NBC News producer Michael Cappetta gets responses from both Novartis and AT&T:

[pnwmom]

Link to tweet

Michael Cappetta
?Verified account

@MCappetta

NEW: Pharma-Giant @Novartis spokesperson tells me "any agreements with Essential Consultants were entered before our current CEO taking office in February of this year and have expired."

According to @MichaelAvenatti, Novartis paid $399k to Michael Cohen's consulting firm.

Link to tweet

Breaking: Statement from @ATT about new allegations: “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.”

[madaboutharry]

1. That is rather lame.

Kind of like a kid blaming his brother for the broken lamp in the living room. “I swear Mom, it wasn’t me!”

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. and AT&T lied.

Actually, the payments were made in late 2017 and early 2018., not "early in 2017"
and one payment was made after they say the contract expired.


From the Exec. Summary:
VENATTI & ASSOCIATES, APC - PROJECT SUNLIGHT
Monies Received from AT&T
• October 3, 2017 – $50,000
• November 7, 2017 – $50,000
• December 5, 2017 – $50,000
• January 3, 2018 – $50,000

[C_U_L8R]

2. They're both in huge trouble

Who else has been giving payola to the Trumps?

[NightWatcher]

3. Essential was a fake company, only created to funnel money. What did att think they'd do for them?

This is a very transparent bribe and I expect to see resignations from att and possibly criminal prosecutions.

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. There are other chunks of money listed, in what clearly looks to be convoluted money laundering.

And other front companies Cohen set up..

Thus:

Possible Fraudulent and Illegal Financial Transactions

• Singapore. On July 14, 2016, Mr. Cohen cashed a check for $700.00 in Palm Beach County, Florida.
The originator of the check was KCS Outsourcing Solutions Pte Ltd.
(“KCS”), a provider of corporate services, including taxation advisory, auditing, and consulting services located in Singapore.

• On February 22, 2017, Mr. Cohen received another check from KCS for $2,998.00.


• Hungary. Mr. Cohen received two wire transfers totaling $10,980.00 from KOBE EVA KERESKEDELMI to an account in Singapore at DBS Bank.
- It is unclear what line of business KOBE EVA is engaged in. KOBE EVA may be a travel agency located in Budapest, Hungary. Third-party websites identify it as a retailer of newspapers and stationery items.

The remittances reference an invoice and a “Ms. Nikolett Vadja.”


•Malaysia & Canada. Mr. Cohen received a wire transfer in the amount of $4,250.00 from Actuarial Partners Consulting SDN BHD to an account in Toronto at Toronto Dominion Bank.

- Actuarial Partners is a provider of actuary services in Malaysia.
- Mr. Cohen utilized a Canadian address belonging to Blue Cloud Immigration Inc., a company that assists individuals seeking immigration to Canada and appears to have ties to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

• Taiwan. Mr. Cohen conducted a wire transfer from an account at Union Bank of Taiwan to an account at Bank of America in the amount of $675.00.

• Kenya & Israel. Mr. Cohen received one wire transfer in the amount of $980.00 from a Kenyan bank from accountholders Netanel Cohen and Stav Hayun to an account in Israel at Bank Hapoalim.

[NightWatcher]

10. I hope Cohen is under some kind of protection for his sake.

I'm actually shocked that Russia hasn't started cleaning up loose ends. The only reason maybe because they love the chaos that's coming down the pike for the US.

[dixiegrrrrl]

17. I said the same thing to Mr. Dixie yesterday.

Nothing to stop them, either. Hell, trump will probably help.

[jberryhill]

12. Kobe Eva has operations in Cyprus, incidentally

[canetoad]

9. Not only that

How did AT&T first connect with Essential? Look up 'Insight' consultants in the phone book?

[NightWatcher]

11. Att: how do we get a bribe to you? Cohen: send it here

Att: an LLC, how creative and smart of you
Cohen: I know right, it's how I take all kinds of bribes and pay off porn stars that don screws and or knocks up. You know, for a germaphobe, he hates wearing condoms.
Att: this is getting a little weird.

[GusBob]

4. Why would these companies admit to these payments so readily?

If they are bribes are they legally culpable for any punishment?

The information Avenetti has must be spot on accurate, I get that they can't deny it

But the fact that they are so quick to admit it, it sounds as if they feel as if they have done nothing wrong?

[mercuryblues]

13. they are trying to set the narrative

Don't let them. Pretty sure Cohen registered as a real estate consulting firm, not a political one.

[Freethinker65]

5. How insightful

[catbyte]

6. So how did they know about Essential Consulting in the first place?!? This reeks.

[pnwmom]

14. Because of Stormy Daniel's lawsuit asking to be released from her NDA.

Essential Consulting was one of the parties to the agreement -- Cohen signed on the LLC's behalf. Donald Trump was a third party, under the name David Dennison.

That's how the media came to know about it. But it's probable that the Mueller team already knew.

[catbyte]

15. I didn't word my question correctly--sorry. I wonder how Novartis & AT&T knew about Cohen's

little "business" so soon after he incorporated.

[pnwmom]

19. That is a KEY question and no one in the media has reported the answer.

How would they know about Essential Consultants if someone on Team Trump didn't point them in that direction?

[dixiegrrrrl]

16. Bank lobbyists, most likely.

A lot of people travel in the same circles, and all big businesses have ways of finding any resources they need, legal or otherwise.
Cohen has been on the sketchy side of the law for decades, and some of his family too. They know a guy who knows a guy, etc.
Plus, Cohen's father in law is close to the Russian oligarchs.

I love the fact that Uber and Lyft have cut into the cab business so much that Cohen's small fortune ( MILLIONS) of taxi medallions are diving in value. The idea that taxi drivers have to pay medallion owners 100.00 a night really frosts my cookies:

[pnwmom]

20. Not really. They reported themselves to the bank as a real estate consultant.

No reason for AT&T and Novartis to send money their way.

I bet they approached people on team Trump who pointed them in Cohen's direction.

[triron]

18. Someone on The 11th Hour hinted that the 'criminal' enterprise to be uncovered is much bigger

than we have any idea right now.