FBI looking into payment from South Korean company to Cohen: report

The FBI is reportedly investigating a payment from a South Korean aerospace company to President Trump’s longtime attorney, Michael Cohen.

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the man who served as a translator between Cohen and Korea Aerospace Industries was in touch with federal investigators about the arrangement “a few weeks ago.” The South Korean company said it paid Cohen $150,000 last November for insight on U.S. accounting law.

The translator, Mark Ko, told the newspaper that his role in the transaction between the two parties was “small,” but confirmed that the South Korean firm was interested in discussing accounting matters with Cohen. 

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Ko said he was unsure if the federal agents were part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s team.

Korea Aerospace Industries is in competition for a contract with the U.S. Air Force, but the company told the Post its payment to Cohen was unrelated to that bid.

Korea Aerospace Industries is among the multiple companies that paid Cohen for consulting work following the 2016 election.

Swiss drug company Novartis and AT&T have both acknowledged they paid Cohen for insights on how to approach the Trump administration on particular issues. Officials from both companies have called the arrangement “a mistake.”

Rudy Giuliani, who represents Trump in the Russia probe, has said the president “was unaware” Cohen solicited payments from those companies.

Attorney Michael Avenatti, who represents adult-film star Stormy Daniels, first revealed that the companies paid Cohen through Cohen’s shell company, Essential Consultants LLC.

That same company was used to make a $130,000 payment to Daniels as part of a nondisclosure agreement related to her alleged 2006 affair with Trump.

The FBI last month raided Cohen’s home and office. The search warrants for the raid came in part based on a referral from Mueller’s office.

Cohen is reportedly under investigation for bank fraud and campaign finance law violations.