Cohen asked Qatari government for $1 million in exchange for access to Trump: report

President Trump’s longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen, reportedly offered Qatari government officials access to the president in exchange for at least $1 million. 

The Washington Post reported that Cohen sought the arrangement in December 2016, around the time Qatari officials visited Trump Tower to meet with former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn. 

Cohen did not attend those meetings, but reportedly spoke about the arrangement with Qatari investor Ahmed Al-Rumaihi, the Post reported. Qatar declined the offer, according to the Post.

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Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult-film star Stormy Daniels, first made Al-Rumaihi’s connection to Cohen public in a tweet last weekend.

“Why was Ahmed Al-Rumaihi meeting with Michael Cohen and Michael Flynn in December 2016 and why did Mr. Al-Rumaihi later brag about bribing administration officials according to a sworn declaration filed in court?” Avenatti tweeted.

Warning ignored. So here it goes.
December 12, 2016 – Trump Tower. Details to follow… pic.twitter.com/aEuuhRHB4a

— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 13, 2018

Al-Rumaihi confirmed through a spokesperson on Tuesday that he attended meetings at Trump Tower in 2016. Al-Rumaihi said he was not a part of the meetings with Flynn. 

Cohen’s reported attempts to broker a deal with Qatar follow recent revelations that multiple companies paid him in exchange for insights and access to the Trump administration.

Swiss drug company Novartis and AT&T have both acknowledged they paid Cohen for advice 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.

Avenatti first revealed that the companies paid Cohen through his shell company called Essential Consultants LLC.

That same company was used to make a $130,000 payment to Stormy 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. He is reportedly under investigation for bank fraud and campaign finance law violations.