MOSCOW (AP) — The Kremlin on Wednesday confirmed that President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer reached out to them during the 2016 presidential campaign, seeking help for a business project in Russia.
In a statement to the House Intelligence Committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen said Monday the president’s company pursued a project in Moscow during the Republican primary. He said the plan was abandoned for various reasons.
President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters in Moscow on Wednesday that they received Cohen’s email, which was sent to the press office’s general email address. Peskov said it was one of many emails the Kremlin press office gets — since its email address is available online — and that the Kremlin did not reply to it.
Cohen said he worked on the real estate proposal with Felix Sater, a Russia-born associate who he said claimed to have deep connections in Moscow.
The discussions about a real estate deal in Moscow occurred in the fall of 2015, months after Trump had declared his presidential bid. They ended early in 2016 when Cohen determined that the project was not feasible, according to Cohen’s statement.
Cohen also disclosed that Trump was personally aware of the deal, signing a letter of intent and discussing it with Cohen on two other occasions.
Asked whether Putin had seen the email, Peskov said Wednesday that he “cannot discuss with President Putin the hundreds and thousands of various requests coming from different countries” that end up in that Kremlin mailbox.
Peskov said the press office did not reply to Cohen’s email because it “does not react to such business requests. It is not our job.”
I wonder, if Cohen knows something about all those “I’m a Nigerian Prince…” emails ?
“Peskov said it was one of many emails the Kremlin press office gets — since its email address is available online — and that the Kremlin did not reply to it.”
This is the point that Haberman the Fluffer was trying to focus on yesterday in one of her more blatant water carrying moves for this Administration.
It doesn’t matter whether he sent it directly to Peskov’s private email or not. He made the attempt to continue the project and enlist further Moscow support, at precisely the time that Trump was lying to everyone, saying he had no business or contact with Russia.
I definitely have the feeling that this WaPo story is just the start of something MUCH bigger being revealed. And I agree with Josh’s assessment that the Trump Org people are the ones leaking it because they want to get ahead of the bigger crapstorm that is coming, and try to get the first spin on things.
But if their spin is going to be “oh, he didn’t send it DIRECTLY to Peskov, he only sent it directly to Peskov’s office” , they aren’t going to get too far with that strategy.