Avenatti and Associates Executive Summary

Over the last two years, a shell company set up by the president’s longtime lawyer, Michael Cohen, has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Russian oligarch and from several multinational corporations, Stormy Daniels’s lawyer Michael Avenatti claimed on Tuesday. According to Avenatti, Essential Consultants—the same LLC that Cohen used to pay Daniels $130,000 to remain silent about an alleged affair with Donald Trump—received payments from Viktor Vekselberg, who is targeted by U.S. sanctions; AT&T, which is currently engaged in an anti-trust lawsuit with the Department of Justice; and Novartis, whose C.E.O. met with Trump in January.

May 17, 2017 - Robert S. Mueller III is appointed to serve as Special Counsel for the United States Department of Justice.

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The 1870 Act remains the foundation for the Departments authority, but the structure of the Department of Justice has changed over the years, with the addition of the offices of Deputy Attorney General, Associate Attorney General, and the formation of various components, offices, boards and divisions. From its beginning as a one-man, part-time position, the Department of Justice has evolved into the world's largest law office and the chief enforcer of federal laws.

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Mr Cohen BANK Account REPUBLIC BANK APC PROJECT SUNLIGHT ASSOCIATES APC PROJECT AVENATTI ASSOCIATES APC PROJECT SUNLIGHT Page Essential consulting LLC Essential Mr Trump

May 17, 2017 - Robert S. Mueller III is appointed to serve as Special Counsel for the United States Department of Justice.

Officially coming into existence on July 1, 1870, the Department of Justice was empowered to handle all criminal prosecutions and civil suits in which the United States had an interest.

About Newswire Expert

Newswire Expert is your daily connection to the wire. Covering U.S. and International business, entertainment, technology and financial news releases.

Mr Cohen BANK Account REPUBLIC BANK APC PROJECT SUNLIGHT ASSOCIATES APC PROJECT AVENATTI ASSOCIATES APC PROJECT SUNLIGHT Page Essential consulting LLC Essential Mr Trump

<p>AVENATTI & ASSOCIATES, APC - PROJECT SUNLIGHT 
                      
 
 
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
Note: This information is true and correct as of the date of this Preliminary Report of Findings 
(May 8, 2018) to the best of our knowledge.  Additional information is being obtained on a near 
daily basis.  The below information and findings, therefore, are subject to change. 
 
BACKGROUND 
Michael Dean Cohen 
 Michael Dean Cohen ("Mr. Cohen") is an attorney licensed in the State of New York.  
He is a graduate of Cooley Law School and a resident of Manhattan, New York City, 
New York. 
 Mr. Cohen served at the right hand of Mr. Donald J. Trump ("Mr. Trump") as Mr. 
Trump's attorney beginning in approximately 2007 and continuing until at least April of 
this year.  During this same approximate time period, Mr. Cohen also occupied a senior 
position with the Trump Organization (although it is unclear as to when he formally left 
the company). 
 
Importantly, at all relevant times, Mr. Cohen and Mr. Trump have consistently referred 
to Mr. Cohen as Mr. Trump's attorney.  In fact, in answering reporters' questions on Air 
Force One on April 5, 2018, Mr. Trump, referring to Mr. Cohen, stated "Michael is my 
attorney" (present tense).   
Essential Consultants, LLC 
 On or about October 17, 2016, Michael D. Cohen established a limited liability company 
named Essential Consultants, LLC ("Essential") by filing the requisite paperwork with the 
Secretary of State in Delaware. 
 At all material times, Essential has been exclusively owned and controlled by Mr. Cohen. 
 
 
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FIRST REPUBLIC BANK 
Establishment of Essential Consultants Bank Account at First Republic Bank 
 First Republic Bank ("First Republic") is a financial institution offering private banking, 
private business banking, and private wealth management, including investment, trust, 
and brokerage services. 
 
In October 2016, less than one month before the 2016 Presidential Election, Mr. Cohen 
established a new business account at a First Republic Bank branch ("First Republic") 
located in Manhattan, New York City, New York. 
 
In connection with the establishment of that account, Mr. Cohen was required to make 
certain representations to First Republic regarding Essential's business as part of First 
Republic's Know Your Customer ("KYC") anti-money laundering protocol. 
 
In order to establish the account, Mr. Cohen subsequently submitted information 
claiming, among other things, the following: 
(a)  
Essential is a real estate consulting company that collects fees for investment 
consulting work; 
(b) 
The company's typical clients are U.S.-based high net worth individuals; 
(c) 
The company's primary source of funds will be derived from within the U.S. or a 
U.S.-based company; 
(d) 
The company expected one (1) to twenty (20) incoming domestic only wires 
totaling $1,000 to $10,000 each month for consulting fees, and one (1) to twenty 
(20) ACH credits and electronic transfers totaling $1,000 to $10,000 each month; 
(e) 
No outgoing wire transfers and debits related to ACH or electronic transfers 
were expected; and 
(f) 
Receipts of the business would be internally transferred to Mr. Cohen's personal 
account at First Republic Bank. 
 As set forth below, the above representations made to the bank were false when made 
and continued to be false at all material times based on the activity occurring in the 
account.  This likely constitutes bank fraud. 
 Following the submission of the required information by Mr. Cohen, First Republic 
opened a business account for Essential bearing account number 8000600XXXX. 
 
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The Payment to Stephanie Clifford (aka Stormy Daniels) and Subsequent Reimbursement 
 On October 27, 2016 Mr. Cohen caused a wire of $130,000 from Essential Consultants' 
account at First Republic Bank to be sent to an Attorney-Client Trust Account of Keith M. 
Davidson & Associates at City National Bank located in California.  The wire originated 
from First Republic Bank's operations located in California.  Note: this fact may provide 
the State of California with jurisdiction over possible state criminal charges associated 
with this payment.  
 Mr. Cohen has previously claimed that the source of funds from the $130,000 payment 
was a home equity line of credit advance conducted on October 26, 2016.  This has yet 
to be confirmed.  However, as detailed below, within approximately 75 days of the 
payment to Ms. Clifford, Mr. Viktor Vekselberg, a Russian Oligarch with close ties to 
Russian President Vladimir Putin, caused substantial funds to be deposited into the bank 
account from which Mr. Cohen made the payment.  It appears that these funds may 
have replenished the account following the payment to Ms. Clifford. 
 
Additional Possible Fraudulent and Illegal Financial Transactions  
 From October 2016 through January 2018, Mr. Cohen used his First Republic account to 
engage in suspicious financial transactions totaling $4,425,033.46. 
 Chief among these suspicious financial transactions are approximately $500,000 in 
payments received from Mr. Viktor Vekselberg, a Russian Oligarch with an estimated 
net worth of nearly $13 Billion.  Mr. Vekselberg and his cousin Mr. Andrew Intrater 
routed eight payments to Mr. Cohen through a company named Columbus Nova LLC 
("Columbus") beginning in January 2017 and continuing until at least August 2017.   
 Columbus Nova is a private equity firm founded in 2000 with over $2 billion in assets.  
Mr. Intrater is the CEO of Columbus Nova.  Columbus Nova is the U.S. investment 
vehicle for Renova Group, a multi-national company controlled by Mr. Vekselberg.  
Renova group holds investments in various interests, including mining, oil, and 
telecommunications. 
 Mr. Cohen inexplicably accepted these payments while he was the personal attorney to 
the President and holding himself out at times as employed by the Trump Organization 
(with few other clients).  This was occurring at the same time significant questions were 
being raised relating to (a) the involvement of Russia and Vladimir Putin in the 2016 
Presidential Election and (b) the extent of the relationship between Mr. Putin and Mr. 
Trump. 
 
AVENATTI & ASSOCIATES, APC - PROJECT SUNLIGHT 
                      
 
 
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 Also included in these suspicious financial transactions are four payments in late 2017 
and early 2018 totaling $399,920 made by global pharmaceutical giant Novartis directly 
to Essential in four separate transactions of $99,980 each (just below $100,000).  
Following these payments, reports surfaced that Mr. Trump took a dinner meeting with 
the incoming CEO of Novartis before Mr. Trump's speech at the World Economic Forum 
in Davos, Switzerland in late January 2018. 
https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/during-davos-trip-trump-takes-meeting-
novartis-bayer-ceos-and-other-execs. 
 
In addition, Essential received $200,000 in four separate payments of $50,000 in late 
2017 and early 2018 from AT&T. 
 Essential also received a $150,000 payment in November 2017 from Korea Aerospace 
Industries LTD.  
 The details of the above referenced payments and others are as follows: 
 
Monies Received from Columbus Nova LLC 
(controlled by Viktor Vekselberg and his cousin Andrew Intrater)  
 
 Approximately $500,000 over eight transactions from January to August 2017 
 
Monies Received from Korea Aerospace Industries LTD 
 November 27, 2017 - $150,000  
 
Monies Received from Novartis Investments SARL 
(Wire Transfers originating from UBS Switzerland) 
 October 5, 2017  $99,980 
 November 3, 2017  $99,980 
 December 1, 2017  $99,980 
 
January 5, 2018  $99,980 
 
 
 
AVENATTI & ASSOCIATES, APC - PROJECT SUNLIGHT 
                      
 
 
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Monies Received from AT&T 
 October 3, 2017  $50,000 
 November 7, 2017  $50,000 
 December 5, 2017  $50,000 
 
January 3, 2018  $50,000 
 
Monies Received by Michael Cohen from Elliott Broidy 
 As detailed below, Mr. Cohen (through Essential and/or Michael D. Cohen & Associates) 
received at least $187,500 from Mr. Elliott Broidy that originated from an account held 
in Mr. Broidy's name at Bank of America. The business purpose of these payments is 
unclear. 
 
CITY NATIONAL BANK 
Transactions Involving Elliott Broidy, Keith Davidson, Real Estate Attorneys' Group, and 
Essential Consultants, LLC / Michael Cohen 
 Keith M. Davidson & Associates, APLC is a law firm located in Beverly Hills, California.  
The firm is owned by attorney Keith Davidson.  The firm maintains three accounts at City 
National Bank ("CNB") and the banking relationship began in May 2011. 
 Mr. Elliott Broidy  
- Former Deputy National Finance Chairman for the Republican National Committee.   
- Venture capitalist and prominent Republican fundraiser. 
- CEO of Broidy Capital Management.   
- Owner of Circinus, a private security company, which has hundreds of millions of 
dollars in contracts with foreign nationals. 
 Real Estate Attorneys' Group APLC ("REAG") is a firm specializing in the commercial real 
estate industry.  
 
 
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Possible Fraudulent and Illegal Financial Transactions  
 October 27, 2016:  $130,000 payment from Essential Consultants, LLC (First Republic 
Bank) to Keith Davidson & Associates (CNB). 
 November 30, 2017:  $200,000 incoming wire from Elliott Broidy (Bank of America 
account) into REAG account (CNB) 
 December 5, 2017:  $200,000 internal transfer from REAG to Keith Davidson & 
Associates 
 December 29, 2017:  $62,500 incoming wire from Elliott Broidy (Bank of America) into 
REAG account (CNB) 
 
January 2, 2018:  $62,500 outgoing wire from REAG (CNB) to Essential Consultants, LLC 
(First Republic Bank) 
 
January 31, 2018:  $62,500 incoming wire from Elliott Broidy (Bank of America) into 
REAG account (CNB) 
 
January 31, 2018:  $62,500 outgoing wire from REAG (CNB) to Michael D. Cohen & 
Associates (First Republic Bank) 
 March 1, 2018:  $62,500 incoming wire from Elliott Broidy (Bank of America) into REAG 
account (CNB) 
 March 1, 2018:  $62,500 outgoing wire from REAG (CNB) to Michael D. Cohen & 
Associates (First Republic Bank) 
 
MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY 
Establishment of Michael Cohen Bank Account at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney 
 Mr. Cohen opened two individual accounts at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney 
 
Possible Fraudulent and Illegal Financial Transactions  
 From July 13, 2017 through September 8, 2017, Mr. Cohen deposited three checks in 
the amounts of $505,000, $250,000, and $250,000 in his Morgan Stanley account.   
 Each deposit was remitted from an account held at First Republic Bank in the name of 
Essential Consultants, LLC. 
AVENATTI & ASSOCIATES, APC - PROJECT SUNLIGHT 
                      
 
 
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 All three deposits appear to have no legitimate business purpose. 
 
STANDARD CHARTERED BANK 
Possible Fraudulent and Illegal Financial Transactions  
 Singapore.  On July 14, 2016, Mr. Cohen cashed a check for $700.00 in Palm Beach 
County, Florida.  The originator of the check was KCS Outsourcing Solutions Pte Ltd. 
("KCS"), a provider of corporate services, including taxation advisory, auditing, and 
consulting services located in Singapore. 
 On February 22, 2017, Mr. Cohen received another check from KCS for $2,998.00. 
 Hungary.  Mr. Cohen received two wire transfers totaling $10,980.00 from KOBE EVA 
KERESKEDELMI to an account in Singapore at DBS Bank.   
- 
It is unclear what line of business KOBE EVA is engaged in.  KOBE EVA may be a travel 
agency located in Budapest, Hungary.  Third-party websites identify it as a retailer of 
newspapers and stationery items.   
- The remittances reference an invoice and a "Ms. Nikolett Vadja." 
 Malaysia & Canada.  Mr. Cohen received a wire transfer in the amount of $4,250.00 
from Actuarial Partners Consulting SDN BHD to an account in Toronto at Toronto 
Dominion Bank. 
- Actuarial Partners is a provider of actuary services in Malaysia.   
- Mr. Cohen utilized a Canadian address belonging to Blue Cloud Immigration Inc., a 
company that assists individuals seeking immigration to Canada and appears to have 
ties to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 
 Taiwan.  Mr. Cohen conducted a wire transfer from an account at Union Bank of Taiwan 
to an account at Bank of America in the amount of $675.00. 
 Kenya & Israel.  Mr. Cohen received one wire transfer in the amount of $980.00 from a 
Kenyan bank from accountholders Netanel Cohen and Stav Hayun to an account in Israel 
at Bank Hapoalim.   
 
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