BREAKING: @ATT confirms payments to Cohen LLC

[deminks]

Link to tweet

Full Stmt: “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”

a little more:


http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/08/media/att-michael-cohen-consulting-payments/index.html

A document released by Avenatti stated that "Essential received $200,000 in four separate payments of $50,000 in late 2017 and early 2018 from AT&T."

[PoliticAverse]

1. "insights into understanding" - is that what they're calling it now? n/t

[Squinch]

3. Uh huh. Pay to play, clear as day.

[Stallion]

2. Oh My-This is Just the tip of the Iceberg

if AT&T is willing to admit within hours

[Leghorn21]

8. Yes indeed, Stallion!! I am so leery, as are many of us, of breaking this and breaking that (NEWS)

but when AT&T comfirmed Avenatti in a matter of HOURS?!?

OH HELL YEAH!!!

[BumRushDaShow]

13. Yes - see this thread for others

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210591923

(Novartis, Korea Aerospace Industries LTD., Columbus Nova LLC)

[RockRaven]

4. So AT&T bribed Donald Trump

through Michael Cohen. Got it.

[XRubicon]

5. So this is why my cell bill is so high...

Those are some pretty steep bribes.

So who's going to jail for this?

[Gothmog]

6. Here is more

Link to tweet

[malaise]

7. Look for Wilbur Ross

when the shit hits the fan any day now

[Nevernose]

9. Let me get ATT's story straight:

They paid Michael Cohen $200,000 with the express intention of him NOT doing any work for them?

Is that what's in that Tweet? Because that’s what I’m reading.

[Igel]

28. "Legal or lobbying."

I guess there might be some work that falls outside those two classifications, but I really can't think of any right now.



Then again, the closest to a "legal worker" that I know right now is a policeman. I haven't really been on speaking terms with a lobbyist since my student government days when the USSA had a paid organizer/lobbyist around to recruit people for and organize "grass roots" protests in support of what USSA said students should be protesting for and against.

[NightWatcher]

10. Why did they pay the shell LLC? They attempted to conceal.

I bet the Feds got some good shit from his office.

[BumRushDaShow]

14. See this thread

Novartis paid money into Cohen's bank account right before meeting w/ Trump at Davos

Also included in these suspicious financial transactions are four payments in late 2017 and early 2018 totaling $399,920 made by global pharmaceutical giant Novartis directly to Essential in four separate transactions of $99,980 each (just below $100,000). Following these payments, reports surfaced that Mr. Trump took a dinner meeting with the incoming CEO of Novartisbefore Mr. Trump’s speech
at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in late January 2018.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210591923

[NCTraveler]

15. I'm not sure they are shell companies.

At least not in the historical sense.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=10592144

If so, this will involve a lot more people. I’d be interested to know when Epstein left.

[BumRushDaShow]

16. They are not

but they are doing a pay to play sending money to Cohen's shell.

[NCTraveler]

17. Do you know when Judith Millers husband...

Stepped down as partner from Columbus?

[BumRushDaShow]

22. Some interesting speculation on that here

(gamer site)

Readers will recall that it was widely reported that investment firm Columbus Nova bought SOE from Sony in 2015. In fact, in the original announcement on February 2nd, 2015, John Smedley himself said exactly that: “Today, we are pleased to announce that we have been acquired by Columbus Nova, an investment management firm well known for its success with its existing portfolio of technology, media and entertainment focused companies.” That wasn’t just Smed talking it up; here’s the original press release, complete with quote from Epstein.

The company has seen multiple Columbus Nova representatives cycle through leadership positions in the last three years. It is not clear when exactly Columbus Nova, Daybreak, and Jason Epstein severed ties. As MOP commenters have pointed out, Bloomberg still lists Epstein as a managing partner at Columbus Nova, though Epstein’s personal Linkedin claims he left at the end of 2017. We have reached out to Daybreak again for clarification. -Bree

Update #2

Daybreak tells us that its original press statements about Columbus Nova acquiring Daybreak were an error on the part of the company and that it is correcting that error now.

“It was current executive chairman Jason Epstein, former senior managing partner of Columbus Nova that acquired Daybreak, not Columbus Nova itself. That distinction was never corrected in the past, so we are correcting that now,” a Daybreak spokesperson told us.

MOP commenters have pointed out that a Wikipedia account called Daybreakpr was blocked earlier this month – right around the time the sanctions were announced – for editing the Daybreak wikipedia entry to reiterate the claim that Epstein, not CN, has always owned the company. -Bree

http://massivelyop.com/2018/04/24/daybreaks-russian-parent-companys-assets-are-frozen-by-the-u-s-government/

[hughee99]

30. Is that why someone pays an LLC instead of making the direct payment, to conceal it? n/t

[marylandblue]

11. I can provide insights into the administration

It's a total disaster. Bigly. Disgusting.

Where's my $200,000?

[lpbk2713]

12. Contract ... riiight.

Call it what it is. Slush money.

I'm sure there are more. They just haven't been caught yet.

[Blue_Tires]

18. Good old-fashioned mafia-style shakedown and payoff??

Am I the only one who remembers when shit like this was scandal-worthy and actually ended political careers??

[lpbk2713]

21. And businesses involved were subject to Congressional investigation.

Now it is so accepted it doesn't even raise eyebrows.

[stuffmatters]

19. At&T $200,000 bribe to Trump was to end Net Neutrality is my read

[Ilsa]

24. Nailed. And the pharmaceutical company

paid to protect its interests with Medicare Part D and all other regulation of price-gouging transactions and operations.

[stuffmatters]

26. Absolutely.

[UCmeNdc]

20. Kickback

Corruption

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

23. Kick

[asiliveandbreathe]

25. WOW! - AT&T - really?? REALLY?? - It is an effing shell co..and not even a co..it's a

LLC - let's see the contract??? Someone here - mentioned good old-fashioned shake down..bribe for Net Neutrality....

"provide insights into understanding the new administration" - WWWWWWHHHHHAAAAAAT? - BS

[PubliusEnigma]

27. Uh Oh! Looks like Cohen paid Stormy from the same trough of slop he kept Trump's bribes in

[JDC]

29. Access to F over Net Neutrality. The corruption is everywhere

And with everyone in this admin or that even comes close to it.

Its like going into a bar that allows smoking for just 30 seconds to see if a friend is inside, then stepping outside when you can't find them; you immediately realize the your clothes are ruined for the night and need an immediate wash from the overwhelming smell of cigarette smoke.

no insult to smokers intended....