Update: While representatives for Cohen declined to comment, a spokesperson for Vekselberg told CNN.
A lawyer for Columbus Nova, the company that cut Cohen a $500,000 check that Avenatti says could've been used as a reimbursement for the money used to reimburse Stormy Daniels, providing a purportedly "definitive" link between Russian President Vladimir Putin and one of Trump's closest associates.
But in the statement, the lawyer said the money was for business consulting work "regarding potential sources of capital and potential investments in real estate and other ventures."
"Reports today that Viktor Vekselberg used Columbus Nova as a conduit for payments to Michael Cohen are false. The claim that Viktor Vekselberg was involved or provided any funding for Columbus Nova’s engagement of Michael Coehn is patently untrue," said Columbus Nova’s attorney, Richard Owens of the firm Latham & Watkins.
Neither Viktor Vekselberg nor anyone else other than Columbus Nova’s owners, were involved in the decision to hire Cohen or provided funding for his engagement.
Before being questioned by Mueller, Vekselberg attended Trump’s inauguration after Columbus Nova made a $250,000 donation to the president's inauguration committee. Mueller’s team reportedly asked Vekselberg about that contribution.
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Michael Avenatti, the lawyer (and former Michael Rahm opposition researcher) handling adult film star Stormy Daniels' multiple lawsuits, is doing his best to steal the spotlight from Trump's cancellation of the Iran nuclear deal, because on an otherwise quiet Tuesday evening, Avenatti has published a report alleging that Trump long-time lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen - who testified under oath that the funds for a $130,000 "hush money" payment to Daniels came from a loan he took against his home - may have in reality been reimbursed for the payment by none other than Viktor Vekselberg, a Russian oligarch with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Avenatti learned that Vekselberg sent a $500,000 payment to Essential Consultants LLC just 75 days after Cohen used the same company to pay Daniels her $130,000.
After significant investigation, we have discovered that Mr. Trump’s atty Mr. Cohen received approximately $500,000 in the mos. after the election from a company controlled by a Russian Oligarc with close ties to Mr. Putin. These monies may have reimbursed the $130k payment.
If Vekselberg's name sounds familiar, that's probably because the New York Times reported last week that the Russian billionaire, and head of the Russian Renova conglomerate, was stopped at a New York-area airport, searched and questioned by the FBI while entering the US earlier this year. The interrogation, the Times said, was linked to the Mueller probe.
Viktor Vekselberg
While the sum that Vekselberg paid Cohen is far larger than what he paid Daniels, Avenatti claims that some of the money may have...