AT&T confirms it paid Michael Cohen's firm to cosy up to Trump

US communications giant AT&T confirmed on Tuesday evening that it paid President Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, for "insights into understanding the new administration".

A document published by Stormy Daniels' attorney Michael Avenatti had revealed the transactions on Tuesday afternoon as part of the ongoing legal battle between the adult actress and Trump.

The document alleged that a shell company named Essential Consultants, which was set up by Cohen to pay Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair with the President, "received $200,000 in four separate payments of $50,000 in late 2017 and early 2018 from AT&T."

The communications giant admitted the payments but disputed Avenatti's timeline.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, AT&T said: "Essential Consulting was one of several firms we engaged in early 2017 to provide insights into understanding the new administration. They did no legal or lobbying work for us, and the contract ended in December 2017."

The Trump administration took up major industry issues that involve AT&T, including the company’s proposed $85bn purchase of Time Warner Inc. and the repealing of net neutrality regulations.

The US Justice Department is attempting to block the deal to purchase Time Warner which has been openly denounced by Trump, a longstanding critic of the network’s CNN news outlet.

Avenatti's report also noted that Essential Consultants had received $500,000 from Columbus Nova, a New York-based investment company affiliated with a firm controlled by Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg.

The firm acknowledged the payment but stated that it was merely a "consultancy fee".

Richard Owens, a lawyer for Columbus Nova, said: "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 in or provided any funding for Columbus Nova's engagement of Michael Cohen is patently untrue."