Timothy L. O'Brien, Columnist

The Porn Star’s Lawyer Maps the Trump Money Trail

Michael Cohen’s clients included a firm linked to a Russian oligarch and a South Korean aerospace company.

May 9, 2018 at 11:04 AM UTC

Timothy L. O'Brien is senior executive editor of Bloomberg Opinion. A former editor and reporter for the New York Times, he is author of “TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald.”

Michael Cohen, personal lawyer to President Donald Trump.
Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg

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There may be any number of reasons why an investment firm linked to a powerful Russian oligarch favored by the Kremlin paid about $500,000 to retain the services of a once obscure and middling lawyer who was also President Donald Trump’s personal attorney.

And there are lots of possible explanations for why a major U.S. telecommunications firm, a subsidiary of a Swiss pharmaceutical giant, and a South Korean aerospace corporation each also recently poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the pocket of the president’s personal attorney.