AT&T “cooperated fully” with special counsel Robert Mueller’s team in regards to information about the payments the telecommunications company made to President Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen.
“When we were contacted by the Special Counsel’s office regarding Michael Cohen, we cooperated fully, providing all information requested in November and December of 2017,” the company said in a statement Wednesday, according to Reuters.
“A few weeks later, our consulting contract with Cohen expired at the end of the year,” the statement continued. “Since then, we have received no additional questions from the Special Counsel’s office and consider the matter closed.”
AT&T paid an undisclosed amount to Essential Consultants, a company Cohen established to pay porn actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 right before the 2016 election in exchange for her silence on an alleged affair with Trump.
According to Daniels’ lawyer, Michael Avenatti, the company paid out a total of $200,000 in late 2017 and early 2018 — a time when the company was hoping the federal government would approve a merger with Time-Warner. The Trump administration blocked the AT&T-Time Warner merger in November.
AT&T confirmed Tuesday evening that the company hired Essential Consultants to “provide insights into understanding the new administration.”
“Essential Consulting was one of several firms we engaged in early 2017 to provide insights into understanding the new administration,” AT&T said in a statement. “They did no legal or lobbying work for us, and the contract ended in December 2017.”
Earlier Wednesday, global pharmaceutical company Novartis also said they were contacted by Mueller, and have complied with his requests. Novartis had also made payments to Essential Consultants for consulting work.
Mueller is looking into Russian interference in the 2016 election and if the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin.
