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Trump’s lawyer Cohen received $500,000 from ‘Russia-linked’ firm
Essential Consultants LLC, a shell company set up by Michael Cohen, received $500,000 from Columbus Nova.
A shell company set up by US President Donald Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen to pay hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels is reported to have received $500,000 from an American firm with links to a powerful Russian businessman.
Columbus Nova, a New York-based investment firm which paid Essential Consultants LLC the $500,000, has as its most prominent client a company controlled by Viktor Vekselberg, a Russian billionaire considered close to the Kremlin.
Columbus Nova is run by Vekselberg’s cousin, Andrew Intrater, who had donated $250,000 to the Trump inauguration fund.
Essential Consultants LLC, also received payments from other firms with pending issues before the Trump administration. A total of $4.4 million is understood to have flowed through this company since Trump was sworn in.
Cohen used the same shell company to pay Daniels $130,000 in the run-up to the 2016 election to keep quiet about her claims of an affair with Trump.
These payments were first disclosed by Michael Avenatti, the lawyer representing Daniels. Several US news publications said they have independently verified these transactions. Cohen has not challenged reports of the new payments into the firm.
A lawyer for Columbus Nova has denied Vekselberg or his company Renova has ever had any contractual relationship with Cohen or Essential Consultants.
Vekselberg and his firm were among Russian entities sanctioned by the US in April for alleged meddling in the 2016 elections. He was interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller’s team at a US airport earlier this year.
