Financial Times article Re: Putin official confirms Cohen contacted Kremlin over Trump Tower Moscow
?Spokesman says Trump?s former lawyer sought help about potential Moscow property project
Donald Trump?s former lawyer Michael Cohen contacted the Kremlin twice to seek assistance for a potential Trump Tower property project in Moscow, Vladimir Putin?s spokesman has said, in the first confirmation from Russia of the approaches.
Mr Cohen, who worked as Mr Trump?s personal lawyer for more than a decade, pleaded guilty on Thursday of lying to Congress about the Moscow project which he pursued during the 2016 presidential election.
Dmitry Peskov, Mr Putin?s spokesman, told reporters that his office had received two emails from Mr Cohen in January 2016 requesting a meeting with Sergei Ivanov, then Mr Putin?s chief of staff, or Mr Peskov himself to discuss the project.
?Indeed, Mr Cohen made some requests, in which he said his company had actually planned to construct a building in Moscow and was unable to establish necessary business contacts,? Mr Peskov said, in remarks reported by Russian news agencies. ?They asked that a meeting be organised with Sergei Ivanov, the head of the presidential administration at the time,? Peskov said.
?There were only these two emails. And we called them back in response,? Mr Peskov said. ?We called them back and asked what the presidential administration has to do with that and whether they are aware who they contacted.?
Mr Peskov showed the emails, signed by Mr Cohen and requesting ?assistance? with the real estate proposal, to Russian reporters travelling in the Kremlin pool to the G20 meeting in Buenos Aires.
Mr Cohen and a member of Mr Peskov?s office had a 20-minute phone call regarding the project, Mr Cohen said this week.
?We told them that the Presidential Administration doesn?t build houses, and if they want to invest in Russia that we will be happy to see them at the St Petersburg Economic Forum,? Mr Peskov said.?
Source:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.ft.com/content/fac2c9a8-f568-11e8-af46-2022a0b02a6c
My comment: This is confirmation that Cohen spoke to someone from the Russia government regarding the real estate proposal.