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Hot off the presses, as they used to say.
Here’s a synthesis that recaps the Slush Fund story — that Rudy Giuliani foreshadowed, just a few short days ago ...
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Giuliani describes the money as being “funneled” through Cohen in the form of attorney fees — a practice that would seem at best deceptive and at worse potentially criminal or unethical in some respects. It is like saying you did not rob the bank, you only embezzled through a banker.
According to Giuliani, a monthly retainer for attorney fees was used to pay hush money and the president "did know" of the general arrangement. [...]
USAToday — May 3, 2018
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Avenatti said his investigation uncovered eight transactions between January and August 2017, totaling half a million dollars, from U.S.-based Columbus Nova, which he said is controlled by Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg and Vekselberg's cousin Andrew Intrater.
The money was deposited into a First Republic account for Essential Consultants, Avenatti said. That's the same company Cohen created in 2016 and then used to wire $130,000 to Daniels to stop her from going public with her account of an alleged sexual affair with Trump a decade ago.
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According to public record filings he [Andrew Intrater] donated $29,600 to the Republican National Committee in June 2017, $35,000 to the Trump Victory PAC the same month, and then $250,000 to the Trump Inauguration Fund.
NBCNews — May 8, 2018
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2) Novartis money: Avenatti says that between October 2017 and January 2018, Novartis sent $399,920 over four payments to the Essential Consultants account.
3) AT&T money: Avenatti says that AT&T sent Essential Consultants $200,000 over four payments, again between October 2017 and January 2018. (AT&T has confirmed making the payments.)
4) Korea Aerospace Industries money: Avenatti says this company sent Cohen $150,000 in November 2017.
5) Elliott Broidy’s money: Broidy, a former RNC fundraiser close to the White House, sent at least $187,500 to Cohen’s accounts, according to Avenatti. Reports quoting anonymous sources have previously suggested that Cohen was making sex scandal hush money payments on Broidy’s behalf.
Vox — May 8, 2018
The last link was the “Funnel” part of the Money pouring into Cohen coffers — to “take care of business” on behalf of Mr. Trump.
Keep explaining the “facts” Rudy. Because were only now starting to get the Big Picture.
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Federal agents working with Mr. Mueller stopped Mr. Vekselberg, a billionaire businessman, at a New York-area airport this year, searched his electronic devices and questioned him, according to people familiar with the matter. They confronted him after he stepped off a private plane about two months ago, according to one of the people.
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Another potential area of interest for Mr. Mueller is Mr. Vekselberg’s business in Cyprus, the Mediterranean nation considered a magnet for Russian money. Mr. Vekselberg has controlled a company that has been the largest single shareholder in the Bank of Cyprus. Around the same time that Mr. Vekselberg was investing in the bank, Mr. Trump’s future commerce secretary, Wilbur L. Ross, was its vice chairman.
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Mr. Intrater is the chief executive of [ 1) ] Columbus Nova, an investment management firm whose biggest client is the Renova Group, Mr. Vekselberg’s sprawling conglomerate that operates in the energy sector and elsewhere.
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Mr. Vekselberg is among the select Russian oligarchs who made their fortunes in the early post-Soviet period and managed to retain wealth under Mr. Putin while others went to prison or into exile.
NY Times — May 4, 2018
Robert Mueller appears to be connecting the dots (already connected) of the Russian Money “funneling” into Trump-Cohen accounts — and Campaign PACs and Inaugural Fund.
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