DT? And then, she got 130,00 to keep quiet, but she did not stay bought. Now she and Mr. A her attorney really want to cash in. It is a wonder that much of America sees Stormy as a hero. She did and still does porn. Are we proud of that? Her attorney is getting a windfall of publicity. He is now more righteous than she is. Both are playing the American public for their personal gain, and the media is eating it up.
6
According to the Gateway Pundit, this "oligarch" gave money to the Clinton Foundation and John Podesta.
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/05/russian-oligarch-who-allegedly-p...
3
What a reliable source!
13
Curiouser and curiouser!
10
Really, $500K--that's what Bill Clinton got from Putin's Kremlin for a "speech", not including Hillary's uranium deal.
When compared to the Clinton's geo-political con games, dude's a loser.
4
It appears New York Times editors don't get it yet. Otherwise this would be top of the page.
Michael D. Cohen, President Trump’s lawyer and fixer is about to be charged. How many of you think he won't cooperate?
Trump must think he is immune, he is not.
17
I'd bet the editors "get it," but need to show some restraint until whatever other pieces of the puzzle they are working on can be verified and published.
10
Trump needs to make peace with the Clintons so he can become Teflon-like too.
1
Sounds like you have the wrong Michael Cohen. Fail!
2
This is now officially interesting. Apparently, Avientti got those banking records from Muller’s Group. However, within the last hour, we are finding out that the banking records are for the wrong Michael Cohen, according to the Israeli press and Dailey Caller.
This is turning out to be a repeat of the Steve Hatfill anthrax mess that Mueller also presided over. Mr. hatfill was destroyed by Mueller, via leaks. Mueller even testified in a closed door Congressional hearing that Hatfill was definitely their guy. Mueller was shown to be wrong and the DOJ had to pay Mr. Hatfill $5.4million in damages. Why didn’t we learn about Mueller earlier?
2
According to the Daily Caller? You can't be serious.
17
Um, Novartis and AT&T publicly admitted they paid him.
19
Well if you want to be with Cheetos you simply write a check to this crook. Do still people believe the GOP (Got out of prison) party are looking for the well been of the citizens of the country? Suckers!!!!!!!!
9
Okay all you anti-immigration zealots: this is exactly what a "third-world cesspool" looks like at the "top," and how it functions. People are willing to sell out their country and fellow citizens for personal gain. How ironic that it's not the immigrants, both legal and illegal, who are bringing us here, it's you, frightened, entitled willfully ignorant White people eager to give the country over to a con-man kleptocrat for the fleeting delusion of superiority, a degenerate tool who will sell out our country for money and a little flattery.
31
Some questions:
Since Mikey only had three legal clients (Hannity, Briody, and President Dennison),
what type of work was he doing for AT&T, novartis and the others?
How did they find his little LLC?
What is the purpose of the LLC?
What was the equity loan from the bank for?
How has the kitchen remodel turned out?
Stinky
17
And the hits just keep on coming. This is big-time pay-for-play. If this much is out in the open, it makes me think (hope) that Mueller has much more on the occupier of the White House and that said occupier will be tossed out on his backside sooner rather than later.
20
Was the shell company called The Clinton Foundation? It seems it’s OK for those you like to do this. But it becomes a scandal for those who you dislike.
4
The Clinton Foundation has a verifiable track record of helping people. The Trump Family Foundation members have a history of helping themselves.
22
You have spoken the truth. Why I want to go after Trump is simply because HE lambasted Hillary for pay to play and if he is doing the same then he too should be called out.
The DC swamp is filled with all colors red and blue and purple too.
6
Everyone working with this administration is guilty!
14
Pay to play and money laundering are the Republican/Trump way. They make suckers out of rich and poor alike.
13
Our Mob Boss in Chief's fixer gets payments from Russian mob bosses... What a cozy world those mobsters operate in! Too bad we are all being played while the US Congress sits on their collective thumbs.
20
The shopping of US Foreign Policy to the highest bidder:
Saudi Arabia and Nethanyahu got the Iran deal terminal
The Religious Right and Nethanyahu got the recognition of Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel
Russia wants sanctions lifted, etc
Not worth mentioning is wholesale access to US Corporation, polluters and the NRA which is par for the course after Citizens United
15
How long do you think Fox News stays quiet about this deal. Crickets.
14
When your closest advisor and trusted lawyer is a crook, chances are you are a crook too.
16
Where did Cohen learn all these tricks? Donuts to dollars, he was advised by Trump.
9
2018 was a dark and stormy year in which a porn star was making America great again, and a president was drowning in his own fetid swamp of corruption. It was a great year to be reading the New York Times.
24
Companies always pay money to consultants(lobbyists) to gain access to elected officials. Anybody say rush to judgement by Trump haters?.
1
Just the tip of the iceberg. What about all of the Russian real estate money. The tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars flowing to the tRumps?
12
Horrifying. Shocking. When will we dig to the bottom of the corruption swamp? Thank you for the Times all the journalism that survives
12
Avenatti 2020!
11
Two words? Fake News. Yet the Times runs it.Disgusting.
2
As a small retail investor with AT&T stock, I am convinced that the fact that AT&T ceased payment to Essential Consultants around the time that the FCC Chairman eliminated net neutrality is entirely coincidental.
Also, it strains credulity that Mr. Randall L. Stephenson (AT&T CEO), as the National President of Boy Scouts of America, would associate himself and his company with an incompetent gangster like figure such as Michael Cohen (is he a member of the kosher nostra?) and Miss Stormy Daniels (probably not the kind of gal a boy scout can invite round for Sunday lunch to meet ones mother).
OK, OK, I'll start taking my 'reality' pills again!
6
Candidate Trump - 'I'll drain the swamp.'
President Trump - 'I'll drain my personal cesspool into the swamp.'
Trump's legacy - 'I degraded 'Washington the swamp' into 'Washington the sewer.'
10
Benedict Donald promised to drain the
swamp, and proceeded to create the deepest swamp in our history.
His corruption will replace the Teapot Dome scandle in our history books.
13
Wow.. just wow.. I'm surprised this story isn't taking the top spot, even 'trumping' the blatant attempt to drown this out with Iran and North Korea news.
Or is there even more than this and someone is keeping their powder dry?
19
These revelations, which it seems come out every week or day lately, always seem to develop in two phases: 1. Denial by the Trump team; 2. When denial becomes implausible, normalizing of the behavior in question
We can see some excellent examples of this phenomenon right here, as pro-Trump comments seem to divide fairly equally into either "There's no proof this happened" and "There's nothing illegal or wrong about this." So it went with another good example of GOP bad faith, Roy Moore. First, it didn't happen. Then, when it became clear that something untoward obviously *had* happened, the line was, "It is not wrong or illegal for a 30-year-old to cruise the mall looking for teenagers to date." I particularly enjoyed that one coming from Moore's many "Christian" and "conservative" supporters.
It's really interesting to see this particular species of moral relativism embraced so heartily by the GOP, which once prided itself on being known as the party of "family values" and "personal responsibility"
And, of course this form of relativist reaction begs the question: "If what happened was not wrong, corrupt, or embarrassing, why did you initially deny it?"
16
Hard (no more than hard, impossible) to imagine why anyone (let alone all these people) would pay sums that large to Michael Cohen for legitimate consulting services. I predict this is the beginning of what will become a huge story.
11
Trump almost certainly needed (needs) money. No one in their right mind lends to a serial banckrupt. Can anyone imagine Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, or Mike Bloomberg doing reality TV, or starting a scam university ?
He, like all the rest of us, assumed he was not going to win the election, so why not cash in on the fact that he won the nomination.
The surprise win in the election has become a huge oops for Trump, his grifter relatives, and his third rate lawyer bagman.
14
This looks like pretty clear evidence of corruption, on the other hand, appearances can be deceptive. It could be that all of these money transfers are perfectly legit, and totally copacetic. But the more time that passes without a reasonable explanation from the principles involved the more this looks like pretty clear evidence of corruption -
6
Could we please back this train up to the alleged impregnating of the playboy model? To the best of my knowledge, pregnancies end in one of three ways: through childbirth, through spontaneous abortion or through induced abortion. How, pray tell, did this pregnancy end?
10
david dennison is surely going to jail for taking bribes from american companies and a Russian oligarch. But who is david dennison and why does he exist as a corporate entity ? only the swamp knows.
8
Is this the new paradigm? When a high government official has a buddy set up a phony LLC to start accepting bribes, if he gets caught, he becomes a "lobbyist" , and the missing money becomes "consulting fees". Spiro Agnew wishes he knew that trick.
11
A bunch of people a companies paid money to an LLC primarily used to pay off potential sources of scandal on behalf of the Trump campaign....
Maybe they will argue Cohen provided some legitimate service to Novartis? I will get a good laugh out of that one.
I think your headline should have read "Evidence implicates Cohen as intermediary in historic organized presidential bribery scam."
10
Question: are there any Trump supporters who on reading this latest expose STILL “believe” in Trump? Like to hear comments from them, as long as it is not the usual drivel via FauxNews. This is much more than hush money to an adult film actor and her liaison with this President,once all the information is revealed this will be a major corruption story, with a lot more than the $4 million plus that went through Cohen’s LLC account. All the signs are there, and investigators are onto this and the repercussions will be considerable.
8
This is appalling. Plain and simple. More than Cohen, whose greed and corruption are as easily explained in today's post-Citizens United political climate as breathing, it's the corporations and their executives here who made the decisions to pay Cohen these outrageous sums (and as many of their employees no doubt struggle for the merest of raises and benefits after our so-called tax cut). It's truly disgusting, an American horror story that keeps adding chapters. Yielding to my literary imagination I picture another different and troubling story coming, however, with a contemporary Madame Defarge sitting, quietly, just waiting.
7
Each day we hear what unfolds. It’s not surprising and even expected. It’s sad that we have Trump and the characters he’s associated with who have no concern for right or wrong.
When the President has lawyer teams such as his who yes are there to protect their client but in this case it appears to plot the greatest obstacles and resistance to uncovering his violations of trust. He is from a business world where “anything goes” and the corporate adage of “he who as the most money for lawyers will win”. He says of Cohen exactly the same words he said of Flynn and others , “He’s a good guy”. So much is wrong here.
5
Mueller is painting a masterpiece one stroke at a time. I cant wait to see the unveiling.
12
Ya see, it's the Clintons who colluded with the Russians. Lock her up! Trump's supporters will ignore everything. But they will go to the mat to protect us from unmasking. That's the echo-chamber in action. But that has been going on for over 20 years, it's nothing new. What is new is the worship. They not only defend Trump, they worship him. Author Selena Zito says they know Trump "has their backs". I didn't realize that gutting environmental regulations and a large corporate tax cut was having working people's backs. Indeed they worship him because he has laid bare his contempt for non-white people. This was the unspoken or thinly veiled bread and butter for generations of Republicans. He's made it OK to be open about it and the love him for it.
8
In 1959 Disney ran a series called 'The Swamp Fox'. It was a TV hit and a popular song accompanied the show. My question: do you think Michael Cohen thinks he's the Swamp Fox reborn? If he does, he needs to dress the part. Lose the suit and tie, and wear buckskin.
3
I wonder what would happen if Cohen snitched. Based on today's news, he.might need protective custody from being poisoned by Russian assassins. But who would protect him? Session's Justice Department?
4
Trump and company including this guy but let’s not forget Pence, Ryan, McConnell, Rubio, Cruz Mulvaney and the abhorrent GOP who defend aid and abet corruption, Obstruction of Justice, conflicts of interest, emoluments clause violations of the United States Constitution, quod pro quo diplomacy, possible crimes against America and more including the completely unhinged Giuliani. Imagine a video of just the 2 of them talking. SNL get on that.
10
$90,000 here, $200,000 there, pretty soon you’re talking real money.
5
Sick, wrong, and criminal. If this doesn't nail Cohen and Trump's coffin lid shut, what will ??
Thanks to the NYT for exposing this incredible graft.
"Consulting fees" ? Hush money, slush money, or bribe money - to have Corporations with business before the Administration pour big dollars into Cohen's shell company is criminal beyond belief.
Cohen is a walking poster child of why Lawyers have such a bad reputation.
8
Only the president can explain how he allowed his lawyer to enter contracts with Novartis, AT&T, and Russia. Only Cohen can explain how he billed these clients, and for what.
No other political questions even deserve attention before these, as Trump's presidency is damaged beyond repair.
12
I still cannot get over the disconnect in the Republican position. At first, it was that the Trump campaign didn't pay hush money to a porn star. Then, they admitted that hush money was paid, but Trump didn't know about it. Then, Trump knew but it was OK because it wasn't actually illegal. Now we know that Russian oligarchs covered that bill, amongst other "incidental expenses", but didn't receive anything in return. And the base buys it.
I will agree with one comment which Trump made over the campaign. He can do or say anything, and his base will still support him. At his point, I'm convinced that Trump could openly admit that he takes his orders directly from the Kremlin without affecting his approval ratings.
There is something very frightening driving Trump supporters. And it's getting harder and harder for this citizen to believe that it isn't a witches' brew made up (mostly) of white entitlement, mixed in with a dash of xenophobia and a pinch of outright racism. But no doubt they're OK with that, too.
14
to repeat an earlier point, money is fungible. i thought the country was told [by Cohen] that the Stormy payment, for which it was said by a minion that DJT was intended third party beneficiary, was financed by his equity line? was that just a smokescreen? is it possible that Russian money effectively paid for that deal right before the election? and not an equity line? i don't know -- just asking. i presume the paper trail, to which the country is not privy, will tell the tale. the reason i ask is that, if so, that would be a whole new ballgame, wouldn't it?
4
Hello NYT, here's an easy Pulitzer. Do an investigative series on the bigger picture -- the rise of shell corporations and why the ABA (American Bar Association) fights to block sunshine on them. The ABA forcefully lobbies to prevent the public from knowing who is the ultimate (human) fiduciary benefactor of these secret shell companies. ABA members earn big money creating this shadowy corporate entities - easy money if you can grab it. Isn't it the "esteem" ABA who gets to put their imprimatur on all who should be consider good Supreme Court nominee?
10
Setting Trump out of the picture, is it possible that Cohen was the go-to fixer for billionaires behaving badly?
4
What's new? The wheeling and dealings of this guy are an open secret. Some unscrupulous business of Cohen are out and open as public records. Such are the cases mentioned in recent NYTimes article.
If ever, there are two things that the present investigation can decipher. First is whythe vulgarity and emboldenment if his act as if he's untouchable and above the law? And 2nd, the of evidence linking this fixer's crime to Trump.
Let's just hope the abrupt resignation of NY AG is not connected with this AND it wouldn't stop the crusade in unraveling the truth.
1
NYT, it's easy to see why Trump calls you "failing", this should be a headline, not below the fold. Freeing hostages from North Korea has happened many times before, ask Obama.
11
The Republican Party has turned the United States government over to the Trump crime syndicate that extorts dark money from corporations to have "policy" made in their favor. These disclosures are certainly the tip of the massive iceberg that Mr. Mueller must continue to explore and reveal.
Trump thinks the US government is merely a part of his family businesses. The GOP agrees with him.
10
I'm sure it's all legitimate and friendly.
1
James Comey has recenlty said in his interviews that working for Trump was like working but for a mob boss. A lawyer of a mob boss is there to pay people off, launder money, funnel funds from unfavorable sources, distribute hush money... and viola - here's our man!
11
I fear that Trump wants us out of the Iran deal for one simple reason: It makes it easier to attack Iran once his indictment is imminent and he needs a diversion to keep the authorities and the media away from him.
8
Since when do ambulance chasers and people with vendettas and hearsay against the prez get to define the news cycle and what's newsworthy? Since when is advising Fortune 500 companies with "business before the White House" (whatever that means!) illegal? Since when is it illegal to advise foreign clients? I know it's more profitable for the media and more fun for gossipmongers to just sling the mud around. There may well be smoke here, but how about some grownup reporting? Otherwise, the people who support Trump actually get to claim that their democratically cast vote is being toppled by innuendo, and that doesn't help us get better leaders in Washington!
2
Would you prefer we sit back and do nothing?
4
so tired of hearing what trump supporters think or will feel; who cares! The law does not!
8
REALITY: another Mueller leak in order to help offset public opinion that now believes this is a witch hunt
1
REALITY: Truth comes out.
5
I understand having multiple revenue streams, but this guy is really something else. The one thing that I thought would have popped up by now is some sort of Cohen sex scandal (his own, not covering for someone else) or drug use.
4
This is HUGE ! This scandal is what will undoubtedly bring down trump. It appears that all kinds of corruption has occurred, and that the president was likely at the center of it all. How will this cliff hanger play out ?
7
From the time of the Watergate break in until Nixon's resignation, about 26 months passed. So if we think of the raid on Cohen's office as being equivalent to the Watergate break-in because of the trouble it will uncover, I predict that Trump will be pushed out or resign in June of 2020.
5
In reply to Diego Orlando
I predict you’re wrong. See you at the polls!
1
So what? Every big business and lobbying and law firm now has business with persons and various entities in many countries. And so if targeted by our political class or their media propagandists a a story or vague allusion could be made up to suggest some evil doing by almost anyone who did business outside of the USA! Is the NY Times the champion of mass immigration, advocate for sabotage of immigration law enforcement, apologist for sending many millions of manufacturing jobs to China, Mexico, Sri Lanka et al, an advertising paid-off propagandist leader of our 1%'s crusade for anything goes open borders now going to say that US citizens and companies can't do business, have clients outside of the USA?
5
Hmmm. If it's no big deal why go through all the trouble to hide it and lie about it?
4
This one is a very hard story to dismiss with a 'So what', and you didn't even get close.
13
Look at this guy, saying "so what" to treason and massive corruption. Get lost, dude.
14
The sheer amount of smoke in this case of blatant corruption, purchasing influence, and traitorous dealings with Russian oligarchs implicates Cohen but also everyone else associated with this decaying regime. And, the impotence of Congressional leaders -- I mean you, McConnell and Ryan -- is indicative of your own self-interest in hiding this corruption. Need I say more -- Ryan is backing Nunes. Rotten to the very core! And yet, you don't seem at all concerned about our democracy at all -- that's right, you're not in favor of that antiquated, pre-Rand notion. If it smells like corrupt corporate stiffs who live off lobbyists' handouts, there is likely a reason.
34
Ryan is afraid Trump might tweet mean things his way. Pathetic.
2
It is now appropriate to refer to Michael Cohen as a "bagman", and to Novartis as a "drug cartel". This continues a long tradition going back to the Opium Wars, where the British East India Company was the drug cartel.
21
No collusion! No collussion! No koluzun! It was all Hillary and the DEMS! Micheal Cohen never made any deals for me...I mean I never meant this guy. Only losers and liars plead the fifth.
@real Donald trump
41
The government investigators have sat on the Trump crimes for years. His corruption is probably as long as his career, and the Russia investigation has been going on for almost two years. It has taken the press to keep the issue and now a private attorney to perhaps break it open.
23
Yes, why is this the case that our government investigations go no where? No wonder Trump is now opening attacking the press.
1
Dear Denis:
What Trump did as a private citizen was not illegal per That change occurred on January 20th, 2017. Laws which apply to Federal employees, even ones who take one dollar as a salary, fall under a completely different rubric.
This does not say much about our laws concerning private citizens. In fact, it is a serious indictment of our laws. That is due in part to whom we entrust to make Law. We are all lobbyists to a degree. We can influence lawmakers if organized. But the power of money rules. It provides more than free speech. It allows actions which should be considered illegal be exempt, or mere ethical violations.
It is how obvious "crimes" committed by Wall Street occurred with no one going to jail. That is the result of an apathetic public, a citizenry which has lulled itself into mindless complicity. When the people choose willingly to act, we wind up with the laws we do. In the end we have no one to blame but ourselves.
As citizens of a democratic republic we hold the ultimate responsibility for the government we have. This is not North Korea, yet it sometimes chooses to act like it it.
We are not a totalitarian nation. We are a democracy, a representative democracy. Unless we exercise that right we will most assuredly lose it.
Remember, Franklin told US we were given a republic. What we choose to do with it will depend on US, if we manage to hold onto it. True over two centuries ago, true today.
DD
Manhattan
3
Um. yeah.
Quid pro quo.
Is the Iran deal some of the "quid?"
(Just asking.)
You know, "my country", n'all . . . .
btw, in Watergate, we called the "leakers", "whistleblowers", cause that's what they were . .
(And still are.)
10
Trump has not drained the swamp, but he does keep filling it with raw sewage.
32
The stink is overwhelming.
35
"The Clinton's' relationship with Viktor Vekselberg, the billionaire whose name appears in the documents, has taken on new significance amid an expanding criminal investigation into his company. Last week, authorities raided the offices of Vekselberg's firm, Renova Group, following allegations of bribery from several of Renova's subsidiaries.
Vekselberg had been named head of a partnership dubbed the "Russian Silicon Valley" just three months before a Clinton Foundation employee began pushing the State Department to approve Bill Clinton's proposed meeting with Vekselberg and a handful of other Russian executives."
3
LOOK SQUIRREL !
11
In case anyone was wondering, this is what collusion looks like. Pretty much EXACTLY. Oh and then there was the whole Trump campaign team meeting with the Russian lawyer and Kremlin agent in order to get dirt on Hillary Clinton.
As soon as the Democrats retake the House and Senate in 2018, I hope they will begin the multi-step impeachment process. I think we, as a nation, are ready. There's three other things I would like the 2018 Congress to do.
#1 Pass new legislation that protects special councils like Robert Mueller from being fired by the president when they are investigating the President or anyone in the President's Circle.
#2 A Constitutional Amendment to prevent any president from pardoning anyone implicated in crimes tied to the president.
#3 A Constitutional Amendment idea is one that would allow election results to be overturned in cases where foreign powers were seen to influence the outcome when the victorious party was found to have colluded with the foreign power.
49
Trump's Washington isn't so much a swamp as it is a cesspool — a mile wide and a thousand feet deep.
13
Avenatti, the ambulance chasing democrat shill, has played the media once again. NBC and the Times relish the story with banner headlines but the article and the news presented is nothing more than another Avenatti hoax. What's the crime? Pretty thin stuff if you ask me. Plus the Russian oligarch had nothing to do with the payment despite the nonsense in the Time's headline. So to put this in context, Avenatti got this information either from Mueller trying to save a dying investigation which is losing public support and is being seriously challenged in court as to scope, or it came from the Southern District seeking to evade Judge Wood's decision to employ a Mater to sort through the evidence. The only crime that's been committed here is by the Mueller or Southern District prosecutors who must be feeling the hot breath of Federal jusges.
5
Wrong. The four million isn't an "Avenatti Hoax."
That amount of money ain't chicken feed.
And nobody mentioned it before, either.
Wonder why?
9
NYT, here we have a classic disinformation troll, in case you needed another example
10
Trump sold access and influence to Elliot Briody for the price of Broidy becoming "David Dennison" in the payoff scheme to Bechard.
Broidy, a man with a long history of bribing people to arrange business deals.
Broidy agreed to admit that he was the one having the affair and getting Bechard pregnant in exchange for favorable business dealings based on Trump's moves. It was Trump, not Broidy, who was involved with Bechard.
Of all the competent lawyers in the world, do you really think Elliot Broidy would hire Michael Cohen – world's worst lawyer – to arrange this deal? And then the first time Broidy is asked about the affair by the media, he jumps at the chance to say, "yes, yes, I had an affair and paid her off. It was me."
Just more corruption executed with all the expertise of a drunk 4 year old.
25
Is it any wonder that Rudy wants to be Trump's lawyer? Just look at the money to be made. And IS being made...........And to think I used to believe that the Mafia was everywhere except Washington DC.........
29
A question for NYTimes, and other media. If Stephanie Clifford was a banker, or a stock broker, or had a career that was more mainstream, would she always be referred to as "Ms. Clifford, a stockbroker..." ? I think not. She had a career that is icky, yes, and she used a different name, sure. But, NYtimes, why not try to write TWO stories, in a row, that simply use her name and do not describe what she does for a living, and not refer to her stage name? Why are these two things always in the stories you write? How do they bear on the facts of alleged dodgy financial transactions of Cohen's?
9
Allowing Team Trump to control the zeitgeist. It’s how we ended up with DT in the first place. All the money in the world couldn’t pay for this much mass advertising.
2
Cohen and family: Russia, Russia, Russia.
Manafort: Russia, Russia, Russia.
Stormy Daniels payoff: Russia, Russia, Russia.
How many coincidences negate being a coincidence?
27
I wish I could be as hopeful as many of the comments I've read below.
What's the endgame? Precedent says you can't indict a sitting president. So he is impeached. The House may, but it's doubtful the Senate will vote to oust him. Then what?
You have a king who has survived a nearly-fatal blow. There's nothing more dangerous.
5
This all feels surreal.
17
This is probably the tip of the tip of the iceberg,with Trump/Cohen/Manafort somewhere near the melting point.
The lies are now evident. Soon we will hear that Trump didn't even know Cohen very well and Manafort was a friend of Cohen. Trump was just minding his own business when he was taken advantage of by some bad hombres. This wraps up a 40 year career of lies,cheating and money laundering. He has no real allegiance to The USA other than the dollar.
The truth comes out in the wash...this time in the money laundering.
28
Now I understand why the Judge forced Cohen to name his third client. (smart judge). It makes it harder for Cohen to get away with these shenanigans. Now that he named a client (Hannity), he can't go squealing foul about attorney/client relationships with the Oligarchs. I bet the Oligarch was the mysterious third party, but instead of disclosing that in court, the lawyers threw Hannity under the bus instead.
19
Rolling Stone published a great article on Michael Cohen's ties to Russia last month.
It's worth a read.
21
When you look at Michael Cohen's connections, it's clear America elected a representative of the Russian mob as president.
The only questions now are how soon we can replace him and what happens to him and his cronies?
16
Just for fun I am starting a list of people who are more than likely going to Jail when this is all said done
Jared kushner
Don Jr
Michael Cohen
14
Fun indeed.
Does the money go anywhere after it’s been through Cohen’s accounts, I wonder?
12
It seems that the US needs to address the rampant corruption that is not addressed by US law. Not only is there a swamp in Washington, it is possible to run a criminal enterprise out of the White House. Why aren't Americans outraged?
27
Cohen received payments as a lawyer or advisor. He does have more clients than just Trump. Cohen is a private citizen with a private business. On the other hand Hillary while Secretary of State allowed and accepted $145 million from Russians for her foundation and Bill Clinton accepted $500 thousand from a Russian investment firm with ties to the Kremlin and Uranium One. So, why is there no investigation into this blatant conflict of interests.
3
No investigations are required of fake news stories, that's why.
6
Is this really not yet enough.... really.... seriously...
OK - I get it, time has to be spent unwinding all of the money trails and dotting all the legal i's and crossing all the legal t's, but it's difficult to believe that anyone can still believe that Trump is not completely corrupt.
12
Why am I not hearing "lock him up!" chanting?
Oh, yes, because Trump supporters have double standards. My bad.
20
I predict that the AT&T and Time Warner merger will never happen now that AT&T has been caught red handed paying influence money to Michael Cohen, a consiglieri for Trump. It will be really interesting to find out if there's electronic evidence of Cohen soliciting his services to AT&T.
19
Someone else pointed out the payments to him from AT&T stopped after the net neutrality was voted on and repealed.
3
The big question I have is, how is all this okay with Republicans, especially since they went after Hillary Clinton with accusations that in comparison seem like innocent transgressions of a schoolchild???
22
And here folks, is why Trump freaked out when Cohen's office was raided.
22
Rudy Guliani: "They funneled the money through a law firm."
Obviously Rudy doesn't have his facts straight. They funneled the money through a shell LLC, not a law firm.
19
I can imagine companies throwing money at a friend or relative of the President in hopes of a good word or access, but Cohen isn't either of those.
Cohen gets Trump money to do things that Trump does not want to associate himself with. He's a fixer, a servant that Trump would rather not hear from at all. He's not, say, Jared.
Cohen isn't interrupting Trump during a lunch meeting and saying, "I want you to meet this wonderful guy, a really good company".
Given Cohen's role as the fixer, his LLC is either a funnel for money to directly to Trump, or a slush fund in Trump's control. That is, it was for bribes to Trump. Not campaign contributions, not contributions to the inaugural, not contributions to his favorite charity, not all the things people call bribes but aren't. I mean cash quid pro quo.
8
AT&T and Novartis, major US corporations, hire a consulting company for insights and they choose Essential Consulting?
24
AT&T, Novartis and Korean Aerospace also paid to play by giving money to Cohen. How many more American companies will be revealed? RNC also took payments from Russian Oligarchs.
19
Wouldn't it be rich if it was Avenatti's discoveries that brings down trump? Then, trump could rant and rave all about the deep state and the bad FBI and Democratic Mueller, but it would be the attorney for one of the women with whom he cheated on his wife that busted this open. That would be the perfect TV end to this sordid man and his so-called presidency.
26
Isn't something very strange here? When Michael Cohen appeared in court recently, he suggested he only had three clients. Do you think he forgot to mention to the judge that AT & T, Novartis, and Korean Aerospace were clients as well? Or would that have raised suspicions?
27
Or... to his way of thinking, they were not his clients: they were Trump's.
5
The more I read about this murky (make that dark and shady and downright crooked) world inhabited by the likes of Cohen and frequented by the likes of Trump, the more I shake my head. True, none of this has been tested in a court of law and none of this means that Trump is guilty, but how on earth could a guy like this been elected to the highest office on the planet. This is the White House not some Mafioso's den. I am flabbergasted - surely this is must be the stuff of fiction . . . please tell me that it is.
15
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ500K is about a down payment on a decent condo in manhattan, which is probably what these payments will turn out to be.zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
1
Shell companies should be banned. What are they used for other than to hide essential informaton from the public and the government agencies that are supposed to protect the public from powerful, corrupt individuals and groups intent on underhanded dealing and evading public scrutiny.
This case is a perfect example of why they should be banned.
"Limited liability" is just another name for a criminal enterprise.
7
To those who still want to believe Trump was not involved in all this:
Why would AT&T and Novartis give money to Michael Cohen?
AT&T specifically stated that he "never did any legal or lobbying work" for them. So....what was all the money for?
16
I just hope Avenatti doesn't turn out to be another Schneiderman. Or Bill Clinton. Someone made a comment yesterday about how Democratic men in power who actively support women's causes are sometimes the flip side of Republican men in power who actively fight against LGBTQA rights, both turning out to have been hypocrites in their private lives.
One hopes that, as someone who prides himself on his chess-playing skills, if Avenatti has any dark and misogynist propensities, at least he'll have shown more self-mastery.
And, yes, it's possible the allegations against Schneiderman are false. But I read the article in The New Yorker, and the allegations from four separate witnesses appear unusually credible. I saw only one potential weak spot: that a staff writer for The New Yorker is friends with one of the four accusers, Tanya Selvaratnam, and that that appears to have been the starting point for the New Yorker's investigation. It may just be an example of how "it pays to have friends in high places." Or perhaps The New Yorker's investigative team, in its zeal to help the friend of one of its members, employed suggestion in interviewing other potential victims. I doubt it, but time will tell.
1
And... what ever happened to the millions that the trump inaugural allegedly cost? No accounting for those monies either. Wonder if Essential Consulting LLC helped to 'distribute" (funnel) those monies too.
13
I would also like to know how many more Essential Consultant type companies are out there. I bet there must be more than one pass through entity controlled by Cohen.
14
I don’t care who he sleeps with or how they get paid to stay silent. Nor do I believe the Russians successfully influenced a single vote. In case you’re wondering, that’s why most of America is yawning right now.
3
Many Americans are happiest when they are ignorant.
23
No one I know is yawning.
24
@W Brandt
And that’s precisely the arrogance that persuaded 30 states to vote differently than you.
1
Sooner or latter it will come out that Putin wanted the U.S. to pull out of the Iran Nuclear Agreement. Oil or investments in Iran ( a huge market) will be the reason. Trump Family works for Russian interests not ours.
19
Nope, Nethanyahu and Saudi Arabia wanted the US out of the Iran deal. Look up the Time story about a loan secured by Kushner from an Israeli bank.
The Religious Right and Nethanyahu also wanted Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel.
This is the shopping of US Foreign Policy to the highest bidder.
7
When Trump took office we all witnessed the Trump clan rushing forward selling themselves, their businesses and access to Don the Con. After a public outcry about corruption they all slunk off into the shadows. After this bombshell we now know why.
9
Whose biggest client is a Russian mogul so he must be behind the payment to Stormy Daniels. This sorted tale of corruption and lechery is a perfect reflection of Trump the man.
16
No big deal. Typical dealings no different than what all the trump supporters in West Virginia do all the time. What my Republican friends tell me is that this is all fake and what they should be investigating is the Clinton Foundation because it illegally paid for Chelsea’s wedding.
10
What they fail to realize is that the Clinton Foundation's records are all public.
Essential Consultants (what a name, eh?) is a private LLC. We can't look at its tax records any more than we can look at Trump's.
But Mueller can - and probably has.
25
What lame excuse for this blatant corruption will be offered up by Guiliani, Sara Sanders and other Trump surrogates? It is time to shut this "presidency" down.
33
For ~40% of the population this is wonderfully bad news for Hillary and Obama, as it shows just how corrupt they were, while at the same time, it PROVES that Trump is completely, totally, really, really, very, very, absolutely, super completely, hugely, over 1010%, like wow innocent of everything ever.
Just read the Russian bot comments for proof!
Is this going to end in another civil war? After all, the last one was between a bunch of vehement racists and everyone else to see who would control the country.
The day Trump goes to jail for life, should be a national holiday - perhaps we could can it "Reckoning Day"?
31
Let's just run down the list...
1. Conspired with Russia to win the 2016 election.
2. Obstructed justice re. FBI probe into above.
3. Admitted to assaulting women on multiple occasions.
4. Brought unprecedented nepotism to the white house.
5. Hired notoriously unqualified and at times admitted felons to serve in his cabinet and other white house leadership posts.
6. Endangered the country and the world by pulling us out of TTP, Paris Accords, Iran Deal and soon NAFTA.
7. Passed legislation that will add trillions to the deficit and debt.
8. Reneged on promises re. DACA, healthcare reform and wage growth.
9. Cozied up with dictators and tyrants while alienating our country's long-standing and closest allies.
10. Campaigned vigorously for a pedophile (Moore) and a convicted felon (Arpaio) to whom he also granted a pardon.
I could go on and on, but the question to ask is how much more of this can this country stand? Who will have the courage to stand up to this scoundrel? How will we be saved? Or will we?
55
#5 alone is enough.
6
Bet you he sees your list as a 'roll of honor" . . .
5
Stormy Daniels and Michael Avenatti have sunk their teeth into the belly of the beast. We will be saved if the rule of law holds.
7
This is the top story today, but the NYT does everything in it's power to make trump look good. NYT, you are the reason we are in this mess. Instead of calling trump out for what he was...a five time bankrupt businessman, you created false equivalents while comparing trump to Clinton.
Here is my advice, you should hire Michael Avenatti because he is the only true investigative reporter you would have.
16
And Bill Clinton received $500,000 from a Russian investment bank with links to the Kremlin.
These corrupt crony capitalists all serve the same oligarchs.
2
Bad enough, but not while he was president and not while they had business before the government. There are degrees of corruption here. The only one who offered us a real change was/is Bernie Sanders.
2
Show us the money trail.
We have one to show you.
19
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this kind of shady behavior by Cohen and Trump.
It's only a matter of time before Michael Cohen decides to cooperate, and Trump's GOP sycophants will finally be forced to turn on their corrupt, traitorous leader.
21
Cohen will have to cooperate. Enough of the GOP sycophants have to be forced out of office this fall to turn the tide.
8
As a former banking regulator, I can confidently say this reeks of money laundering.
54
Keep in mind, Cohen is NOT a lobbyist; he is only a direct link to the president. The monies funneled into his shell company are bribes, plain and simple.
A few days ago Cohen only had three clients. Suddenly it is also AT&T, Novartis, a Russian, etc.
32
You can thank Michael Avenatti and Stormy Daniels for the fact that this coming out.
7
Trump Enterprises is really a laundromat for Russian Oligarchs. Send us your money and we will clean it up! Help me to be president, and I will get you even more. The "fix" was in from the beginning. When oil prices go up as a result of the broken Iran deal, who benefits most? Hint, Russia.
27
It won't be long before 3 or 4 women come out of the wood-work to claim that Avenatti abused them. And then, Kelly Ann Conway will say .. "Gotcha" .. again.
4
And the Russian money given to the Clintons? Doesn't the Times have a memory, or a conscience?
1
Your location is well defined.
12
Why do right wingers have so much trouble staying on topic?
15
Sean Hannity (04/17/18), referring to his relationship with Michael Cohen: "I never received an invoice."
I wonder if anyone received an invoice from Mr. Cohen. Suffice to say that, if he overlooked sending an invoice to Mr. Hannity, he didn't go short.
11
He said he never received an invoice from Michael Cohen. He did not say, however, that he didn't get one from Essential Consultants.
8
Only half a million? I would have thought that's chump change for these guys. But I guess it all adds up to much more.
6
What, exactly, are any of these companies paying Cohen for, other than to curry influence with Trump? Are these not illegal payments?
22
I don't think they're paying Cohen at all. I think they're paying Trump. Just as Trump "funnels" hush money through Cohen (according to Rudy anyway), bribe-payers funnel money through Cohen to Trump.
11
These are bribes. Cohen is not a lobbyist. He is a direct link to the president, nothing more.
9
Looks like another Watergate summer. I remember the last one fondly.
34
Me too!
3
Isn't this the definition of criminal conspiracy?
26
Follow the money.
A lot easier than proving that collusion happened is to prove how it was funded.
20
The world found out about Essential Consultants LLC in January 2018. Are we to believe it was a coincidence that AT&T ceased its engagement with the in the very same month? What did AT&T think it was paying into? Their answer of "insights into the new administration" is such a ridiculous red herring. Russia tomfoolery aside, that is a really disgusting look for AT&T. I hope through the crisis management and PR we get a better glimpse here.
28
Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Dawn is breaking, gentlemen.
23
Novartis paid Michael Cohen’s Essential Consultants in Feb. 2017 for consulting on “healthcare policy matters”.
Remember when Trump said - “It’s very possible that I could be the first presidential candidate to run and make money on it”.
27
Cohen was selling access to Trump. Since the same shell company was used to pay off women for Trump,Trump invariably knew about it.
30
The public will eventual grow weary of reading about “potential” ties to Russian oligarchs. The Watergate scandal had hard news and real crimes. Operatives paid by the Nixon reelection campaign were caught red-handed as they broke into the Democrat National Committee headquarters to plant listening devices. There was also the “Smoking Gun Tape” that revealed Nixon order his aides to lies to investigators. In the Russia investigation. We don’t even know what crime the Trump campaign allegedly committed. In announcing Special Counsel Mueller's appointment, the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said, “My decision is not a finding that crimes have been committed or that any prosecution is warranted. I have made no such determination.” This is still no proof a crime involving the Trump campaign occurred. It is all speculation and supposition.
1
This operation makes Watergate look like a preschool party. Plus Watergate was an analog versus digital undertaking. Have patience for the investigation to take its course.
9
You don't need tapes when you have the money trail.
As for "what crimes"? Bribery, money laundering and graft jump to mind - I'm sure a mind like Mueller's has many more nouns in it.
14
Many of us are weary only of grifters and liars in the White House. I am amazed that letters continue to come in decrying the lack of evidence. From what you've seen so far (unless you think it's all fabricated - can't help you there), i guess you're OK with someone as morally bankrupt as this guy.
15
If President Obama or Hillary Clinton were involved in such things the Republicans in congress would not start impeachment hearings... That's because the Democrats in congress would already have them started.
If you care about America, register to vote and vote every Republican out this November. Teach them a lesson they will never forget!
34
Trump through his lawyer is making Spiro Agnew look good. This is how you pay to play, even the Russians getting in on the deal, buying our country through this travesty of trumps.
23
This is not new news to Mueller. I'm sure he knew it well before they applied for the search warrants. And, as sure as I am typing this message, Essential Consultants, LLC is just one of the shells set up to "funnel" money to Trump. The fate of Trump, the fate of the November elections, indeed the fate of our democracy, will all come down to this two-bit lawyer, Esquire Cohen. His documents will utterly destroy Trump and all those GOP who have been bobbleheading in step, will, in order to save their position, begin jumping off the USS Trump as it lists and sinks to the bottom. It will be an interesting summer, for as the fall approaches, Trump will be reduced to the pile he is.
24
Not just documents, either, audiotapes. The FBI has already seized audiotapes of conversations this two-bit lawyer was in the habit of recording.
You'd think if criminals had learned just *one* lesson from Watergate ...
10
Essential Consultants is probably not the only shell company used by Trump/Cohen for illicit activities.
17
Okay.... what else do you need to know about the Transactional Presidency, where everything -- our reputation, our foreign policy, access to the president, our domestic policy (like internet equality), our allies, our trade, our weapons, our honesty ...every single thing -- is for sale.
31
Don't forget the environment. Pruitt and Zinke are selling our air, water and land to the oil, gas, coal and chemical industries.
14
Gee - what a shock - money is paid to individuals close to a current US administration to either "gain insights" or curry favor with someone supposedly on the inside with the administration. While certainly more entertaining given the current TV show atmosphere around the Trump Presidency, this is just business as usual in the Federal Government. I don't remember this vast moral outrage around the Clinton Foundation. Anyone who thinks that wasn't a front for giving legitimacy to gaining favor with a potential Clinton Presidency is blind to reality.
This is like the famous scene in Casablanca - gambling at Rick's - I am shocked
Still - what needs to come out is that - in the global economy - more people than we thought will work - quite hard - to influence US politics - in new and creative ways. Not sue what we do with that revelation however - that is the real issue
2
A great question to ask your elected officials, Democrat or Republican, what are you doing to protect our country's voting systems.
4
But Hillary, but Hillary! Give. it. a. rest.
11
Russia is using capitalism, wealth, and the computer to infiltrate American politics and capital. Albeit, Russia is involved in Syria, its military is altogether weak and out-moded. But its purchasing and media power are much stronger. My greatest concern, and I hate to sound like the 1950's, but how deep and afar has Russia gone into American politics and political programming?
9
What's strange is how quickly the GOP seems to have forgotten that part of the 50's.
Apparently we should strive to go back to everything from that era - EXCEPT the Red Scare.
11
Corporations. Trump is showing us how the real world operates. The side shows at this carnival are the media, reality shows, the waltons, drug companies with cotton candy tax cuts.
The only way to fight this battle is with a progressive, socialist, governing. A centerest approach will take to long to reverse the corruption. We must swing the pendulum back with full speed.
The corporations, and they are people- remember- are using the profits we give them to control us. Fight the corporations with your vote.
Stop the money game, vote progressive.
17
We could stop a lot of it by overturning Citizens United. It's too easy for people like Russian Oligarchs to fly under the radar and buy our Politicians.
21
Agreed, but in order to overturn Citizens United, Dems need a veto-proof House.
The Rs in power made the rules to keep themselves in power, and to continue living large on our dime.
Vote them all out!
(People seem to forget that it was HRC who brought the suit against CU in the first place.)
1
Citizens United is the cancer that is killing our democracy.
4
Everyone says that Mr. Mueller is at least 5 or 10 steps ahead of everyone else in these matters. Well, Mr. Mueller, what are you waiting for? Obviously, you're dealing with a massively corrupt administration so what's the holdup? If you don't move now, there may not be a country left to save.
5
Mueller's investigation is moving along just fine. He is smart enough to build an extremely strong case and when he does, Trump will likely step down.
9
The holdup is that Mueller has to dot every i and cross every t to please Congressional Republicans before he can make any charges public.
And, given the complexity of what we're looking at, just the i's and t's are going to take a while.
5
There’s always a bright spot. We can thank Trump for helping expose just how down and dirty Washington really is, I thought the swamp was like the size of a basketball court, now I see the swamp is like the size of France.
13
As the light is shined on more corporations we will see the swamp is more like the size of the United States unfortunately.
2
Wow. This is certainly big news, now we have a greater understanding of why Mueller had the NY Attorneys office get involved, and do a raid on Cohen's places. Mueller has already found evidence from interviews and other documents that took him there. Trump keeps telling the American people he has had no involvement with Russia, but at every turn there seems to a Russian connection, meetings/money etc. I keep hearing that the trump empire has most likely had to borrow money from Russian banks because he had no options here in the states because of bad investments. A major reason he does not wish to show his tax returns. Come on America, trump never really figured to win the election, so none of this would have been dragged up. Not its time for the big cover up. Thank goodness we do have good people looking into these shady matters. America wins in the end!
14
One common thread that keeps repeating in this Trump melodrama is that Trump, his family and his associates all had extensive connections with Russians. It would be surprising if Mueller doesn't find some nefarious actions in there someplace.
21
Interesting that Trump felt the need to lie about it all the time.
4
So when Sean Hannity said that his only discussions with Cohen were about "real estate" -- can we now assume that the discussions were about using Cohen's real estate shell company to pay someone off?
14
Either that or to launder some money for him.
2
I wonder how many Republicans in Congress have also been bought? They are complicit, if not corrupt, in this crime disaster. Well, finishing out their term and slinking back to their various states won't prevent the law from finding them. I bet we are going to see at least a few of them indicted, and (hopefully) jail time.
35
"NO COLLUSION!"
Just kidding. There's collusion.
22
why would anyone need a "fixer" if their business is bonafide, legitimate dealings. Trumps needs a fixer because most of his dealings are not. If we ever get to see his tax returns, it'll tell even more on his financial dealings!
19
as if the swamp isn't murky enough. Taking bribes from companies that do business with the federal government, that is so trump.
8
First blush this LLC looks to have been a pass through for sordid affairs. Companies disclosed in these revelations make it look as if it was also a conduit the money paid for Mr. Cohen's knowledge and connections. But with all this money, why does Mr. Cohen need to mortgage his home to cover shortfalls in his Taxi business? Follow the money.
12
Like the saying in 'Westworld' when the robots experience situations of extreme dissonance, Trump's cronies are using the same repressive techniques when confronted with demonstrable collusion, obstruction, and bribery. Mueller has known about these payments for a while, and so did the justice officials granting the search warrants and wiretaps.
7
Living in Syria years ago, I saw how the corrupt system works. A government official in position of power gets a silent partner, that partner charges large sums of money for all kinds of bogus reasons. Then he finds indirect way to pay back his boss. There are many ways to transfer the money, among them, is selling them real estate below market value.
I guess let’s stay tuned.
16
I'm amazed this story is not dwarfing the Iran one. Serious corruption. I also believe Cohen made that dry run that the Steele dossier stated. Slowly we are seeing collusion occurred bigly.
14
Questions that now pique the interest of liberals were multitudenous in the sordid doings of the Clintons, about which liberals were incurious. Situational ethics are no ethics at all. By all means investigate Mr. Cohen but investigate the Clintons as well.
1
We are talking about the present government of the United States now.
Let's find out the facts about the present administration now.
10
By all means, if they were guilty of illegal activity, they should be prosecuted, as should anyone else.
But let's stay on top of the DT/Russia case and put aside the what-about-ism for now.
8
What-about-ism.
6
AT&T stated, “Essential Consulting was one of several firms we engaged in early 2017 to provide insights into understanding the new administration...They did no legal or lobbying work for us, and the contract ended in December 2017.”
If they did no legal or lobbying work with Cohen, what specifically did the "insights" and "understandings" consist of?
Meanwhile, AT&T lobbied for the end of net neutrality and GOT it. What other companies did AT&T "engage" for 'insights' AKA 'pay to play'?
This is is one of many of Cohen/ Trump's RICO violations. Fun fact: RICO penalties have some of the longest prison terms and include forfeiture of assets, just as Jeffrey Skilling.
24
Can we also connect the dots to real estate mogul Sean Hannity. There has to me more to the story than just HUD loans for Hannity’s purchases of properties.
11
It becomes clearer and clearer why Trump won't release his tax returns.
I assume Mueller has the returns at this point which is one reason he is ahead of Trump at every turn.
Even if Trump tries to fire Mueller and Rosenstein, he cannot fire Avenetti.
14
So far it appears Cohen was into a list of nefarious schemes and illegal affairs but nothing yet seems to connect the dots to Trump, Trump campaign or Trump family. Association with shady characters is not enough to relieve America of it's Trump infestation. We need something more tangible and directly linked to Con Don and his empire.
2
When he finally seeks grand jury indictments, Robert Mueller will be facing a tough decision on whether or not to try Donald Trump as an adult.
22
Best comment ever!
4
This NY Times story about Cohen's shell company is a major development. With Cohen's home and office being searched there will still be much more to discover. Also, the lawyer Avenatti has been helpful in exposing what is happening with Cohen's shell company that Cohen set up out of which the $130,000 payment to Daniels came. As the NY Times reports to have 4.4 million (particularly the $500,000 from Columbus Nova) coming into Cohen's account, paying Daniels from the same account, raises so many red flags, it will be interesting when the facts come out. Hopefully, Rudy Giuliani will answer some of the questions about what has happened here and tell us more of the truth unintentionally as he has done in the last couple of weeks.
12
The explanations for whatever always sound so banal, but also clearly could include bribery. the question is where the money went after it got to the shell company? Follow The Money!
4
Like Jesse Pinkman advised Walter White - "you need a criminal lawyer - a lawyer who's a criminal." Allegedly, of course.
10
THIS is what we need to be discussing. Trump’s announcement on Iran was to distract from this.
11
Is everybody (Essential Consultants, Mr. Cohen, even Ms. Stormy) paying income tax on all of this funneled money?
6
We will never completely eliminate corruption from our government. But that doesn't mean we should stop trying.
14
This really stinks -- BUT: Cohen and Trump are experts in "funneling" shady money into their accounts and practices such dealings at the border of legality for decades. The real issue will be to obtain clear proof of corruption the other wrongdoing that holds up in court. One can only hope that Federal investigators have been on the case for some time before Cohen and Trump have had a chance to throw up dust and obscure their tracks.
7
We know some of the cources of funds. The real question is where did the money go and for what purpose?
4
What is becoming clear is that we have a President and his business associates who appear to be laundering Russian money through the Trump corporation. The press reports poorly that the Trump corporation was nearly bankrupt and then by some magic started buying buildings in NY and other locals with Russian money. Keep digging Mr. Mueller and lock'm up!
15
Who would ever believe that an adult film actress and her lawyer would be the downfall of 45? If this wasn't so scary, it would make a great mini series.
5
This really stinks -- BUT: Cohen and Trump are experts in "funneling" shady money into their accounts and they have practiced such dealings at the border of legality for decades. The real issue will be to obtain clear proof of corruption or other wrongdoing that holds up in court. One can only hope that Federal investigators have been on the case for some time before Cohen and Trump have had a chance to obscure their tracks.
3
This administration is infested with Russian connections. The Trump campaign was infested with Russians. Paul Manafort supposedly worked for free as Trump's campaign manager. Does this sleazy character strike you as someone who works for free? He was probably being paid by Russians. Why so many Russians? It's obvious that Trump knows they're there and wants them there. There is no possible innocent explanation.
10
Why is this not the breaking news headline splattered across the front of NYT.com?? Why is it so hard for NYT to call Trump a liar?
We are watching the fall of our democracy. The oligarchy is firmly in place.
13
Legal fees otherwise known as bribes. Strange that Cohen forgot to mention these "clients" in court. Why it's almost like he's trying to hide something.
8
This whole sorry state of affairs just keeps getting better and better. The Sopranos was good, but this soap opera has real promise, it really does.
7
Isn't this called "pay to play"?
11
The word corrupt and mafia can describe what is going on in Trump administration.
The level of recklessness doesn't exist even in Scarface movie.
Trump administration is here to scalp what every they see and deem to be a candidate for their furtherment.
7
Republicans: time to step up! Day by day, your President drags us further down. Set aside partisanship for a moment and realize that the future of our democracy is at risk. We are not a kleptocracy. This is the US of A! Voters, tell your representatives to stop enabling this administration. If they won’t listen, vote them out. You made this mess. Fix it!
6
why is this article playing second fiddle to the north korean prisioner release news on the front page?
This arguably more impactful then a gesture by a Dictator to please Trump. Oh wait, I forgot he idolizes strong men.
9
I agree. I keep going back to the NYT home page to see if the story has been moved to its rightful place: above the fold in 48-point headlines. Sorry, but the return of prisoners from North Korea can't hold a candle. And like another poster, I remember the Watergate hearings fondly and look forward to another spell-binding summer.
3
This means Trump accepted laundered foreign funds to support his campaign in violation of federal law (oh, and don't forget the Russian campaign money laundered through the NRA as well). .
Lock him up!!
14
This is modern post-Citizens United without the veneer of “advocacy politics.” This is straight bribery.
Boss Tweed would recognize it immediately.
5
Why is it that every rock that one of Trump's "fine people" is under also has a Russian? Are his supporters mentally challenged? Do they not see how this is compromising our countries interests? Are there any patriots in the GOP?
7
Crony Capitalists are destroying the country, so let's hire a bunch of crony capitalists to be president and his cabinet?
It sounds crazy, but if they all end up in prison it just may work.
5
NO COLLUSION !! Just a Russian billionaire funnelling slush fund monies through a Delaware corp to an employee & trusted confidant of Trump
7
Are we willing to give up our Freedom just to build a Wall to keep a few immigrants out?
We will see if Trump was right to believe he can shoot somebody in the middle of Park Avenue and get away with it.
3
The headline is misleading. It should be A firm headed by Russian guy paid a company who did business with Michael Cohen the year after he paid porn star to close her mouth.
The connection is made to look nefarious in the article but it is really a weak connection. There may be a smoking gun somewhere but this isn’t it. NYT is try too hard to create a connection rather than reporting the news. Not a great article.
2
I was neither a Trump or Hillary voter. But next time around I will vote for Trump b/c of media unfairness. When Hillary Clinton took tens of millions of dollars into their Clinton Foundation not a word was said.
There is no proof that this money was connected to a criminal violation of any kind.
My word, if anything, this story is incomplete at best.
2
You might want to do a little research on the Clinton foundation, it's not hard, there is lots of information out there and the foundation's books are open.
I doubt Trump will run in the next election but if he does I hope voting for him out of ignorance and spite makes your tainted water and dirty air more palatable.
7
As far as this reader can tell, Trump and Cohen are two peas in a pod in that they both come out of the same low-life quasi businessman/mobster operating modality; neither with any ethical core or moral center... Mr. Blather and the Muscle.
8
Wow, dodgy money in - dodgy money out. I am truly astounded by the many hats Cohen seems to have worn - aviation, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications anti-trust regulation advice through 'insights into the new administration' and Columbus Nova 'general consulting'???? What exactly was all this various work he did for them? When you try to connect all the dots nothing will make any sense as I highly doubt he is specialised in all of these 'consultant' deals....
6
Clearly a cover up of immense proportions is being perpetrated by trump himself and his henchmen. It's becoming increasingly obvious that Putin won trump the election and of course expects pay back. There’s a general realization looming on the horizon spreading far and wide that effectively we have a criminal imposter in the White House ... in truth a tragically unprepared and dangerously unprincipled ‘fake’ president who is an unabashed leech and an unrepentant liar.
8
But...her emails.
Did the NY Times uncover this info or was this all from Michael Avenatti? Because if the latter, you guys need to drop your obsession with hiring far-right opinion columnists and get back to what you used to do best--investigative journalism. I've been a subscriber for 20 years, and while you're still one of the top papers in the country, you've been doing a bad job consistently since election coverage started.
8
I have not seen such flagrant disregard for the law since "Better call Saul". Why has Mr. Cohen not been disbarred yet?
3
John,
Cohen being disbarred is the least of it. Mueller has bigger fish to fry.
4
I believe that the Rs in Congress will continue to support trump even if we have video of him naked in bed with Putin. Too much money is at stake and it must be pouring in from the Koch Brothers, the Mercers, and of course, the Russians. Sadly, I don't think the Rs in Congress will act. Please vote them out and then maybe, just maybe, we'll have a chance and throwing them all out.
12
To all the people on here who are commenting on Trump and how much they hate him, how corrupt his administration is, etc.: what else are you doing about it besides commenting here? Serious question. Donating? But to who? I won’t give to the DNC. What else?
A year from now, this will be remembered as the Watergate moment. Why did Mr. Trump not reimburse Cohen’s payments (or so we understood, till Giuliani came aboard)? Because Cohen was the President’s alternate bank account. Want to have dinner with the President? Want to get your megamerger approved? Want a helpful regulation? See Mr. Cohen! Need some cash to pay a pornstar or a Playboy model? See Mr. Cohen! Trump didn’t need to know about the payments, because others were making them. Sooner or later, the administration is going to wake up and realize that it isn’t Mr. Mueller at all. It’s the NY DA’s office, sitting on a mountain of evidence from Mr. Cohen’s office. And it isn’t going to be very pretty.
10
The drip, drip, drip of corruption connected to this man and his client, Trump, has turned into a deluge that will drown us all.
4
I am feeling a little despondent these days. I get the feeling that other than the NYT's readership America has been so numbed by all this scandalous behavior that it has become indifferent. I guess the mid-terms will prove me right or wrong.
9
It seems our country is becoming more and more a kleptocracy.
6
The Constitution spells out bribery as an impeachable offense.
9
Wish I could recommnend this multiple times.
1
It sure doesn't look to me like "Drain the swamp!" is working. The swamp keeps getting deeper and deeper. Different alligators, more muck, mud, and slime, and Trump up to his neck in all of it. "Drain the swamp" is going to have to wait until this November...
5
And how much money did the House of Trump make from this 'deal'?
2
The Times could produce a video of Trump and Cohen bring paid off by the Russians ánd other swamp creatures' and Trump supporters would say "what a guy."
5
Worst. President. Ever. Worst. Administration. Ever. Worst. Congress. Ever. Our Federal Government needs a reboot so badly, words cannot describe it. We the People are STARVING for leadership but there is none to be had.
13
Folks--I don't care WHAT political party you belong to. This just stinks to high heaven. Trump and his slimy pals are degrading our institutions, destroying America's credibility, and opening up our country to foreign corruption. No amount of gun waving and Bible thumping is going to change that. Wake up!
9
While countless people struggle to make ends meet, giant corporations, politicians and well positioned stooges use shell companies and other dirty tricks to ensure that vast amounts of wealth stay locked away from the masses. Michael Cohen is one of the stooges.
This is the system We the People have come to accept. We the People are fools.
3
WOW, half a mill. That's about what Hillary got from them for a speech, or was it that amount to her Foundation for giving away our uranium? Gee, ain't politics kinda dirty?
1
This man validates every single lawyer joke that I’ve heard. And most of the one I haven’t heard.
Frankly not much to be surprised about. A perfect lawyer for a scoundrel like Trump.
3
Russia and especially Putin are as corrupt as the day is long, but to see this tangled web alive and thriving in America is an eye opener. How does Mueller even know where to start? Everything he uncovers only exposes more filth from trump, Inc.
2
Looking at the title, I say: so what?
Why do the anti-Trumpeters always try to link everything to Trump?
If somebody farts in Moscow, the suspicion is that it is a potential tool of Russian collusion.
Let it go, leftie Democrats. Let it go. Stop the obsession. What you are fretting about is utterly silly.
.
3
Todays front page had three standout headlines that converge and memorialize this moment in time. 1. This summary of Mr. Avenatti’s information, perhaps an elaborate pay for play scheme hatched between Cohen and Trump; 2. The bipartisan Senate Intel. Committee Interim Report, which details what we already knew i.e. 21 state elections systems had been hacked, something we knew months ago. Essentially the bipartisan Senators reported nothing; 3. Trumps' withdrawing from the Iran Nuclear Treaty and placing our National Security at risk again and further diminishing our position in the Middle East and seeing power to Putin. I would say if we have reached the point where the only information that is of any significance to the American people after all these months is coming from a private attorney. It is time to have a real discussion of the political party system in place. The US Constitution does not mention political parties. In Washington's farewell address, he warns strongly against forming political parties. We, the people, have lost control of our gov’t., we have relied on the notion that the people elected will want to fulfill the Constitution mandates. It is only a piece of paper; only as good as the people we put in place. Our representatives no longer seem to have the will to govern and fulfill their constitutional duties. The political party system has taken over our government to our detriment. We need to find a way to wrestle control of gov’t back.
3
Sounds to me like Cohen was a "willing funnel"...or two directional valve. Passing money from one interested party to the other for a small % of the total. Now, if I'm wrong I'm wrong...but it sure looks bad.
3
It’s all there, right out in the open. I don’t think there is anything wrong or “divisive” about taking issue with this blatant corruption. There is no “common ground” with people who think this is acceptable in America. When you are beholden to Oligarchs and large corporations, you are no longer free.
555
"acceptable" is unimportant - the only question is was it legal or not.
In fact, shell companies are super common. At one time, I worked for a brokerage company that had about 400 of them in the U.S.A. That did not include all of them we had offshore.
Apple Computer was run out of a shell company in Ireland. Did anyone get sent to jail?
If anything is to be done about this, we would have to make the shell company illegal. I'm 100% for that, but it isn't going to happen.
3
In our legally corrupt system it is ok to influence if it lets the corrupting party win and they do not get caught. Novartis is seller of BRAND drugs also known as ETHICAL drugs but it seems to have no ethics. I guess for a buck they will do anything.
Swims, walks, and quacks like a filthy thieving bribery duck.
Welcome to the #TrumpSwamp, conservatives and Evangelicals.
Most corrupt President in American history.
8
Why was this not placed front page top center?
The wildest craziest news yet.
This will probably take Trump down.
5
It looks to me like money laundering and bribery is going on in this casino.
The fourth Amendment will not even be an issue if this information was identified by a private (non-federal and non-state) investigation, because that amendment does not apply to private searches.
Now that Avenatti has put his information out in public, even the Feds can see it. They do not even need to search. If the information is true, Cohen is in big trouble, and possibly so is Donald Trump. It would be really funny that the whole rotten scheme becomes known because Donald could not keep his zipper zipped. Poetic justice at its very best.
12
Pathetic that the porn times and their cousin porn news network are so focused on porn stories. There are so many news of great significance are a happening around the world!
1
Really? This is pretty significant if in ends in impeachment
4
When I pay my next AT&T bill, all I will be able to think about is that my money helped Trump bribe a porn star.
4
Call AT&T ask them to unlock your phone so you can switch to a different company.You can keep your number.
Bill Clinton "got" 500 million dollars from Russian interests as well. Then, his wife, Secretary of State Clinton, suddenly sold much of America's uranium off to Russia.
If we are truly going to investigate Russian influence in American politics, I think it's time we stop parading illegal aliens, porn stars, and terrorists out into the news and all get on the same page for the best interests of this nation.
2
I would like to know how and why Michael Avenatti, who seems to be nothing more than a shake-down artist for a porn actress, is getting this information. His rise to celebrity status - after dozens of appearances on MSNBC and CNN - is an unconscionable assault on our senses and on unbiased journalism.
I would also like to know why this $ 500 K is now part of a $ 130 K payment to his client when prior to this revelation, Avenatti claimed that the $ 130 K was paid in $ 35 K installments to Cohen by President Trump.
So President Trump had a 1 night fling 12 years ago with Daniels which she has previously denied. But if he did, so what? Apparently, Daniels wants him to pay for it. To me that spells extortion and Avenatti is part of it.
Finally, who's paying for Avenatti's expenses? Surely, they are running in excess of $ 100 K. Some anti-Trumper from the left? George Soros, perhaps?
1
I believe Avenatti has overplayed his hand on tv. However, according to him, he has no ties nor funding from DNC or shadow donors. He can cover his expenses, incase you have not researched his suceess in litigation. He is shaking down Cohen and Trump because Cohen and Trump are susceptible to shakedown. Us normal folk do not have the border line deals, much less nefarious deals that these two have in their closets. Wasn't it an old Texas Rangers expression, I think--Ride with the outlaw Donnie; die with the outlaw. Cohen will be going to jail sometime in the next two years; to the extent that his misconduct implicates the President is no one's fault but the President's.
Perhaps you have forgotten the long period of time the ticked off Republicans kept Whitewater alive.
Giuliani, not Avenetti, was the one who said Trump repaid Cohen in 35 thousand dollar installments.
This is an old racket that has played out many times before in many state legislatures around the country. A gatekeeper (typically a lawyer/lobbyist) to a powerful elected official is established and their role put out over the "proper" channels. The price of access to the elected official is to hire the lobbyist/lawyer. The lawyer/lobbyist then funnels a large portion of the money back to the politician and his needs, either through a campaign fund or other means. Cohen's only variation is the creation of a shell company to try to better hide the arrangement.
14
It's easy to overlook $500,000, isn't it? I do it all the time. I look at my account, it's not there, and I forget about it!
15
A lawyer who pays off porn actresses for the President is in a pretty good position to offer insights into the new administration. Hard to argue with that logic.
18
How many more "Essential Consultants L.L.C.'s" are out there?
How many more are funneling money through Michael Cohen and/or shell companies?
How many more out there are recipients of the funneled money?
How many more Russian coincidences are there before it becomes too much of a coincidence?
How much more dereliction of duty must we endure?
18
Seems like a reach at this point. While the firm that Cohen hired had a large Russian client, how can we indict that this was somehow tied to an election conspiracy? Seems that our regulators do nothing; why is there so much of a presence of Russian money in the US, in shell companies, and in 'consulting' firms?
Time to do away with shell companies, and the neutral, safety net they receive in the court system.
5
Please forgive if this is a short-sighted question, but If Trump was really a billionaire, why would he need bailed out by payments to Cohen? Wouldn't 130K be chump change to someone with billions and billions of dollars?
9
Because he is not!!! He is a failed businessman who has gone bankrupt over and over again. He has no money which is why Russia owns him! trump is one thing though....a brilliant marketer.
6
In short, it’s time to nullify the 2016 Presidential election.
This banana republic sham administration needs to go, now.
We can’t afford to wait and see what additional damage trump&co will inflict upon us.
Cohen reportedly was cooperative when raided by the FBI. Now if he has any smarts or scruples he’ll cooperate with Mueller’s investigation.
19
Follow the money, it worked in the Watergate era and is working now.
17
I am not a lawyer or a savvy businessman, but just an average citizen trying to make sense out of often complicated legal and business matters. But one thing I do know is that innocent people don't consistently lie. And the president and his associates consistently lie. Mr. Trump was the first candidate in forty years not to provide his tax returns. His explanations constantly change as soon as a scintilla of truth is revealed. He has much to hide, that much is obvious to anyone with eyes.
31
It gets stranger.
When the movie gets made, I think Avenatti should play himself: he's got ALL the goods, including a fine sense of drama.
On the serious side, for those of us who were worried that there was an awfully good chance that the very rich, powerful and ruthless would do their best to "fix" the nations of the world so that they - and their families - could hold power in perpetuity. It seemed a little paranoid. Now it looks like reality.
The US can be saved but only if people wake up, vote the real crooks out, and demand reforms to make this a land of opportunity, just not for those with all the best scams.
27
You know those boards with pictures and strings that are used on crime shows to connect suspects? The one Mueller has must be YUGE!
14
So is anyone still wondering why Paul Ryan made the announcement that he would not run again for the House on the very day that Cohen's digs were raided???
20
Spot on. What does Ryan know and when did he know it?
Now, will he vote for impeachment and clear his conscience?
8
How does a referral to the Securities and Exchange Commission work exactly?
4
Thank you NYT— this persistent and dogged journalism is the life force of democracy. Most NYT readers are overwhelmed by Trump’s atrocities— we need journalists to work 24/7 ( and be paid very well) to advocate for us and all Americans and save our country from the Mob.
15
In the end it is always “Follow the money”
Liars don’t figure and figures don’t lie
6
The U.S. of America is being run by a law breaking, corrupt, mob boss wanna be....And the Republican's in Congress are his enablers.
Trump and his "Associates" have turned the swamp into a cesspool.
VOTE OUT every single Republican in Congress this November to protect our Institutions and "Rule of Law" from this Trump/Republican Crime Family.
14
How many years have deals just like these been going on? Sounds as though the scoundrels have had a lot of practice.
5
The Daily Beast has been digging up the dirt behind the clumsy attempts to cover up the truth:
"Up until Tuesday night, Columbus Nova’s own website described the company as “the U.S. investment vehicle for the Renova Group”—Vekselberg’s asset-management firm. The site also noted that Intrater “is a former Director and current Member of the Executive Board of Renova Group.” (That page of the site was suddenly removed early Wednesday morning.)
"In addition, Columbus Nova was listed on the website for the Renova Group as one of its “companies” until late last year, as NBC News reported. (That website is currently “under construction.”) "
Sanctioned Russians, and corporations in need of government favors, paid millions of dollars for "insight" and "consulting" to a goombah who has nothing to offer but Trump's phone number - and they did it through LLCs and shell corporations that are now scrambling to hide their connections. "Nothing to see here," say Congressional Republicans, as they scheme to shut down Mueller's investigation, while Fox "News" keeps their viewers in the dark.
Vote like your nation depends on it, folks - because it does.
18
Do all porn stars have such great lawyers?
5
I find it interesting that a lawyer defending a porn star was actually able to come up with this information. I had figured he was a sleezeball trying to get notoriety. With this, he has proven himself (and yes this is a stretch) to be a champion of democracy! Of course someone bigger funneled him this information. But I think it would be great is Trump’s demise was in part due to a porn star lawyer. Actually, it seems fitting.
12
So wait a minute. We have Cohen engaged in lots and lots of shenanigans, as my grandmother would say, with Russian oilgarchs and AmeriKan corporations etc paying to play, or , in their words, learn how the new administration will work and I read elsewhere that people approach Cohen on the street and in restaurants with hugs and words of encouragement - "we're with you man," heard shouted from garbage collecters on the Upper East Side and offers of financial help, "you helped us now it is our turn" (wink, wink) from fellow dinners at Fred'sand......I'm speechless. And I head the word consigliere used freely in discussions. I thought I knew what it meant, I read a lot of crime novels in another life and I was right. CONSIGLIERE: advisor, counselor, especially to a crime boss. Yes indeed. We have a Grifter-in-Chief in the White House, with a cast of supporting characters in cahoots in the House and the Senate. You cannot make this stuff up. We gotta vote people. We gotta. 181 days. Put your vacation request in today.
15
Throw every last one of these Trumpnicks in the clink, throw away the key, and have them work hard labor until they die.
13
Cohen is the bagman; grafter; call him what you wish to much of the corruption in Team Trump. Cohen is so dirty, the ultimate dirtball. My guess is that he will be charged with multiple felony violations for tax evasion; money laundering both USC 1956 and 31, conspiracy etc. The federal prosecutors should ask for the most severe sentence for this "girl" man. No Club Fed for this goober, places like Atlanta; Terre Haute; La Tuna etc. is where he belongs. Mr. Cohen is you are reading this I strongly suggest that you start taking courses on martial arts, you will need it. No one and I mean no one will ever mistake you for Steven Segal or Chuck Norris.
5
I thought it was standard operating procedure to make donations to firms with connections to past and present administrations to gain influence. This occurs at the state, county and federal levels. Is this a way of getting undue influence? Yes. Is it criminal under current law? Well, since Mueller interviewed the oligarch in January and hasn't indicted him in an attempt to "flip" him evidently not. Furthermore the money was from an American company to which the oligarch contributed. The source of this charge is from the porn star's attorney from public records and he has been seeking the spotlight at every turn.
2
There is so much evidence of sleazy financial activity going on that we have to assume malfeasance somewhere. Republicans in Congress won’t do a thing. Trump could shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue and get away with it. Our democracy is doomed if we don’t kick out the Republicans.
7
America to Paul Ryan...paging Paul Ryan...
7
Rather than naming the firm Essential Consultants, maybe Cohen, along with Trump's input, should have name it The Legitimate Businessmen's Club.
3
If any swamp in Washington DC needs draining, the part in which Michael Cohen operates is clearly the place to start.
5
Well now you know all you need to know about the timing of the Iran deal.
9
So this is how the Swamp works in Trumpland.
How convenient that Cohen sets up an LLC and uses it to pay hush money and accept bribes.
How did these companies know to contact Cohen? Did he advertise his services as the President’s fixer? Or were these companies directed to pay him?
Trump is easily the most corrupt President.
9
Let's see.
Cohen receives money from Russians and deposits it into an account. He uses the same account to pay off ( on his own) Stormy Daniels. However, I'm supposed to believe that the Stormy money is separate money sitting in the account from the Russian money! Then we have someone saying that Trump paid back the money Cohen footed for Stormy.
Is all of this really a bad script for a TV series?
7
I'm worried about what the resignation of the SDNY District Attorney will do to this investigation and, possibly, prosecution. Not that the resignation wasn't necessary, and called for, but the whole mess is terrifying. Who will take his place? Is the SDNY immune from political pressure?
1
Betsy, do you mean Schneiderman, NYS AG, down in flames mere moments ago? I'm an upstater, and although a female AG might bring about refreshing karma, I hope to see the job go to Preet Bharara, former SDNY DA fired by Trump after a special invitation to stay on.
3
Every single person Trump chooses as a lawyer, political appointee, etc. has something unethical and inherently sleazy about them. At this juncture I pause to re-evaluate the fact that half the nation feels these people best represent their interests. And realize that the sleaze factor in the US is endemic!
7
Hmmm. Wonder who leaked the docs. It would be very ironic if the attorney for a porn star helped bring down Mr. Trump. And not because of a one night stand. Stay tuned I guess for the next episode of the Reality Show called America. How sad.
4
I don't know any lawyer that uses the term "funnel" to describe a legitimate legal transaction.
6
No connection to Trump. Period.
2
Why would the "consulting" fees start pouring in BEFORE the election?
Call me paranoid, but did insiders know something about a fix being in, or polling, the rest of us were not seeing, to start investing in this corrupt enterprises known as the Trump Administration?
Or did these entities have so much money to burn they were hedging bets?
9
The claims of Michael Avenati have been confirmed by two news organizations but could easily be corrected or clarified if Michael Cohen provides his own documentation.
What's not yet known is what was expected in return for such large 'consultancy' fees sent to Trump's well known fixer and third rate lawyer. We also don't know how the money was disbursed and why Cohen needed to set up home equity lines of credit if he had all this money available. It all reeks of criminality, shady dealings, and possible bribery.
It strongly appears anyone who deals with Trump is already dirty or gets very dirty in the process. No one, and I mean no one, comes out looking better. And some of them will probably end up in jail.
7
Forget coincidence. This goes way beyond hush money to a porn star. Russian and Ukrainian mobsters tied to Russian oligarchs tied to Putin funneled money to the Trump campaign through Cohen, whose uncle ran a mob hangout and introduced him to New York's criminal underground. Cohen spent most of his life under law enforcement's radar until the man he would "take a bullet for" became president. Now he's not so eager for that bullet. And he wasn't the only conduit for Russian money. There's a good chance the National Rifle Association also funneled Russian money to the Trump campaign, provided by supposedly gun-loving Russian oligarchs who became life members is support of the 2nd Amendment, something Russia never had nor ever will have.
15
Like to hear Giuliani's spin on this latest revelation and Trump's tweet and see if they are in sync with their mendacious answer this time around
7
How many other shell companies are concealing how many other payments from how many other companies and international oligarchs to how many other American senators and congressmen and Trump officials? Trump's curious aversion to criticizing Putin has an intriguing parallel in Republicans' curious aversion to criticizing Trump. How big is this money game? Just how thoroughly corrupt is our government?
12
Humpty dumty sat on a wall
and stayed there owing to congress foregoing its oath of offfice to become an official arm of trump
this is not the 'naive' era of prior legislatures. this is the corruption of an entire branch of congress, in the mold of chief ratter Devin Nunes.
Despite any wrongdoings presented to the congress by Mueller, do you truly see a majority of upright, you know your oath, republicans? Led by McConnell whose only loyalty is to remaining in power, I am so concerned that congress will do nothing to this con president. That is truly frightening for the entire underpinnings of our democracy which at some point lost sight of its true values and virtues: justice under the law, and a government that has a safety net for those unable to stop their own fall into failure and further poverty.
8
So initially Cohen said that the President did not reimburse him, raising the question of why he would pay off Stormy out of his own pocket. Then Guiliani comes out and says no, Trump actually reimbursed Cohen and it was a personal transaction. I would guess they switched to story #2 because it is still better than story #3, which is that payments from corporations and Russian oligarchs looking for influence in the new administration were used to pay off Stormy.
Why such a tangled web if not first to practice to deceive?
14
This is what happens when folks vote for a President that refuses to release his tax returns, all the while boasting of his immense fortune. Should be requirement for any public office.
18
In any other administration, this alone would be a scandal of epic proportions. In Trumpworld, it's just another day.
GOP hypocrisy and double standards will not be forgotten. Never again will they be able to claim the moral high ground on any issue.
18
Good story. You might want to pursue the fact that Columbus Nova just took down part of its website that was operating yesterday, in a link posted by the Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/08/michael-cohen-russia-sto...
Apparently some clean-up was deemed necessary on their link to the Renova Group, which previously was prominently listed here:
http://www.columbusnova.com/andrew_intrater.html
While Columbus Nova in New York has an obfuscating comment on its website, they had nothing to say or to offer an explanation for the dead link or changes to their website overnight.
12
Forty-five may skate through this, just like he skates through everything else. But Cohen's career is done. No more money. No more status. Forty-five will burn him. He does it to everyone who gets in his way. His supporters, who always, inexplicably give him a pass, will blame Cohen. At some point, if Mueller doesn't already have the goods, an embittered Cohen just might give them up.
7
We live in surreal times when the POTUS needs a 'fixer'.
10
Would be interesting to know if Cohen filed IRS tax return for LLC showing income and expenses for 2016 & 2017..?
7
Likewise, if Michael Cohen is up to date in his U.S. Treasury Dept. registration as a "foreign-agent" to his activity influencing U.S. policymakers, i.e. trump.
Though more behind the scenes, Cohen seems to operate his business the same as Paul Mannafort.
1
This is called collusion.
8
treason, plain and simple.
10
Now, we are confronted by three questions. Did Mr. Trump collude with the Russians or was he bought by them? How does his withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal serve Russia’s interests? And, is Trump guilty of treason?
8
And Cohen is this lawyer who had to take out a home equity loan to send $130K to keep Stormy quiet. The dots don't add up with this guy. A perfect friend for Trump as the two of them come from the same gutter.
7
So now Avenatti is going for Bank Fraud.... the Campaign Violation attack is done so on with the next attempt? Honestly, this is getting out of hand. Stormy took a payout and signed an agreement. Her guilt is apparent too... she tried to extort Trump prior to the election, she got paid, and continues to extort. She is a low character individual.... she does NOT represent the spirit of the American dream. To defend Stormy is disgusting... she is not the victim, rather, she is the extortionist. It's so clear.... why is everyone choosing to look past this? Oh, right... they want Trump out, so it's OK. Wrong!
2
You don't understand this story. Stormy and her lawyer are exposing Trump's low, low character and potential crimes. That is a very valuable service she is providing to our country. I applaud her.
19
So is Rudy up to speed yet that Trump's fixer is also a treasonous bagman? We are.
16
Let's speculate on how the threads might fit together:
1) The Trump organization needs money to stay afloat.
2) Banks won't lend to it anymore because they never pay back loans.
3) Putin can provide cash. All Trump needs to do is sell his soul to Putin and get elected.
4) Putin helps him get elected and he pursues policies favorable to Putin.
5) Michael Cohen is the key intermediary between the Russians and the Trump folks.
6) Putin pays his oligarchs who pay Cohen for vague services.
7) Cohen funnels the money back to the Trump organization.
8) Trump can't possibly have that many women to pay off that he needs Cohen to work for him full time in Trump Tower.
9) Cohen also needs a cut of the Russian money because of his failed Taxi medallion investments.
16
For all the trumpers who wanted concrete public evidence of collusion (really conspiracy) now you have it. This is the giant tip of a gargantuan iceberg.
5
Cohen needed to earn money from somewhere to stay afloat. His three clients paid little: (1)Hannity gave him ten dollars; (2) He fronted Trimp’s bills for about a year; and (3) Broidy, whose affair Cohen took care of with a template-settlement document, ethically limiting what he could charge.
3
We should realize that none of these bribes have been reported on by Fox News. That means, as far as Trump's supporters are concerned, none of this is real.
If, at some later time, something inescapable such as an indictment forces Fox News to report on these bribes, this information will all be coming completely out of left field for Fox News viewers. Having no previous knowledge of any of it, they won't believe a word.
8
So many connections, but I'm not getting my hopes up until there is something solid to prove that Trump is guilty of, if not collusion, then money laundering, bribery, corruption, racketeering, and who knows what else. If he isn't found guilty, we're still stuck with the proven liar who is also the incompetent, narcissistic, megalomaniac adulterer-in-chief.
3
The continued blind hatred of our President is a joy to watch
The American people love him
2020 landslide is coming
Keep pushing these nothing stories
Great entertainment
Year3
1
When have more than a minority of Americans ever supported Trump? He's a niche candidate. Most people voted against him in 2016 and most still disapprove of the job he's doing today. I think he'll be lucky if he is still holding the office at the end of four years.
3
Trump delights in paying no taxes. He will further delight in telling us how "being President means you can have all the money you want by just talking to people; the Russians are good people, my people are good people, any President will tell you the same thing. It's all good. Micheal is a good man. Hillary should have pulled out of the race. She's a loser." And, we will all listen, and do nothing.
3
It’s hardly unlikely that Trump has no knowledge about Cohen’s firm, Essential Consultants (EC), set up before the election to pay Stormy Daniels for her silence. He didn’t know that he would win. But soon after his election payments started to pour into Cohen's EC during 2017 from AT&T - for “insights into understanding the new administration, the company of the Russian oligarch, Viktor Vekselberg, the Swiss pharmaceutical giant, Novartis, and others. Trump exploits his presidency for personal gains, because he knows that business executives want to curry favour with him.
Daniels’s attorney, Michael Avenatti told the Guardian that a “significant amount of evidence is going to come to light”, assuring that the American public will be “disgusted” by it. He said there is going to be “too much evidence of wrongdoing” by Trump and those around him that he would have to resign.
6
So Cohen accepted consulting fees from American companies to advise them on the newly elected POTUS. One of these companies may have family ties by a second cousin to someone in Russia with money.
Is it illegal now in America to be an American citizen who is of Russian Ethnic origin? The American left thinks so!
Unless there is more to this than every news media that is reporting on this unsourced allegation, there is nothing here except an invasion of privacy suit and a bar complaint against the porn star attorney who gives a press conference every day.
2
You don't see this account as a way of funneling money to Trump? Why not? Trump's attorney has already admitted that the account was used to funnel money from Trump to women with whom he'd had affairs.
4
A billionaire who doesn't need small change. Only a deranged person would see bribery.
Why not? Allegations only put people in jail in communist nations and the like. Dubious communist?
In earlier years, this was the prototypical slush fund, a bag of goodies with gifts from sleazies having good reasons to remain anonymous. As these shell companies and those who maintain them become known, the rodents of big money, organized crime and unfriendly foreign interests "invest." Money is the opiate and through these subterfuges, America gets corrupt elected officials, public institutions that have an alien feel, likely a few TV pundits who are for sale or rent on the cheap and a growing number of traitors in high positions of power. That Russian goons paid into this is no surprise. That major American companies did is heartbreaking. They knew what they were doing was contrary to the well-being of the United States.
6
Surprise, surprise!! Firms wanting access to the administration hire the President lawyers.... and no doubt friends, families, neighbors and friends of friends. It always happens this way ....and many of those seeking access are from , gasp,
RUSSIA. So is this new?? Please.
1
Michael Cohen is one man mafia. Using the relation with the president of America, this criminal making money from all corners in the world. The companies who are paying money to this con man under the table should be investigated by FBI and IRS. If the Russian Oligarch like Mr.Vekselberg are paying him money is treasonous act and he should be tried as a Russian spy. Ignore Giuliani because his erratic and irrational behavior proves that he may be loosing .
3
My greatest fear is that Trump will somehow escape punishment for the illegal activities by those who served him and his campaign. It seems there is swirling smoke all around Trump, but no fire, yet.
6
This is a great example of why we need deep campaign finance reform.
5
One has to wonder whether the reason the trump administration took so long to enact the approved Russian sanctions was that Viktor Vekselberg, among others, we on that list of sanctioned individuals. There is so much stink with all this, you just know something terribly dirty is going on. Time to get rid of all this sewage.
4
How long more can Trump put on a brave face while lying all the way to his political grave?
5
These shady, illicit business deals are Trump's Achilles Heel. The reek of corruption around Donald Trump's business empire is being unearthed by these investigations. Of course, Trump will continue his "witch hunt" mantra. But as the evidence continues to mount, there will be fewer ready to believe him.
5
It appears that Cohen is a lot wealthier than Trump, according to the information revealed in this story. We'll never know, of course, as Trump refuses to release his taxes. Surely there is a patriot at the IRS who can casually drop Trump's recent tax returns onto Maggie Haberman's or Michael Schmidt's desk.
4
Michael Avenatti is taking the street fight fight to the mobsters and playing by their rules. He is out trumping trump every step of the way. Mueller may be bound by the the parameters special counsel laws, and the constraints of classified information, but Avenatti has the gloves off, and he is just the junkyard dog that is needed. I am cheering for Team Stormy!
12
The NY Times is doing an incredible job investigating Trump's sleazy underbelly and cover ups. Our politicians are too afraid to stand up to this "useful fool" so Trump will be convicted of criminal wrongdoing before he is impeached. And I will be the first in line to cheer as Trump is driven to prison in an orange jumpsuit.
11
I wish they'd done this prior to the election instead of giving him free publicity.
3
You were not paying attention during the election then. You can't blame the Times. They've been yelling smoke for a long time but you were not seeing the fire.
Trump's career of failed ventures, stiffed creditors and marital infidelities has left him trailing massive settlement debts. With his brand - a fake-gilded surname - about to crumble as NBC dumped "The Apprentice," he needed cash, and fast. He conned America into entrusting him with the world's most profitable product - access to every agency in the executive branch of U.S. government, and (through willing minions in Congress) the legislative and judicial branches as well. His promise to "drain the swamp" meant turning it into his personal slush fund.
At last, we're starting to find out where the ATMs are located.
9
I love it, this guy is a rich man's lawyer who works for oligarchs around the world (America to) and a lawyer getting money from a Russian national is just business in a globalist world. I also find it funny that were only concerned about Russian oligarchs and not the ones that live in and take advantage of America and its citizens. Like the CEO/Board of Nestle who says water isn't a human right and extracts water from streams and waterways for free, or the CEO/Board of Exxon Mobil who pollute and destroy the land with oil pipelines and fracking operations. Using those millions of theirs to sway local, state, and federal officials in favor of their businesses that exploit and destroy, drafting and implementing laws to protect their businesses. Using the police to stifle and jail protesters opposing their businesses Kind of the definition of oligarchs. (But no one at the NewYorkTImes cares about American oligarchs, only about hush money to a pornstar) All to distract us from the real issues facing this nation.
3
Follow the money! Monies that flowed to Mr. Cohen to “pay off” Stormy Daniels were a great deal more than $130,000. I find the revelation of accusations against Eric Schneiderman strangely timed, and would follow that money to see to whom it went. I do not question the women’s stories, I do question why now. Mob guys or presidential administration? That we are discussing this at all answers that question.
2
Scratch a Trump person and find Russian money. The intriguing question would be where the mysterious $400 million in cash came from for Trump to buy those golf resorts. If a Russian oligarch "invested" $500 million with Trump, he could easily have passed $30 million or so to Cohen, and some also to Kushner.
Never again should a presidential candidate be permitted to hide his tax returns. This is not just conflict of interest: it verges on treason.
10
Whatever happened to the "law and order" Republicans? Are there any left at all? Or is the entire party now just a gang of money-laundering, bribe-taking mobsters? Are there any honest Republicans left in office? If so, why aren't they doing anything?
The Republican inactivity is making me wonder if the Trump administration has been threatening them all, one by one. At this point, no behavior seems to be too vile for this administration. I would be willing to bet that Trump has told his people to dig up as much dirt as they can on anyone in Congress who opposes him, so that he can hold it over their heads if they attempt to oppose or impeach him.
3
« Let God be God, » my sister told me when I cried on last Election Day.
Now I know what she means.
2
Trump really surrounds himself with marginally qualified people in both business his private life and government. That is the scary take away from this. Real criminals I'm sure are better at this than Trump, this fact must be dawning on Trump and his congressional supporters. They are dealing with Mueller and the best and brightest he could recruit. You can see the panic in there eyes my fellow citizens. This will not end well for any of us.
1
Pretty amazing that Stormy news still holds top billing over the devastating embarrassment the Dems suffered over Eric Schneiderman. On the one hand you have an illegal search of a lawyer's files by the head-hunting Mueller inquisition, and on the other hand, a glaring expose of a typically hypocritical Dem "#MeToo"-er.
2
Read the story. This isn't about Stormy.
1
Well this 'distinguished' graduate of Cooley Law school must be the most brilliant lawyer in America. Let's see--he has advised Hannity on big real estate deals, the President on domestic law and contract law, the Russians on international business, and American companies on US business law. Oh and let's not forget Transportation Law (cabs) and Healthcare law too. Wow.
7
This all sounds very similar to the Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick that is now in a Federal Prison in Oklahoma serving a 28 year sentence for a "pay to play" scheme involving his father, a consultant, and a childhood friend, a Detroit contractor. Kwame always said if he was a white guy, he would have never got convicted. We will see...
3
Cohen was "funneler" that Rudy G. spoke of recently...!!!
4
It is always other peoples money with him
1
Does anyone else think that "Essential Consultants LLC" sounds like an Escort service?
4
As long as the President keeps attacking black football players and demonizing Mexicans, the all white Southern Fried GOP could care less. Trump’s promising to keep the white man on top and that’s all those racists care about. Their supposed love of country is only exceeded by their fear and loathing of minorities.
8
It's the same to them, their love of country and their fear and loathing of minorities. And it's fed by Fox News.
4
As Avenatti commented, Cohen did consulting, real estate deals, a fixer for extra marital affairs, lobbyist, and what else?. Jack of all trades- but mobster, Russian ties, and numerous other crimes appear to be forthcoming. And since Trump was Cohen’s major client-what do we have here?
1
So . . . Did that Russian Oligarch chip in for any of the Stormy Daniels payoff?
Could there be a connection from Russia to Cohen/Trump to Daniels? If only money had fingerprints to see who was handling it where it came from and who ended up with it.
When playing in a swamp, don't be surprised if you get dirty.
1
If he's the same oligarch who also paid Bill Clinton Five hundred million big ones, he probably didn't have any more to chip in... at least until Hillary then sold our uranium to the Russians.
I would like to know how many Americans voted for Trump due to Russian influence. I suspect the number is ZERO but I am listening.
2
Listen to these Trump voters who will obviously believe anything.
http://www.cc.com/video-clips/h2l2ij/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah-who...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFQhw3VVToQ
But we will never know if Trump continues to obstruct.
Slowly, ever so slowly, the truth is making an appearance. Most of the country already knew these people were compromised and corrupt to the core, but we need to follow the evidence to its most egregious conclusion.
Our current president will be forced to resign or face multiple indictments and impeachment. No one will be willing to protect so evil an individual.
His actions have screamed guilt and his past business dealings were, more than likely, accomplished with deceit and avarice hitherto unknown in a president. His attempts at a cover-up or the obfuscation of provable facts is a total failure. As it should be.
Let justice prevail and let our precious country be returned to its natural state: that of democracy, care and concern for our allies and our people, and the protection of and belief in, our venerable Constitution.
4
If you don't understand that pay to play is Trump's basic racket, you must have been born yesterday.
9
I was hoping to see payments made to Mr. Cohen from Saudis "companies" or maybe Turkish "companies".. This administration is way to close to them and that's not good.
Isn't this what you might call collusion?
7
Follow the money and it will lead to Donald Trump. Way too much (foreign) money flowing through Cohen and others to some unknown end. Honest people do not hide their transactions with shell companies and quickly formed LLCs.
6
Trump and co. were so dumb and confident in their criminal syndicate they probably left evidence and loose threads all over the place. The info we know about in this case is as smoking a gun as it gets- "pay to play" and hostile foreign powers making secret payment to the bank account used to fix all Trump's problems. Mueller has the task of shooting fish in a barrel after letting the water out first. Trump always deals in superlatives, well he's easily responsible for the biggest, hugest, presidential scandal in history.
5
Roy Cohn meet Michael Cohen, you'd be pleased. Cohen has to be fully investigated for his actions for and outside the Trump organization. The stench is getting worse.
2
Russian Oligarch's money = Putin's money.
PUTIN PAID TRUMP THROUGH HIS LAWYER.
Deplorables - what more proof you need that you're being sold out.
4
Why do all these crums live on Park Avenue in the 60s. Isn't that where Bernie Madoff lived?
2
You might enjoy the documentary Park Avenue.
No collusion? Mr. Trump, if your attorney has a mere handful of clients including yourself, and his business appears to be of moving money from one bogus entity into hush payments, and a big piece of money involves Russians, couple that with your son, your son-in-law, your advisors, members of your cabinet, and the phony excuses given so far with the numerous 24/7 meetings with Russians, then you can only come to one conclusions...Yes, if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, and looks like a duck, then it is a duck. There is NO other possible explanation for so many Russians at the dinner table but to believe a 5 course dinner is being served...our democracy, our free elections, and our national interest are on the top of the menu. Sorry, but it is what it is...collusion. Your attempts by firing Comey, by denigrating the FBI, and our Intelligence Agencies, and by attacking Special Prosecutor Mueller only adds and reinforces the obstruction and election meddling that is supported by a mountain of evidence. You, Mr. President are more interested in serving your own selfish ego and agenda, than serving our nation's interest. Your are NO legitimate President representing America, but representing instead yourself and our adversaries. Nothing but a new level of Russian operatives, agents, and traitors. Yes, that includes YOU.
4
Well, well, AT&T, time for me to change my provider to somebody new. Small fish, I know, but I'll feel much better. If more of us "small fish" would pool together, we could make a difference.
4
This entire administration of hate once again shows that all of these so called Americans are involved with the Russians. It clearly displays that this administration believed that Americans were to stupid to figure this out. Thank God for Mueller and Avenatti for being Americans . Once again racism ,gender issues run deep since the administration continues to blame President Obama for everything and Mrs. Clinton for her supposed corruption. Why don't they all in Trump administration just go and live in Russia, they are not Americans but traitors.
3
Reply to Asher B.
If you have a business and there is this much indication (not absolute proof) that a senior employee is "owned" by a major competitor, you may not call the police, but you fire him immediately. He corrupt and/or a fool. Either way, you don't want him making decisions for you.
3
Day by day, inch by inch, daylight is creeping in to the Trump Administration's history. The dots are connecting, one by one.
At this point, the infamous "hotel scene" in the Steele Document no longer seems like such an outlandish proposition. Any Trump policy decision--Iran, trade, Syria--should be measured against the very real possibility that a "foreign influencer" has some powerful kompromat against him.
America first?
6
Trump and pals probably could have continued to be utterly craven crooks but he wanted to be president. Let's hope it will be their undoing.
5
Naturally, Trump, with Cohen's assistance has found a way to use other people's money to silence a Porn Star just before the election and make money on bribery. Trump makes Nixon seem quaint.
6
One can imagine that there's untraceable cash in the mix, too.
8
Mr. Avenatti may single handedly bring down the trump WH. This guy rocks.
7
Since when is Trump's fixer a consultant with expertise in the telecommunications and medical industry? Smells pretty swampy to me. It's pay-to-play access, pure and simple.
5
Hope the Republicans in Congress are beginning to get the picture.
There is a mob boss in the White House and their groveling is contributing to our country's downfall.
Anyone who needs or hires a "fixer" is not fit to be President of the US.
9
Republicans in Congress are going to ride this out until their own jobs are in jeopardy, until their sponsors turn off the spigots. They are doing/will continue to do ANYthing to maintain power.
That's why it's necessary not only to vote Dem in Nov, it's urgent that we are vigilant as to possible cheating: fraudulent 'cleansing' of voter rolls, moving and changing hours of voting places, 'lost' ballots, intimidation, etc.
2
AT&T paying $200 grand to learn "...Understanding the new administration..."
Please ! This appears to be the coarsest kind of unabashed corruption. Come on Congress, bring on the hearings. I want to see AT&T executives explaining this in great detail.
12
I have two questions. Given that Trump is comprised, a question is who is his handler? How is information passed between Trump and his handler? Is it at Mar-a-Lago or somewhere else where there is no U. S. intelligence monitoring of Trump's conversations?
4
Why should anyone believe this?
"The lawyer’s seven-page document, titled “Preliminary Report of Findings,” does not explain the source of his information but describes in detail dates, dollar amounts and parties involved in various dealings by Mr. Cohen and his company. Most of the transactions involved two banks: First Republic Bank and City National Bank."
"The Times’s review of financial records confirmed much of what was in Mr. Avenatti’s report. In addition, a review of documents and interviews shed additional light on Mr. Cohen’s dealings with the company connected to Mr. Vekselberg, who was stopped and questioned at an airport earlier this year by investigators for Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel examining Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election."
Good grief. The hits just keep on coming.
Before this is over, Mueller is going to show us evidence of an international crime conspiracy featuring President Trump, members of the cabinet, international banks, U.S. and international corporations, Russian spies and cut-outs, Putin's oligarch buddies, bribery, pay for play, money-laundering, more women Trump had sex with or assaulted, more criminality by the Trump children. This is mind boggling.
9
So once again we are confronted information by "unnamed sources" who have certified to something as gospel and delivered to us by someone who for strips (and what else) for a living. How different this is from the way in which Daniel Ellsberg or Woodward & Bernstein conducted their investigative journalism. Shame on Michael Cohen for not taking out a loan at Citibank for all to see...
2
"Putin's puppet."
I can still hear Hillary saying that in the debate with total conviction and total contempt in her voice. it rang true then and it's 1,000,000 x true now.
The clip of the flustered oaf babbling "no puppet, no puppet" should be a key part of Dem campaign ads this fall.
9
Mitch McConnell, refusing to even consider Merrill Garland, sure looks like less of a ‘lucky guess’, now, doesn’t it?
6
I just finished reading a biography of U.S. Grant, which described the Gilded Age corruption that occurred during his presidency. Grant, apparently, was in the dark about most if not all of the corruption. Is Trump?
1
Nope. Grant was also a vet, unlike Trump.
1
When all is said and done, the scope of Russia's involvement in the election and in the U.S. government, including Congress, is going to be breathtaking. We will sit back and wonder, how did this happen? How did Republicans in Congress lose their way? Why did they sell out to Russia?
5
Because our politicians sell out pretty much to anyone who will give them large sums of money for their campaigns. We need campaign finance reform and to overturn Citizens United.
4
Why do we hear NOTHING from the Democrats on any of this?
2
Because they are in the minority in both the House and Senate.
3
The DNC filed a lawsuit less than two weeks ago. We’ll hear plenty as that unfolds.
2
Maybe they're just watching these guys digging themselves further into a hole. Why stop them now?
1
This report renews the interest in the disposition of funds raised for Trumps Inaugural Ball, some $100 million according to some reports. What did happen to that fund?
15
Russian money being funneled to Trump Team through Michael Cohen's little company? If I were Trump, I would stay in Korea after the summit. It is only going to get worse for him & his little shady organization. There are more tentacles in this mess than on an octopus.
16
Nothing to see here. Michael Cohen's luminous track record makes it unsurprising that he is an expert in capital investment, pharmaceuticals and telecommunications. He is a Renaissance man of the first order . . . multi-talented, sophisticated and elegant.
Who wouldn't want him on the consulting payroll? It is disgusting that the New York Times tries to portray him as somehow thuggish or engaged in shady behavior.
7
AT$T didn't buy anything, right? So it made a "contribution" to Trump's team but not through a conventional - read: open - way. So it was an out and out bribe. That's not good news for Cohen, nor is it for Trump. They were the recipients.
But there are also laws that prevent the paying of bribes. AT&T's officers should be grand juried, indicted and tried. They deserve jail for this.
28
Trump's brag that he could shoot somebody in broad daylight on 5th Avenue and he wouldn't lose any supporters is coming true, albeit in a slightly different version...
"I could have my personal lawyer and fixer take millions of dollars in broad daylight from sanctioned Russian gangsters, major international corporations doing business with my administration, launder that money through a shell corporation, and have him pay off a porn star to keep quiet about my affair with her, and still not lose any supporters...."
25
How about the millions of dollars given to the Clinton Foundation by the Russians when Hillary was secretary of state. We still have gotten to the bottom of the Russian Uranium One deal.
Bottom line this is another baseless desperate attempt by radical liberal democrats to attack Trump.
1
Ancient history even if it is true, which I seriously doubt. I'm more concerned with what is happening right now.
2
NOT a lot of people agree with you...this is clearly bribery.
2
"How about the millions of dollars given to the Clinton Foundation"....All of the donations to the Clinton Foundation are a matter of public record. The pay out of money from the Clinton Foundation is a matter of public record.
3
A consulting fee? Why is a company run by a Russian oligarch consulting with a lawyer who has only one major client -- the president?
And why were Novartis and AT&T paying Cohen for access to Donald if Donald wasn't getting the money? This was going on while Donald was in the White House.
In all our colorful history, we've had some truly venal people involved in some pretty bizarre scandals, but Donald is redefining corruption.
20
Any chance that The TImes might hire Michael Avenatti to be an investigative reporter at the DC bureau? He's done some admirable Watergate-caliber legwork here. If his efforts lead the money trail to Trump, then he totally deserves the Nobel Prize.
17
But why is he doing all this work? What does he have to gain? How does any of this relate to winning a case to get out of a non-disclosure agreement and the defamation suit?
And who broke either bank or justice department rules in leaking this information?
2
He might care more about this country than any member of the administration. People obviously trust him with information — perhaps more than they trust reporters at The Times or WaPo. Whatever his sources, he's making tremendous headway toward uncovering Trump's criminal syndicate. And he intimates there's more to come. Kudos to him.
The stench of money laundering is strong with this crew.
15
Terrific investigative work NYT! I can almost hear the doors a’ closin’ at the Graybar Hotel.
9
Eye opening article. Seems as if Stormy settled for chump change to keep quiet. She could have gone for a mil (but maybe at the risk of being disappeared).
Funneling - yes - there was a lot of that going on.
11
I hope millennials understand the underlying thread in everyone of these reports of which there is no end:
Wealth and privilege do not breed class. Ever. The sense of entitlement in the Trump family and those they surround themselves with makes me want to vomit.
27
greed will get you everytime donnie boy.
8
According to the president's (as of this writing) attorney, Rudolf Giuliani, all this is chump change, Trump change, if you will. The amounts are too small to bother with, and adding them up would only be a waste of time.
Nothing to see here...small potatoes. Tons and tons of small potatoes.
8
One could teach a law school course just using the excuses that these individuals and companies are using to explain the pay for play funds that passed to Trump's fixer.
But then, we live in corrupt times, so why bother teaching ethics?
Hugh Massengill, Eugene Oregon
6
Nice investigation. Sounds similar to Clinton Foundation contributions made by Russian oligarchs linked to the Uranium One sale (fraud). That involved national security versus tawdry sex...where was the Times when that was happening?
2
You think this is about sex? It has never been about sex. Keep up.
And Uranium One is a McGuffin. Stop falling for it.
3
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/hillary-clinton-uranium-russia-deal/
3 references to NY times article,
google nytimes and clinton foundation, you get links to ny times stories going back 3 years.
Oh, there's more to come with this. Just wait.
The real question is, how much money was given by Russian elements through this channel and others to the Trump campaign.
10
No it wasn't for the Trump Campaign! The money into Cohen's accounts from Russians and corporate interests was for "expenses," consulting expenses! LOL
Doesn't everyone have Russian business connections?
6
Since Guiliani already made it clear that Michael Cohen was used to "funnel" money to Stormy Daniels, it is not a stretch to infer that he served as a "funnel" for funds coming the other way. The only question remaining is not who the payment was really for, since that seems obvious, but what the real person/entity/government hoped to get in return. We can only hope that is among the issues that Mueller is focusing on.
14
Pretty Swampy, eh?
I love that the NYT prints lying quotes from the Vekselberg people as if they matter. Does anybody really expect them to tell the truth?
How soon will The Donald be offering a pardon to Mr. Cohen?
3
DJT can't pardon Cohen if he is tried and convected under the NY state laws.
2
I suspect he already has.
And the plot thickens as the evidence of the total corruption surrounding Trump mounts.
Maybe that $1.6 million dollar payout to the Playboy model for an abortion was not paid out to protect Broidy, the ugly billionaire no one had every heard of, but instead to cover up another Trump episode of unprotected sex.
$1.6 million is a lot of money to shell out to keep a woman quiet who had sex with an unknown but not so much when the guy is a "known" running for President. Maybe Broidy just took the fall for Trump.
Nothing is out of the question in regard to the corruption of the Trumpers.
12
Most likely the services required by that million Dollar plus payment from Russia were delivered yesterday. Iran deal was killed. Sanctions on Iran come back. Iran - the fifth largest oil producer - can no longer sell its oil. Oil supplies go down. Oil prices jump by tens of Dollars. Putin rakes in billions more every month. All for a few milion Dollars.
This is actually exact opposite of what President Obama did. By working to keep oil prices low by many different ways including avoiding war in that region, he clipped Putin's wings. But now we have Trump.
17
1. Many keep saying that this isn't or might not be collusion. Folks, there is no crime called "collusion" in this context (only related to antitrust matters). Donald Trump thinks he's being clever by continually harping on that word, knowing that he can't be proved guilty of collusion and have that mean anything legally. Everyone takes the bait and keeps talking collusion, especially cable news. The Trump Tower "adoption" meeting certainly seems to prove conspiracy, which is a crime in the relevant context.
2. The right pilloried Hillary Clinton for vague innuendos of pay-for-play they interpreted from emails hacked from the Clinton Foundation. The most that was actually provable is that a few donors called requesting a meeting with Clinton, presuming I suppose that their donation gave them special access; most if any got no meeting, and none received any benefit from the Clintons unless you go down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole to characterize later events as pay-for-play. Decades of going after the Clintons for that kind of thing, no real evidence of it. Less than two years suspecting Trump and co., and loads of legitimate evidence is piling up. If the Clintons' activities was a lot of smoke, Trump and co.'s activities must be the Trump Towering Inferno. And, we don't even know what more Mueller and the SDNY FBI know, which was enough for a judge to sign off on the Cohen raids.
It's about to hit the fan, Trump. Plead the Fifth!
12
"Conspiracy" is the crime. Does anyone believe there is no conspiracy to manipulate and perpetuate the petroleum industry?
3
Maybe this third rate attorney for a second-rate porno actress who nobody cares about can join Mueller for this joke of an investigation. May or may not be improper......possible...unclear...we don't know......but it makes for a good story.
2
You sound interested, so somebody cares.
Just wait until we see upon whom the "joke" falls.
This is what CORRUPTION looks like. I love the statement that "Essential Consultants LLC did no legal or lobbying work for us." The shell company has one name attached to it - Michael Cohen, a lawyer - and no employees. So what did it do exactly?
Rather than doing anything useful for our country, I'm sure the White House is busy crafting talking points to distribute to GOP enablers, surrogates, and Fox News personalities. It will be interesting to see what they come up with in this regard. Will it all be deemed a "nothingburger?" Will large cash transactions in and out of shell companies be described as normal activities for wealthy individuals? Will they attempt to further distance Trump from Cohen? Or perhaps they will employ the tried-and-true approach of blaming Democrats, as in "Well, the payments to Cohen's firm began in 2016 when Obama was president..."
4
An attorney friend described it this way, "This is not a good optic". I think that pretty well sums it up
2
I just began the book How Democracies Die by Levitsky and Ziblatt. Chilling read, and should be required reading for every member of Congress, particularly Republicans. For all who believe that "it can't happen here", wake up because it's happening.
6
Drain the swamp? Trump has added water and gators!
5
When I read articles like this, I keep thing of all those "little people" down in WV, etc. who voted for Trump. The people who can't afford to get their teeth fixed (much less go to the doctor), who find their lives going no place, who can't see a better future for their children. How do they feel about this guy getting millions because he can provide access to trump?
8
This moment begs for a quick comparative illustration of what "lawyer-ing up" actually means.
In this corner, we have Avenatti. Brilliant, informed, precise, industrious, intuitive, dogged, invested, fearless, frank, passionate, eloquent, confident, and truthful.
In this corner, Giuliani. Enough said.
6
Avenetti is just so bright and shiny. And he always looks so happy. Justifiably. Why don't I ever get Trump and Cohen as opposing parties?
This is going to be big. And I wonder where the information came from .... has Putin's disappointment with Trump motivated him to put out there some tidbits of troubling information about Trump, his "fixer", and the election?
The Russians were depositing money into Cohen's account to help Trump win an election (i.e., to "fix" those troublesome little issues that pop up every now and then) - how does that not horrify and anger his base and his fellow GOP'ers?
Can anything this president does or says be trusted? He's into the Russian mob, he's cowtowing to their demands, and if he doesn't then watch out Donald, Vladimir's going to spoil your day.
3
Question: does the NYTimes and other major news organization seek out a response from any Democrats to this ongoing and burgeoning mess? I ask because I can't recall seeing even one comment from either the DNC or a wannabe Democratic Presidential candidate whenever anything about Trump, Cohen, Pruitt et al appears.
Or, another question: is there no reporting on reaction from Democrats or the DNC because they don't have anything to say? That, in my mind, is a far worse situation.
Our nation desperately needs a political counterweight to the Trump regime's monumental corruption and disgrace. Far as I can tell, however, no one in the opposition party is saying anything. A colossal mistake,
3
"Only the mob takes the fifth" takes on new meaning.
3
Wow: We worry about addiction to opioids and similar substances in our community, when there seems to be a more dangerous and pernicious disorder present: Cash Abuse Disorder, or CAD for short.
2
Citizen's united decision by the supreme court strikes again.
Allowing unrestricted money into US politics and election in a a global economy allows foreign governments to legally send money through corporations and Oligarchs into the American politics. European corportions, North Korean, Saudi, Russian, Chinese, etc etc. can all legally put money into the US Elections for the purpose of "consulting', on the American ways and laws. The thing speaks for itself.
American politics is now spending more time on finding out who is paying who for what rather than what the country and its people need. The citizens are united.
I think Mr. Trump should re-evaluate his relationship with Mr. Cohen. There is a great opportunity here for Michael. Given the way he successfully generates cash, cash and more cash, why not give him the task of paying off the nation's debt?
Too unrealistic? Well, okay, start with the wall. Virtually everyone knows that the boss wants a wall so this would be a great opportunity to earn a spot back in Washington because "he misses boss so much" (his words, not mine). And, for every entity wanting Trump's admiration, what a perfect opportunity to do so. Just write a check to one of Michael's many slush funds....
Believe me.
2
Please. We need far more than Trump’s tax returns, which not for one single minute would I trust to be true and accurate. I don’t know what can possibly convince decent law-abiding Trump supporters that they voted for and continue to support a liar and con man. Ditto re his cabal and cronies, including the Senate-approved Cabinet. From the minute of Trump’s election and the immediate dismantling of laws to preserve the environment, disregard for hard-won diplomatic relations, contempt for the First Amendment, the denigration of women, the disabled, immigrants, etc. I have wanted someone (like the very rational Obama) to come out regularly with flowcharts to show how wrong Trump et al are. Trump does not even believe in a “greater good,” but instead only what is beneficial to him. Of course he has profited financially from this high office, and unless he ends up in jail, and the biggest loser ever, he will go away gloating and even wealthier. Honestly, this makes me so sick at heart.
4
This is just a conspiracy theory masquerading as news. We must now endure a constant drum beat of "linked to" and "tied to" as every tangential connection becomes hope of the every elusive smoking gun. Trump probably has a closer connection to Kevin Bacon than he does to the Russian Oligarch mentioned in the headline. Mr. Cohen used a shell company to conduct business transactions, which in and of itself is not illegal. The Times breathlessly informs us that the business activities of the shell company "went far beyond what was publicly known." Even a publicly held company has its secrets. A shell company is by design secretive. So the shell company served its presumably legitimate purpose. Apparently an investment firm paid the shell company $500,000. The investment firm has a client who is a Russian oligarch, and he is the investment firm's biggest client, which is not surprising since Russian oligarch's are among the richest people in the world and need investment firms to manage their money. There is no evidence that the Russian oligarch had anything to do with the Columbus Nova payments to Essential Consultants. So where is Trump in all this? Oh that's right he is a client of Mr. Cohen, four degrees of separation from the Russian Oligarch. Yet, a former American president, whose wife was Secretary of State at the time, actually did receive $500,000 from a Russian bank, and you don't need make any insinuations to get there.
2
this sounds a lot like what the podesta brothers were doing on behalf of hillary clinton; how quickly we forget!!
Do none of the sycophants who reflexively belch this line of argument realize that it's key premise is that both Clinton and Trump are criminals?
1
The FBI interviewed Vekselberg a couple of months ago. Obviously, they had information about payments he made through Columbus Nova and interviewed him about them. And they surely have long since subpoenaed the accounts of Columbus Nova, which may have led them to Vekselberg. Bottom line, it is 99% certain that the FBI has known about all the payments referenced here for months. And there have been no charges brought against anyone based on the information.
There is no information from an FBI source in this article and no indication that the Times talked to anyone in law enforcement. If they had, most likely they would have learned that there is nothing here that warrants criminal charges and the Times is just pretending to be a private eye. The FBI may not have talked to the Times, but their actions speak loud and clear. None of this has been determined to be criminal.
1
I think perhaps we all have to wait for the final report.
1
Sounds like a amateur version of the Clinton Foundation. In any event, I'll wait for the facts. The media has a very poor track record of getting ahead of themselves when it comes to Trump.
1
Over 3000 falsehoods from Trump since he took office. But you are entitled to trust who you wanna.
A great behind the scenes glimpse at dirty American politics. The corruption and lies in this administration are so blatant and outrageous. But we need to tell our children to "be best" -- come on, Really?
1
More evidence of zero contacts with Russia????
This is but one small reason why Trump has been warning Mueller to say away from the Trump organization's financial affairs. He appears to be intertwined with the Russian mob. His real business acumen is about that of the owner of a lemonade stand (and that is maligning lemonade stand owners) but he has associates that are highly skilled at laundering money. If one dug deep enough, it is possible that Trump is a key money launderer for Putin and his Russian mob oligarchs since Trump's empire is spread all over the world and has a whiff of legitimacy. Trump is going to wish that he had never run for the Presidency. The NYT is getting close to the truth. Keep digging!
7
To all the blindly loyal Trump followers out there: I believe, if you just take the blinders off and open your eyes, the swamp has been drained. And pumped into swimming pools placed behind fences. It's still there. He hid it from you. And just in case you were wondering, which apparently you are not, the Russians and big American corporations are preventing you from being heard. Exactly what you were told would not be happening. I know, I know they all do it. But that is not what you have been saying all along. This time was going to be different. So, how is that any different from what you claim you vote against? Keep telling yourself that Trump is not indebted to the Russians. Somehow, someway you will find a way to rationalize behavior you abhor. The Republican philosophy. It's only wrong when it's the other side doing it.
4
How's your swamp....?
2
Elliot Ness put Al Capone away for Tax Evasion. Gotta wonder how long before Mueller subpoenas Trump's tax returns.
It would probably be a good idea to do that before some clumsy low level clerk accidentally shreds them all....
2
They are all dirty, all of them. Setting up shell companies like this just point out you have something to conceal. Dealing Russian mobsters means you are on the take. What a swill.
4
Who benefits the most of Trumps withdrawal from the nuclear deal?
The big winner is Putin. Is there any doubt for anybody that Putin is behind the Trump's so-called victory in 2016?
3
Of course he did. When is this going to come crashing down?
Probably never, because Republicans in the Congress won't let it (and the gerrymandering is too extreme).
4
When Avenatti looked into the camera a week ago and said, "This president will end up having to resign." I turned to my husband and said, "He has the goods."
He does.
Like Ackerman, I knew the moment they raided Cohen's house, office, and hotel room that no prosecutor in the world was going to sign off on that subpoena for a payment to a porn star.
They didn't.
If our electorate still does not grasp or pretends to not grasp the enormity of this, there may be no rescuing ourselves. Why? Because it will mean the urge to willfully bury our collective head in the sand --this bizarre craving for stasis, inertia and inaction --trumps our right to justice. Our recalcitrant and complicit Congress has helped cultivate this extraordinarily dangerous milieu where many would rather shrug in the face of grotesque criminal wrongdoing than act or even respond.
What is so powerfully strange about this bombshell is that every piece on the board during the campaign--dirty money, bad business deals, womanizing, cheating, the refusal to show tax returns--is what is now converging to bring DJT down.
Which makes his election the penultimate reductio ad absurdum. That a woman wronged may end up helping to bring him down because a smart lawyer knew that "way leads unto way" and that "following the money" could only lead to mass corruption, collusion, and, yes, treason is too perfect for words. It is what it always was and only could be.
Corrupt.
1254
Wishful thinking!! Avenatti is an opportunist in the same league as Cohen. He is colluding with Stormy to prolong their 15 minutes of fame and spotlight. Cohen may be guilty of financial crimes but there is zero connection to Trump.
4
...I agree wholeheartedly. But let's not forget that those who "knew" Trump the best, Manhattanites, gave 90% of their votes to Clinton. And frankly, to be perfectly blunt, Trump never hid his true self in those books he purportedly "wrote". He used the term "hyperbole" to really mean his willingness to repeatedly lie, lie, lie and misrepresent everything that he could in his businesses in order to scam, fleece, steal, etc. He is the ultimate conman, now using his office to extract as much money as he can before his fall.
115
Thanks for this concise summary of our collective insanity. The rabbit hole is deep.
83
Devin Nunes worked very hard to make sure this info would not be made public. How much did he get out of it?
7
Trump pulled out of the Iran deal just in time to prevent this from being the top news - and it worked
4
I guess I was naive and thought our form of government was democracy, not oligarchy. Thanks for opening my eyes.
4
Investigative journalist Paul Klebnikov, American, lifelong Manhattanite, scion of a storied 'White' Russian émigré clan, was assassinated in 2004 for calling attention to the takeover of Russian government institutions by members of Soviet-vintage criminal networks. That murder was never thoroughly prosecuted. Fourteen years later, those same criminal networks, now fully globalized, were (are) actively engaged in what amounts to a hostile takeover of the US government. So immense is their arrogance (crooks are always both arrogant & stupid; if they were actually clever they would make money in lawful ways) that they believed they could get away with such a massive heist.
It should now be painfully obvious to all, including the powerful Murdoch family & their media empire, that defending any individuals who made common cause with the Russian-speaking mob (that includes Armenians, Chechens, Georgians, Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Ukrainians, etc.) is a colossal waste of time & effort. It is also likely to leave one with a shredded reputation, discredited for generations, not to mention massive legal bills.
This is no longer a complicated case based on conjecture or circumstantial evidence. Digital records are indelible.
We are all now defined by which side we are on.
6
This gives you the mirror that South Americans showed you so many years and you didn't want to look into.
2
1. What is Avenatti's source? Is there any reason to believe him?
2. If the reports are accurate, it looks like lots of companies paid money to this firm. Were they all Putin fronts, including Novartis, Korea Aerospace, etc? In short, this story sounds like a highly misleading hit-job, which the Times reporters bought, hook, line and sinker.
1
Yes, there is reason to believe him. He averred these things in pleadings over his own name and he wants to keep his license.
Giuliani is not a normal lawyer. Don't be fooled.
It's high time our justice department looks at all of these types of companies. Also it should be a law that corporations have to list their REAL address. Our cell phone industry is famous for changing it's corporate address sometimes once a month just to make sure no one can contact them in a meaningful way. Most if not all corporations are like that including the corrupt banking industry. What we really need is to concentrate heavily on white collar crime and no more fines for big corporations instead we should take a gross percentage and THAT will make things change fast.
2
Cohen used Essential Consultants L.L.C. for multiple purposes over the course of years, The article falls extremely short in connecting the payments to Trump. I doubt that Cohen is the only politically connected attorney to use a shell company to funnel payments to others.
He's no intellectual mastermind just a run of the mill slep carving out a living. I would not be surprised if Mueller gets the rug pull out from under him on this . Attorney client privilege is extremely sacred ground. All in, there is no smoking gun incriminating Trump.
2
Not yet. When Mueller is done we will all know the score. Our insatiable need for quick conclusions , like a tv episode must be put aside. Most criminal investigations of financial impropriety and in this case potential undue influence by a foreign power take years. I am patient to await the conclusion.
I'm sure Trump's hands are completely clean and he just got very unlucky in his choice of a personal lawyer.
1
Just out of curiosity, will the price and volume of Russian petroleum sales go up if Trump reinstates sanctions on Iran?
I'm sure its just another "coincidence"....
7
Seriously?! Huge global companies like AT&T and Novartis contract for the services of a one-man company that was so newly formed at the time that it still had that new car smell? With no purpose but a direct link to the president, or tidbits of insider info they could use for whatever legislative needs? And we are expected to believe that none of that money found its way into Trump’s pockets? There’s no way that Michael Cohen, the world’s biggest sycophant, would keep it all for himself, nor would Trump let him. This situation screams graft, money laundering and fraud. It has become painfully obvious that whatever evil Trump and Cohen did before the election has continued unabated since and has probably increased tenfold. Lordy, I hope there are tapes.
11
"But her emails", right?
This is the most crooked administration in history.
17
But Trump & his GOP abettors did get a $800 billion tax cut for themselves (at the expense of health care for the needy). Is that what is meant by Self Help ?
Can we vote NOW.
2
Novartis spent ten million in lobbying last year in the US this article shows. Ten million just from one company. Novartis is a foreign company. Novartis can’t contribute to campaigns of US politicians. But Novartis can give the money to a lobbyist that is a US citizen. Then that lobbyist contributes to campaigns. The politicians then use that money to buy advertising to get elected. Nobody is stopping this practice. Instead the congressman who take this lobbying money pretend to be shocked that Russia ran some Facebook ads. Complete hypocrisy
17
Shareholders, i.e. individuals, should be paid dividends, and decide for themselves who, if anyone to support politically with the money. Corporations are not people. This is the policy the Trumpists are forcing onto labor unions.
1
what "consulting" did he provide? Advice on investing in taxi medallions with skeevy characters?
4
Who still isn't convinced Russia has something on Trump and not just the alleged 'hotel debauchery' tape.
9
No wonder he eats from random McDonald's out of fear of being poisoned. That fear is probably the one rational thought that crosses what is left of his brain, on any given day.
2
Logically it sounds like Trumps Attorney set up a consulting company for the sole purpose of selling information related to Trump. Considering Cohen was Trumps Attorney and had access to his entire life good and bad, that is pretty sketchy.
Conservatives are of the opinion collectively, that nothing at all occurred. Liberals are of the opinion that Trump for some reason that is not explained, needed less than a million dollars in cash and used his attorney to launder it.
2
Well played, Michael Avenatti.
16
Of course he did.
1
Sounds like the kind of stuff Jack Abramoff went to prison for. These guys are not nearly as smart as they think they are. A close look & the crimes become pretty obvious.
5
Makes me wonder 2 things
1) How did people/corporations know to deposite money to Michael Cohen's account.
2) Was this racketeering or a pay for play service? Surely the FBI need to pay a visit to AT&T and Novartis offices.
12
What kind of cause does the IRS or FBI need to audit the president? There’s no way this loser’s books are clean. May the fixer’s raid open The Apprentice WH front door.
8
For someone who claimed he had nothing to do with Russia; "Russians" seem to be everywhere. Maybe Trump is trying to do a "What the definition of is is" type thing "I didn't say Russians" I said "Russia".
In any case treason is still treason even if it is done for money. We now have to deal with the real specter of Putin having a hand in every decision both foreign and domestic.
Disable the FBI and the Russian Mob gets a free hand; Fire US attorneys and prosecutions get set back; pull troops out of south Korea and leave a vacuum with our allies exposed; kill the Iran deal and cause a further rift with Europe and a bigger mess in the Mid East. These could all be Putin constructs and the most screwed up thing about it is they are all in the realm of possibilities and we can't really know. This scheme could go all the way back to the Birther moment or even the Atlantic City Days. The KGB could simply have gone Chapter 11 and reconstituted itself as the greatest mafia ever known with Putin as its head and our president their money laundering stooge who's soul is on it's fourth or fifth mortgage and 100% quick claim deeded to the devil.
8
My god, what a tangled web! So this is the way the world works?
While we peons scratch for crumbs, the high and mighty take advantage of every available dirty 'opportunity' that very few could even envision exist.
Very, very sad.
8
Don't forget, all the lawmakers looking the other way while this destroys America are going to get healthcare for life on our dime. Despite their lack of accomplishment, representation and basic human decency the past 10 years in Congress.
3
While nothing illegal may have occurred here, the sums of money being thrown at anyone even vaguely connected to the WH and its power must surely concern everyone.
It’s clear that, like far too many other countries, the US is a polity for wealth and power, it’s got very little to do with the people!
4
Hear that sound? Something's hitting the fan...
8
Better put Cohen in protective custody or he’s as good as dead. The Russians don’t fool around and he knows too much. Nothing is too slimy for Trump to do.
17
All these monies people are making easily left right and center, and yet, I can't even find a decent job.
How unfair this life is...
3
Trump has the power to tweet stocks up and down. There must be other Michael Cohens handling investments who are forewarned of Trump's antics. Buy Att, I'll approve the merger. Sell wash post. Buy oil stocks, Iran conflict on the way! This is the pump & dump presidency.
3
I am sure Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller has Trump's taxes and those of everyone in his "inner circle." Just a matter of time until the subpoenas are issued.
15
Somewhat complicated financial chicanery that to this simple minded observer adds up to one thing: slush fund funded by entities wanting to get preferential treatment. Am I wrong? Seems like there is a felony hiding in there somewhere.
6
i think this is going to turn into a scratch and sniff bonanza, some lucky journo is going to turn up a real stinker with a trail leading to Donald's door.
9
It really doesn’t pass the smell test. I wonder if money was routed to Trump businesses or the Trump campaign.
9
I did not realize that Donald was so hard up for cash that he needed Russian help to pay off a porn star.
13
I had thought that tearing up the Iran agreement would put the Stormy story off the front pages, but Cohen has rescued Stormy from the back pages. Congrats, Cohen. Or something.
3
Or Avenetti was concerned that Stormy was going to be pushed to back pages, so he released these documents now. He knows he has no real case and is trying to get it tried in court of public opinion to get a settlement.
"The Gambino Family was one of several families we engaged in early 2017 to provide insights into understanding how the new administration does business,” the statement said. “They did no legal or lobbying work for us, and the paper bags filled with hundreds ended in December 2017.”
8
What everyone is forgetting is that Michael Cohen became the deputy national finance chairman of the Republican National Committee in April, 2017. This goes much deeper than the Presidency. The Russians are financing the entire Republican Party. Congressional Republicans remain silent and do nothing because they are all complicit.
16
Good point. They all drank from the same well.
2
At least Citizens United didn't give these corporate "people" the right to vote.
Make this November count. You never know what the next version of our Supreme Court might do.
7
Is this how Trump does all his "winning"? There's a old saying, you don't have to drink the entire ocean to know what it tastes like - how long and after how much irreparable damage to our country before the GOP realizes this is not a tenable situation??
7
Keep that football far far away from Trump. I do believe he would go nuclear before he would suffer jail and the destruction of his “empire.”
4
No matter how many felonies are uncovered, congress will never impeach Trump because 67 senators are required. And now that bulldog AG Eric Schneiderman is gone, Trump has nothing to fear from NY state law violations which cannot be pardoned.
The root of all evil stems back to the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision which unleashed unprecedented amounts of $$ to affect elections. Thx to CU, Super PACs can accept unlimited contributions from corporations. CU also triggered a boom in political activity by tax-exempt "dark money" organizations that don't have to disclose their donors.
Bottom line? The executive & legislative branches of the US gov is bought and paid for. The future of our democracy depends upon a porn star and her capable attorney.
I propose Ms. Daniels get the Nobel Peace Prize if her efforts remove the worst war monger to ever infect the WH & expose the sordid underbelly of the US electoral system.
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Schneiderman's replacement will be a bulldog. New Yorkers hate Trump.
2
So basically this is money for access and to be moved to the top of the list for government contracts and Trump business. ... Bribes ... just the tip of the iceberg ...
5
Maybe I misunderstand how this works but doesn't it seem like its time for a second separate special prosecutor to deal with the potential Cohen/Trump financial crimes?
I have to admit I would like to see something like that just to watch Devin Nunes head explode.
10
The SDNY seems to have it under control so far.
I'm sure that if Obama's lawyer had this arrangement the Republicans wouldn't consider impeachment for him, either....
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Can we finally call that corruption?
7
"You know, we always called each other goodfellas. Like you said to, uh, somebody, 'You're gonna like this guy. He's all right. He's a good fella. He's one of us.' You understand? We were goodfellas. Wiseguys." --Henry Hill, explaining the use of the term "goodfellas" in the movie of the same name by Martin Scorsese
""So I just heard that they broke into the office of one of my personal attorneys – a good man." That would be Michael Cohen, of course.
Scott Pruitt: "A good man."
Of Steve Bannon: ""I like him. He's a good man. He is not a racist, I can tell you that."
Of Sheriff Joe Arpaio: “He is a good man. He is not a racist.”
Of Michael Flynn: ""He's a general, he's a — in my opinion — a very good person." Also, “He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.”
"Tom Price is a very good man."
Of Cory Lewandowski: “He’s a good guy. He’s a friend of mine.”
“Paul Ryan’s a good guy, actually.”
Mike Pence: “He’s a good guy.. He’s been a great ally of mine and a great friend.”
"Reince Priebus, a good man."
“I like Ben [Carson] a lot. He’s a good guy.”
Kanye West: "Good man."
Xi Jinping: “I have a very good relationship with him. He is a good guy.”
Special accolades are reserved for Vladimir Putin: "[Putin] could not have been nicer. He was so nice and so everything... And so smart."
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In the 1980s I used to read a lot of Sidney Sheldon novels and enjoyed them but thought the "dark power" and behind the scenes manipulations were just the imagination of the author. I currently feel like we are in the midst of a Sidney Sheldon novel, and it is not nearly as entertaining as when I thought it was fictional.
Where are the good guys/girls to save the day?
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Wow, this is really shady stuff - If any of this money from the Russian's is linked to trump, this could be another huge finding.
4
A lot of money, some from Russia, went into a pool where it was all co-mingled, and Trump used money from that pool, ergo it *is* (present tense, not subjunctive) a huge finding.
1
Say it Rudy -- "The hush money wasn't campaign money. It was Russian money. No violation."
You're there just to spew-float ideas about Cohen and Stormy, Rudy. There's one for you.
5
As interesting as the source of the money will be the list of how the it was spent. Therein will be the jail time and who will serve it.
3
Great work by Mr Avenatti. I am starting to like this guy a lot. He seems to fill at least a portion of the vacuum created by our deeply complicit GOP Congress.
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Can you even imagine how the GOP Congress would be screaming if this happened with any Obama or Clinton aide?
Instead: Dead silence from our hypocrite “conservative values” elected lawmakers.
Why are the NYT, WaPo and CNN not staking out Ryan and McConnell 24/7 and forcing them to be accountable???
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The reason for the silence is that the RNC is up to its elephant trunk in pre election Russian largess--and Ryan and McConnell know it. Hey, Devin. The feds are coming for you.
1
The swamp was drained and replaced with more vulgar, unprincipled self-serving people who don’t care about ethical norms, environment, etc.
The only consolation is that this kind will not hesitate to throw Trump under the bus to save their own skin.
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My theory (just based on his body language) on this whole presidency of Trump has been all the time that it is just part of a big Ponzi scheme, that Trump is broke, that Putin knows it, and that Putin has taken/takes advantage of it, and that Trump is Putin's creature, that he is on his take. An apparently big success for Putin, causing a lot of mayhem and confusion! American institutions such as the judiciary seem to survive, but the GOP seems to fade away: could it be resurrected?
What an enormous waste of time, effort and attention. For Russia, for the US, for the whole world. Sad indeed!
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Without a doubt Robert Mueller & his team already have all of this information, including 45's tax returns, and are formulating the best plan. Maybe they'll get Cohen to flip and implicate 45. The day the deplorables in this administration are finally booted we can begin to rebuild our country. And throw a big party in celebration.
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Not just foreign money, but American corporations paying their dues...
Just what "work" did cohen do for AT&T? This is what corruption looks like. Sleazy.
It wasn't lawyer work... It was just "insight into the Trump Administration." I guess these people just couldn't manage enough rooms and uncharges from Trump properties.
Who else are they "getting insight from"?
8
AT&T says that with the $200,000 it paid Michael Cohen's consulting firm, it received only "insights into understanding the new administration."
But that's the way with all meritorious relationships. The more you pay, the more "insight" you hope to acquire.
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If I were AT&T, I would sue Cohen for not giving me good insight. Trump administration is stopping the purchase & merger of AT&T with Time-Warner. Didn't help AT&T one bit to pay out that money. Maybe they should all sue, because there was no way for Cohen to give insight into the man who changes his mind every few minutes. Maybe taking money under false pretenses.
1
It makes absolutely no sense. Why would these people, at a time when everybody was looking for Russian collusion, set up a phony LLC and receive money from a Russian oligarch???? Do these people have any brains in their head at all??? Why would Novartis feel it necessary to put 400K into a Trump porn star hush money slush fund??? THIS is fascism!!!! Please let Rudy explain!!!!
13
This is the usual kind of journalism we expect from the Washington Post, where horrifying headlines are followed by breathless allegations only learn, further down, buried in mid paragraph that they have ben made by a lawyer suing the President and no evidence has been provided to make them "fact."
The seems to be the new journalism of the 21st century, where reporters rush to outdo each other and have learned that their readers o not require facts or truth, believing very much is enough.
2
You don't read carefully. Pleadings don't include evidence but the NYT was able to confirm the majority of the averments.
And unlike Mr. Giuliani, Mr. Avenetti is not an incompetent sleazeball.
2
This is absolute craziness and I'm dumbfounded by the American people going about their business like this is nothing. Call your representatives and voice your concern before its too late.
22
Unless your representative happens to be a Republican like, say, Devin Nunes, who is up to his hairline in Russian money.
This is how we bribe public officials in the new world. We clever. We pay guys like this instead of the politicians themselves. Clever, right?
5
Beethoven’s 5th Symphony: Fate knocking on the door!
4
If it isn't yet obvious to all but the most compromised, Trump's got his fingers in a lot of cookie jars.
It's time to put him in handcuffs.
25
I thought Cohen said he only had 3 clients? Now the numbers are far more than that... This guy is a compulsive liar. And a bad compulsive liar at that...
13
Apparently three legal clients and half dozen or so other ones. It was primarily reported as just the legal clients.
Of course, that doesn't answer what he was purportedly doing for those clients...of either type.
1
This story contains clues which lead into some dark web stuff. Stay tuned America.
Add the names of David Bossie, Corey Lewandowski and a few other contemporary deep-state characters, and we will have the makings of the greatest ever spy-intrigue-crime-story which implicates other, you-know-who, real-time historical players.
Mueller seems to know the ending already.
19
So the money came from Russia and not some home equity line?
26
New version for Giuliani: The Russians paid Stormy Daniels, Trump had nothing to do with the payment!
21
The article I want to read is the one where someone reveals how they changed votes in several key states. Then remove the whe lousy administration and swear Hillary Clinton in. I know there is no way to do this with the constitution. That is why we have amendments.
I am just so sick of trump, his people and all the news about this mess.
19
Nobody is more responsible for this fiasco than James Comey. That move to whack Hillary with the computer of Anthony Weiner at the height of early voting was a demonstration of use of sexual misconduct against a political candidate by association. No wonder Trump was worried about the impact of his dalliance with a porn star on the public's perception of him.
1
What if Obama's private lawyer was receiving loads of cash from various companies with ties to Russian oligarchs and/or with business before the government? Then some of that money was used to pay off a porn actress weeks before the election? What would a reasonable person assume? What would Fox news have to say about this? The Republicans in Congress?
We are witnessing the undoing and corruption of our democracy by a con man and his complicit Republican partners. Anyone with eyes to see could judge the low character of this man well in advance of the election.
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