WaPo: AT&T Paid Cohen For Advice On $85 Billion Time Warner Merger

FILE - In this Oct. 19, 2009 file photo, the AT&T logo is on display at a RadioShack store in Gloucester, Mass. AT&T says it is buying DirecTV for $95 per share, or $49 billion, a move that gives the telecommunicatio... FILE - In this Oct. 19, 2009 file photo, the AT&T logo is on display at a RadioShack store in Gloucester, Mass. AT&T says it is buying DirecTV for $95 per share, or $49 billion, a move that gives the telecommunications company a larger base of video subscribers and increases its ability to compete against Comcast and Time Warner Cable, which agreed to a merger in February. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole, File) MORE LESS
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AT&T paid Trump fixer Michael Cohen $600,000 for advice on its multibillion-dollar proposed merger with Time Warner, the Washington Post reported Thursday citing internal documents.

Trump opposed the merger on the campaign trail, and the Department of Justice is currently in the middle of a lawsuit to stop it, the Post noted.

AT&T acknowledged paying Cohen this week after Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for adult film star Stormy Daniels, alleged that the company had made the payments to the same shell company Cohen used to pay hush money to Daniels.

Combined with payments from other entities, Cohen made millions of dollars in the months following the presidential election from companies seeking his political and policy advice — seemingly an attempt to buy access or influence with the new President’s inner circle.

The Post specified that the documents made clear, though, that Cohen was not to spend any time contacting federal officials.

Cohen, according to the documents the Post reviewed, was hired to “focus on specific long-term planning initiatives as well as the immediate issue of corporate tax reform and the acquisition of Time Warner” as well as to “creatively address political and communications issues.”

The Post said AT&T did not contest the authenticity of the documents, which were reportedly signed by two public affairs executives at the company.

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  1. “AT&T paid Trump fixer Michael Cohen $600,000 for advice…”

    And Novartis paid him for medical advice.

    And KAI paid him for aerospace advice.

    And the Kremlin paid him for geopolitical advice.

    But I tell a lie: actually, they all paid Trump; Cohen was merely the pass-through.

    And Cohen’s failures to register as a lobbyist, to register as a foreign agent, and to disclose payments?

    Those are all federal crimes.

    And his failure to declare taxable income?

    Well, I think we all know exactly where this is headed for Cohen.

    And Trump.

    And Pence, and McConnell, and Ryan, and…

  2. Shake downs like the mob.

  3. And, please correct me if I’m wrong, but crimes of public corruption occurring while in office would be impeachable offenses.

    Bummer.

  4. Cohen … was hired to … “creatively address political and communications issues.”

    Well, we know that everyone in Trump world thinks anything that turns a profit is creative, creative of wealth. Didn’t know AT&T shared their POV with respect to pay to play, though it’s not surprising.
    It’s equally unsurprising that when Donnie railed against the US Foreign Corrupt Practices act, he was really thinking about the advantages he’d gain from changing those kinda laws here. He’s always worn his heart on his sleeve.

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