AT&T paid President Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen specifically to advise the telecom company on its proposed $85.4 billion merger with Time Warner, according to a report by the Washington Post, citing internal documents obtained by the newspaper.
The report states that Cohen’s $600,000 deal with AT&T detailed the nature of the work he was to provide to the company, including focusing on specific long-term planning initiatives and immediate issues regarding corporate tax reform and the Time Warner acquisition.
Representatives for AT&T did not immediately return requests for comment, nor did Michael Cohen’s lawyer Stephen Ryan.
A spokeswoman for AT&T told TheWrap in a statement that: “Essential Consultants was one of several firms we engaged in early 2017 to provide insights into understanding the new administration.