Ukraine Paid Cohen $400k to Book Meeting With Trump

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko speaks at a press conference during his meeting with Georgian President Georgy Margvelashvili in Tbilisi, Georgia, 18 July 2017. Petro Poroshenko is on an official visit to Georgia.  (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko speaks at a press conference during his meeting with Georgian President Georgy Margvelashvili in Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, July 18, 2017. Poroshenko is on an official visit to Ge... Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko speaks at a press conference during his meeting with Georgian President Georgy Margvelashvili in Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, July 18, 2017. Poroshenko is on an official visit to Georgia. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov) MORE LESS
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The BBC is reporting that after being kept at arms length by the White House, the President of Ukraine paid Michael Cohen at least $400,000 to arrange a meeting between the President Poroshenko and Trump.

Key detail from BBC report …

Cohen was brought in, he said, because Ukraine’s registered lobbyists and embassy in Washington DC could get Poroshenko little more than a brief photo-op with Trump. Poroshenko needed something that could be portrayed as “talks”.

This senior official’s account is as follows – Poroshenko decided to establish a back channel to Trump. The task was given to a former aide, who asked a loyal Ukrainian MP for help.

He in turn used personal contacts in a Jewish charity in New York state, Chabad of Port Washington. This eventually led to Michael Cohen, the president’s lawyer and trusted fixer. Cohen was paid $400,000.

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