Discussion: WaPo: AT&T Paid Cohen For Advice On $85 Billion Time Warner Merger

TPM Article Topics
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I reply to your comment.

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And a polyfelon.

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I know a lot of money was at risk but do companies really pay half a million dollars for advice on things? If you want a lawyer’s advice on lawyer stuff, you might pay them $1k/hour. But $600k? Just to give them inside info about Trump? (I’m shocked, SHOCKED, that they might not be entire honest here.)

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Haha
noticed that earns an automatic like, eh?

Meh
I give them even when someone is disagreeing. It takes courage to reply to a braying ass.

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"Cohen, according to the documents the Post reviewed, was hired to “focus on specific long-term planning initiatives as well as the immediate issue of corporate tax reform and the acquisition of Time Warner” as well as to “creatively address political and communications issues.”"

Cohen, clearly a master of many trades besides representing the unPresident on sex NDAs, who knew that he was versed in long-term corporate planning, tax reform, and mega-mergers

how much of AT&T’s money went to Stormy and tRUmp’s Mystery Mistress Squad - Peggy Peterson Brigade?

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So, Maybe I’m confused, but the way I think this works is Trump plays Mob boss and tell ATT/Times Warner/CNN, “Nice Merger you got going there, be a shame if anything happened to it; and by the way, I hate CNN.”

Then Mickey the Fixer says to ATT, “Look, I know the boss like the back of my hand. Here’s a picture of him and me at my kid’s Bar Mitzvah. He can be persuaded to stay outta the way, but it’ll cost you. Maybe 600 grand, give or take. Do we have a deal?”


time passes, listen, time passes.

Cohen? Donald here. Didja get the money. Remember I get 60%. Wire transfer it to one of my shell companies. I’ll have one of my people let you know which one.

Fin de Cinéma

Does this sound about right?

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The 20pct. threshold is that the lobbying activities must constitute at least 20pct. of the person’s time with that client in a three-month period. Another threshold is at least 3K in income from the lobbying activity during that period. A third threshold is more than one lobbying contact with ‘‘covered individuals’’ (Trump, senior WH or cabinet officials).

It would appear Cohen met the first two. I don’t know about the third, but I’ll bet someone at Team Mueller does.
https://lobbyingdisclosure.house.gov/amended_lda_guide.html#section4

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Not implausible. Trump is such a moronic grifter that he would imperil his presidency for a few hundred grand. After all, one’s man peril is another man’s raison d’ĂȘtre. The big question–which I haven’t seen answered anywhere–is where did Cohen’s loot end up? Is it sitting in an Essential Consulting bank account? Or was it transferred to Cohen’s private account, and if so did Cohen make any payments to Trump or write off any Trump debts in consideration for the payoffs Trump enabled him to receive?

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That’s helpful. I really would appreciate some guidance in this area, including what the possible penalties for failing to register might be, and what the rules of the game are here. I don’t know any lobbyists, unfortunately/thankfully.

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Has AT&T’s CEO said anything himself yet? He ought to be fired by the Board of Directors for what was obviously a corrupt act.

If he had paid a consigliere to a President of a foreign country, he would be in violation of US federal law prohibiting bribes.

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One of the more appalling parts to me is that this is apparently business as usual for the corporations. It makes me wonder how many other bribes happen on a regular basis that we don’t know about.

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See Section 12 of the link in my earlier post.

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Tomorrow is Friday. WIth any luck, it will also be Indictment Day.

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Does a bag man typically get a 40% fee? I would expect the best negotiator in the history of forever to cut a better deal for himself.

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So we’re talking 5 years max. Cohen is ‘of previous good character’ and a rich white man. Probably looking at 1 year max (and disbarment).

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[quote=“ralph_vonholst, post:28, topic:72077”]
Cohen? Donald here. Didja get the money. Remember I get 60%. Wire transfer it to one of my shell companies. I’ll have one of my people let you know which one
[/quote]But, Trump forgets that the DOJ gets involved and, for some unknown reason (maybe they weren’t in on the dealio?), thinks he meant what he said about the merger being bad. So, then there’s an entire second act that wasn’t very well written and the director got drunk and some unwelcome investigators came on the scene 
 and, well, it’s all improvisation now.

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Uploading


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“creatively address political and communications issues.”


but don’t spend any time contacting officials you naughty boy.
IF you did such depraved things, you might be punished by us throwing rectangles of paper at you that may or may not be used as legal tender.

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gosh, that guy’s an expert on everything - why’d he waste his time with lawyering?

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