By Drew FitzGerald and Jonathan D. Rockoff
This article is being republished as part of our daily
reproduction of WSJ.com articles that also appeared in the U.S.
print edition of The Wall Street Journal (May 10, 2018).
Two companies made sizable bets they could gain access to the
Trump administration through President Donald Trump's personal
lawyer -- and now appear to have little to show for it but bad
publicity.
Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG and U.S. telecommunications giant
AT&T Inc. paid a combined $1.8 million for policy insights and
guidance to the private company used by Trump lawyer Michael
Cohen.
The amounts Novartis and AT&T paid to Mr. Cohen -- $1.2
million and $600,000, respectively -- were more than previously
known. Both said they have cooperated with special counsel Robert
Mueller's office.
The companies paid Mr. Cohen through the same vehicle he used in
October 2016 to direct $130,000 to the adult-film actress known
professionally as Stormy Daniels to stay silent about an alleged
sexual encounter with Mr. Trump in 2006. Messrs. Trump and Cohen
deny the encounter.
The public admissions by Novartis and AT&T are an
embarrassment for them. Both spent shareholder money on Mr. Cohen,
who appears to have produced little help. Yet if evidence later
surfaces that he materially assisted them, the companies will face
further scrutiny.
Companies routinely pay Washington advisers for strategic advice
on policy issues. The practice is more complicated in this case
because Mr. Cohen was operating as both strategic adviser and
personal lawyer to Mr. Trump.
Mr. Cohen declined to comment.
Federal investigators are examining the money Mr. Cohen received
and spent through his private company before and after the 2016
election to assess whether he violated any laws. Federal agents
raided his office, home and hotel room, gathering documents and
client communications he had with clients.
Novartis -- one of the world's largest drug companies by sales
-- paid Mr. Cohen's shell company, Essential Consultants LLC,
$100,000 a month for the 12 months ended in February, a Novartis
spokeswoman said.
The payments were stipulated by a one-year agreement with
Essential Consultants that Novartis pursued in the belief that Mr.
Cohen could advise "how the Trump administration might approach
U.S. health-care policy matters," such as the Affordable Care
Act.
Novartis first met with Mr. Cohen in March 2017. Afterward,
Novartis determined Essential Consultants wouldn't be able to
provide the health-care counsel the company had anticipated and
opted "not to engage further," the spokeswoman said. "As the
contract unfortunately could only be terminated for cause,
p"Payments continued to be made until the contract expired by its
own terms in February 2018," the spokeswoman said.
Novartis said it entered into the agreement with Essential
Consultants before Vas Narasimhan, who joined the company in 2005,
became chief executive. "He was in no way involved with this
agreement," the spokeswoman said.
Dr. Narasimhan had dinner with Mr. Trump and 15 other leaders of
European companies at the World Economic Forum in Davos,
Switzerland, in January. The dinner was "in no way related" to
Novartis's agreement with Essential Consultants, the company
spokeswoman said.
Novartis says on its website that it lobbies policy makers
around the world, including Washington. The company says it aims to
have a "constructive dialogue" to present its perspective and
provide "data and insights" that could be helpful in making
decisions.
Novartis said it was contacted by Mr. Mueller's office and
"provided all the information requested," adding: "Novartis
considers this matter closed."
AT&T said it made payments to Mr. Cohen's company in 2017
for "insights" into the administration at a time when it needed
government approval for an $85 billion takeover of Time Warner
Inc.
In a statement, AT&T said Essential Consultants was one of
several firms it engaged in early 2017 to "provide insights into
understanding the new administration." AT&T added: "They did no
legal or lobbying work for us, and the contract ended in December
2017."
The Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit in November
2017 to block AT&T's proposed merger with Time Warner. The two
sides have spent the past two months battling in federal court. The
deal's outcome is now in the hands of a federal judge, who is
expected to rule on June 12.
In a memo to employees Wednesday, AT&T said Mr. Cohen didn't
perform legal or lobbying work for the company, adding "it was not
until the following month in January 2018 that the media first
reported, and AT&T first became aware of, the current
controversy surrounding Cohen."
The Wall Street Journal first reported on the payment to Ms.
Clifford and on Mr. Cohen's use of Essential Consultants in January
2018.
It isn't clear whether Mr. Cohen provided any useful advice. The
Republican-led Federal Communications Commission has sided with big
telecom companies on issues including a December 2017 vote to
repeal Obama-era net-neutrality rules, though the Justice
Department sued to block the AT&T-Time Warner deal.
The FCC also has given up some of its authority on internet
privacy and argued the Federal Trade Commission should play a more
active role on that issue, a move AT&T has endorsed.
AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson never enjoyed a
friendly relationship with President Trump, though the two sat
together at a June 2017 White House technology summit.
The wireless company suffered a setback in November when
President Trump's antitrust enforcers at the Justice Department
sued to stop its $85 billion takeover of media Time Warner Inc.
AT&T executives had spent much of the past year confident that
they could clear the deal with few, if any, concessions to the
government.
AT&T said it was contacted in late 2017 by Mr. Mueller's
office regarding Mr. Cohen. The company said it cooperated and
provided all requested information to Mr. Mueller's team. "We have
received no additional questions from the Special Counsel's office
and consider the matter closed," a spokesman said Wednesday.
Write to Drew FitzGerald at andrew.fitzgerald@wsj.com and
Jonathan D. Rockoff at Jonathan.Rockoff@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 10, 2018 02:47 ET (06:47 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2018 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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