[195], According to a BuzzFeed report on January 17, 2019, President Donald Trump personally directed Cohen to lie to Congress about the Trump Tower Moscow project. [29] Cohen received 4,205 votes and was defeated by Democratic candidate Eva S. Moskowitz, who received 13,745 votes. It was also revealed that Essential Consultants had received at least $500,000 from a New York-based investment firm called Columbus Nova, which is linked to a Russian oligarch. He said the president had reimbursed him for illegal hush money payments, suggested that he should lie to Congress and the public about the Trump Tower Moscow negotiations, and filed false financial statements with banks and insurance companies. The $50,000 represented a claimed payment for "tech services," which in fact related to work COHEN had solicited . Additionally, you may contact our legal Roy Cohn was a dishonest and disbarred attorney from New York with both a colorful and a dark past. Ed Cox: Just Trumpy enough for the NY GOP? [160] The FBI also sought documents pertaining to Cohen's ownership of taxi medallions. With Cohens every move under scrutiny by law enforcement, thanks to special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Trumps potential collusion with Russia to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, Cohen may be even less able to live up to Trumps expectations as his ruthless enforcer. The FBI on Friday released nearly 750 pages of documents from the bureau's file on the the late Roy Cohn, the controversial, hyper-aggressive lawyer whose high-profile clients included President Donald Trump when Trump was a fledgling real-estate mogul in New York City. Falwell had told Cohen that a third party had obtained compromising photos of Falwell's wife. Attorney for the United States Robert Khuzami said: "Michael Cohen is a lawyer who, rather than setting an example of respect for the law, instead chose to break the law, repeatedly over many years and in a variety of ways. By February 2023, investigators at the Manhattan DA's office had interviewed Cohen 15 times. He was the grandnephew of Joshua Lionel Cowen, a renowned inventor and the founder of 'Lionel Corporation.'. Would you rather deal with him? Trump would ask. The 51-year-old Cohen may be personally closer to Trump than any lawyer since Cohn, and shares many of the same characteristics. [48], In 2015, in response to an inquiry by reporter Tim Mak of The Daily Beast concerning rape allegations (brought up in the 1980s but later recanted) by Ivana Trump about her then-husband Donald Trump, Cohen said, "I'm warning you, tread very fucking lightly, because what I'm going to do to you is going to be fucking disgusting. American former attorney and former Republican official, This article is about the former lawyer of Donald Trump and The Trump Organization. [86][87], In May 2018, Rudy Giuliani announced that Cohen was no longer Trump's lawyer. Roy Marcus Cohn (/kon/; February 20, 1927 - August 2, 1986) was an American lawyer and prosecutor who came to prominence for his role as Senator Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel during the Army-McCarthy hearings in 1954, when he assisted McCarthy's investigations of suspected communists. He . [78][79][80] Because of these investigations, Michael Cohen and Donald Trump signed a joint defense agreement allowing their attorneys to share information during the Mueller investigations and joint defense agreements were arranged between Donald Trump and both Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort. A week later, he was taken back into custody after federal officials asserted he had refused to sign an agreement stipulating that he would have no engagement of any kind with the mediaincluding publishing his "tell-all" bookfor the remainder of his sentence, which encompassed the November 2020 elections. 0. [118] According to Aaron Blake at The Washington Post, "the tape provides the first evidence that Trump spoke with Cohen about purchasing the rights to women's storiesapparently to silence thembefore the 2016 election. [126] Cohen was Broidy's attorney and Keith M. Davidson represented Bechard. The new state lawmakers in the 2023 legislative session, Take the Eric Adams administration personality test, Yes, I want to receive occasional updates from partners. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover recommended Cohn to U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy, the Wisconsin Republican who was about to conduct investigative hearings to root out alleged communists in the federal government. When Cohn died Saturday at the age of 59, the . [209], On July 20, 2020, Cohen filed suit against attorney general Bill Barr and two federal prison officials, asserting his First Amendment rights were being violated. Cohens legal career did not measure up to Cohns in terms of the number of noteworthy cases or notorious clients, but it shares a certain hustlers mentality. [32] Between April and June 2017, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance filed seven tax warrants against Cohen and his wife for $37,434 in unpaid taxi taxes due to the MTA. Thus, Michael Cohen. Rapper, chef and author Action Bronson takes us on a journey from his early days at culinary school, to releasing critically acclaimed albums, to writing books, starring in TV shows and building an iconic brand around his favorite interests. The year is 2006, and Michael Cohen, a forty-year-old New York City personal-injury lawyer and real-estate investor who made his fortune in the shadowy taxi-medallion market, is summoned to. [170], In August 2018, it was reported that investigators were in the final stages of their investigation. [111], In April 2018, The Wall Street Journal reported that Shera Bechard, a former Playboy Playmate, had an affair with married Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy. [230], The following day, February 27, Cohen gave 10 hours of public, televised testimony before the House Oversight Committee, during which he described Trump as a "racist," a "con man", and a "cheat", and expressed remorse and shame for the things he had done for Trump. Cohen left the Trump Organization in January 2017, but has continued to serve as Trumps personal attorney. [31] Seeking the warrant required high-level approval from the Department of Justice. [147][148] The warrant was obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the SDNY, whose public corruption unit was conducting an investigation. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. ", "Cohen to face questions on Trump Tower deal, BuzzFeed report at closed-door hearing", "A high-profile Trump ally in Congress just straight-up threatened Michael Cohen", "GOP Congressman Threatens Michael Cohen on Twitter, Then Apologizes", "Florida Bar clears Matt Gaetz in investigation of Michael Cohen tweet | CNN Politics", "Michael Cohen Calls Trump A 'Racist' And A 'Con Man' In Scathing Testimony", "Michael Cohen will return to Congress March 6, Felix Sater to testify March 14", "Michael Cohen says he's found an old hard drive with 14 million files of potentially damaging evidence on Trump", "Cohen offers Democrats more help, in bid to stay out of prison", "President Biden in Georgia; Interview With Michael Cohen", "Michael Cohen on Giuliani's legal, financial woes: 'He's going to get stiffed', "Michael Cohen book on Trump to be published Sept 8", "Michael Cohen offers a glimpse of upcoming Trump book", "A Brief History of Michael Cohen's Criminal Ties", "How Michael Cohen, Trump's Fixer, Built a Shadowy Business Empire", "Michael Cohen, Trump's longtime lawyer, sentenced to three years in prison", "Who is Felix Sater and what's his role in Michael Cohen's plea deal? These days, it's notworking out so well. privacy request at our Do Not Sell page. [228][229] The Florida Bar Association investigated the incident, but only issued a "letter of advice". Will His AI Plans Be Any Different? Roy Cohn always told clients to fight all charges, countersue when sued and never concede. Even if Trump thinks Cohen is not as good of a henchman as Cohn, Cohen has demonstrated a willingness to push the boundaries of professional conduct on his benefactors behalf. [93] For many months thereafter, Cohen used the LLC[132] for an array of business activities largely unknown to the public, with at least $4.4 million moving through the LLC between Trump's election to the presidency and January 2018. He prided himself. Even the ruthless Cohn was shocked by Trumps betrayal. [172] That afternoon, Cohen pleaded guilty to eight criminal[173] charges: five counts of tax evasion, one count of making false statements to a financial institution, one count of willfully causing an unlawful corporate contribution, and one count of making an excessive campaign contribution at the request of a candidate (Trump) for the "principal purpose of influencing [the] election". [35], In 2015, Cohen purchased an Upper East Side apartment building for $58million. [32] As of 2017, Cohen was estimated to own at least 34 taxi medallions through 17 limited liability companies (LLCs). But what is that? "I think Donald Trump is going to flip on all of them," he warned, "including his children." Hes done everything from brokering Trumps real estate branding deals, to running a Trump-funded martial arts company, to arranging to have his planes engine repaired. [156], Since Cohen is an attorney, the search included the seizure of materials normally protected by attorneyclient privilege, which is subject to a crime-fraud exception if a crime is suspected. On Monday, the FBI raided President Donald Trumps personal lawyer Michael Cohens office to seize records related to payments to pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels, tax documents and other records, including communications between Cohen and the president. Over the years, Trump has said Cohn exhibited the characteristics that he most admires. performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. [119], On July 25, Cohen's attorney Lanny Davis released the actual recording to CNN, which played it on the air on the Cuomo Prime Time program. In 1954, McCarthys Senate colleagues censured him and his political career nose-dived. and analytics partners. [102][103], On March 26, David Schwarz, a lawyer for Cohen, told ABC's Good Morning America that Daniels was lying in the 60 Minutes interview. [16][17][18] On July 2, 2020, Cohen was observed dining at a Manhattan restaurant,[19] and on July 9, 2020, was taken back into federal custody after refusing to agree to conditions of home confinement that included a prohibition on communicating with the media. [163][164][165] In reaction, Cohen denied having ever been to Prague, as he had done in his January 2017 denial following the dossier's release. [133], Questions were raised about many of the payments, such as four totaling $200,000 that AT&T paid to the LLC between October 2017 and January 2018,[138][139] while at the same time the proposed merger between the company and Time Warner was pending before the Justice Department. McClatchy also reported that during that time an eastern European intelligence agency had intercepted communications between Russians, one of whom mentioned that Cohen was in Prague. [25], In 2016, he was a co-founder, along with Darrell C. Scott, of the National Diversity Coalition for Trump. . In 1973, when he first met Cohn at Le Club, a members-only Manhattan disco, the 27-year-old Trump was still working for his fathers outer-borough apartment empire, trying to infiltrate the Manhattan real estate world and celebrity social scene. information by using this toggle switch. [29], In 2006, Cohen was a partner at the law firm Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin, Krim & Ballon. Backs Down, Allowing Michael Cohen to Write Trump Tell-All Book", "Michael Cohen released from prison again", "Lawyer: Michael Cohen has offer to be a political consultant", "How the Manhattan D.A. [158] Cohen and his lawyers argued that all of the thousands of items seized during the FBI raid should be protected by attorneyclient privilege and thus withheld from the prosecutors. Americas teens are in a mental health crisis. [151] The FBI obtained the warrant after a referral from Robert Mueller's Special Counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections, although underlying reasons for the raid were not revealed. This Supreme Court Case Could Redefine Crime, YellowstoneBackers Wanted to Cash OutThen the Streaming Bubble Burst, How Countries Leading on Early Years of Child Care Get It Right, Female Execs Are Exhausted, Frustrated and Heading for the Exits, No Major Offer Expected on Childcare in UK Budget, Biden Gives Medal of Honor to Trailblazing Special Forces Member, Climate Change Is Launching a MutantSeed Space Race, UK Braces for Rare Weather Event That Risks Late-Winter Freeze, What Do You Want to See in a Covid Memorial? What he didand they weren't taken out of the campaign finance, that's the big thing." Cohen, whose father was a surgeon and his mother a nurse, grew up on Long Island. If true, the report bolsters similar claims in 3 of 17 reports from the Steele dossier. Giuliani also noted that no payment was ultimately made, and asserted that Trump's team waived privilege and allowed the recording to be revealed because it shows no violation of law. Elon Found His Next Shiny Object. Cohen denied he refused to sign the agreement, asserting his attorney had simply asked questions about it, at which point US marshals escorted him back to prison. ", "UK was given details of alleged contacts between Trump campaign and Moscow", "This Is The Inside of Trump's Lawyer's Passport", "Michael Cohen: 'It Is Fake News Meant to Malign Mr. Trump', "Report: Czech Intelligence Says No Evidence Trump Lawyer Traveled To Prague", "Investigators probe European travel of Trump associates", "Sources: Mueller has evidence Cohen was in Prague in 2016", "Trump lawyer Michael Cohen denies traveling to Prague", "Cell signal puts Cohen outside Prague around time of purported Russian meeting", "Mueller report states Cohen was not in Prague. The Times also recounted that in 2016, in the midst of Trumps presidential campaign, Cohen may have brokered a deal to keep former Playboy playmate Karen McDougal from disclosing her alleged affair with Trump in the mid-2000s, not long after he had married his third wife, Melania. After being educated at the best private school in Manhattan, he entered Columbia Law School. Cohen met with the third party and after the meeting the person destroyed the photos. [133] In May 2018, Stormy Daniels' lawyer Michael Avenatti posted a seven-page report to Twitter detailing what he said were financial transactions involving Essential Consultants and Cohen. Michael Cohen: Placating Trump's behavior only emboldens him. But Cohn survived. #MAGA", "2003 General Election, New York County: Statement and Return of the Votes for the Office of Member of the City Council 4th Council District", "Michael Cohen, top Trump surrogate, can't vote for him because he's a registered Democrat", "Michael Cohen re-registers as Democrat as he distances himself from Trump", "Michael Cohen re-registers as a Democrat, lawyer says", "FBI's probe of presidential lawyer Michael Cohen increases Trump's exposure", "When You're Feeling Low, Just Remember I'll Be Dead In About 15 Or 20 Years", "How Trump changed everything for The Onion", "Top Trump Organization executive asked Putin aide for help on business deal", "The Press Will Learn Nothing From the Russiagate Fiasco", "Exchange between Trump attorney, CNN anchor goes viral", "An apology for Trump lawyer Michael Cohen", "Trump 'Diversity Coalition' Holds Hectic First Meeting", "Trump diversity council in spotlight after Charlottesville remarks", "Lawyer for 2 Schneiderman Accusers Brought Their Claims to Michael Cohen", "Christopher Steele believes his dossier on Trump-Russia is 70-90% accurate", "Some questions in Trump-Russia dossier now finding answers", "What do we know about alleged links between Trump and Russia? articles a month for anyone to read, even non-subscribers! as Trump with Ben Stiller as Michael Cohen", Links between Trump associates and Russian officials, 2016 election interference (before July 2016), reactions to the Mueller Special Counsel investigation, Democratic National Committee cyber attacks, Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act, Russian interference in the 2018 United States elections, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Cohen_(lawyer)&oldid=1139922071, American people convicted of campaign finance violations, People from Lawrence, Nassau County, New York, People convicted of making false statements, Western Michigan University Cooley Law School alumni, Wikipedia pages move-protected due to vandalism, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 1 count of making false statements to a financial institution, 1 count of willfully causing an unlawful corporate contribution, 1 count of making an excessive campaign contribution at the request of a candidate or campaign, 1 count of making false statements to a congressional committee, This page was last edited on 17 February 2023, at 14:54. ", "Trump alleges Cohen asked him 'directly' for a pardon", "President Trump claims Michael Cohen asked him directly for a pardon, Cohen calls it 'lies', "Stormy Daniels sues Trump lawyer Michael Cohen for defamation | CNN Politics", "Stormy Daniels Sues Trump Attorney For Defamation", "Judge dismisses Stormy Daniels' defamation case against Michael Cohen", "Michael Cohen Returned to Jail in Dispute Over Trump Book", "The article reveals only a part of the full story", "Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen back in custody in dispute over release conditions", "Michael Cohen Claims in Suit He Was Imprisoned to Stop Trump Book", "Judge orders Michael Cohen to be released from prison", "U.S. Tyrnauer makes clear that Cohn brought male. Roy Cohn died . The president likestough-guy lawyers. [217] The department also said in October 2018 it would review allegations that Trump had gained hundreds of millions of dollars through tax fraud. Sources. [199][200] Cohen also testified that he never asked Donald Trump for a pardon, Cohen's lawyers contradicted him saying that they had reached out to Trump for a pardon. [8] Cohen said he violated campaign-finance laws at the direction of Trump and "for the principal purpose of influencing" the 2016 presidential election. Victim. The answer, I said, is complicated. Over a 13-year-period, ending shortly before Cohn's death in 1986, Cohn brought his say-anything, win-at-all-costs style to all of Trump's most notable legal and business deals.Interviews with people who knew both men at the time say the relationship ran deeper than thatthat Cohn's philosophy shaped the real estate mogul's worldview and the belligerent public persona visible in . When U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation, according to The New York Times, the president complained, Wheres my Roy Cohn?. Trump did not repay that loyalty. [27] He practiced law at the firm for about a year before joining The Trump Organization. The evidence is said to show that Cohen entered the Czech Republic from Germany, and since both countries are in the European Union's Schengen passport area, Cohen would not have needed to receive a passport stamp to enter Czech territory. If somebody does something Mr. Trump doesnt like, I do everything in my power to resolve it to Mr. Trumps benefit, Cohen said in an interview with ABC News in 2011. Beneath him is the answer: "Here." The truth of where Roy Cohn is is well-known to Trump, who all but abandoned him as he was dying, disbarred, and within a few weeks of losing his law license.. How does a person such as Trump, sort through all the lawyers in the US to find the ones most likely to be disbarred? The judge threw Trumps bogus lawsuit out of court and accused Cohn and Trump of wasting time and paper. But Cohn persuaded the Justice Department to let Trump settle the case by agreeing not to discriminate in the future while not admitting guilt that hed discriminated at all. For the brazen and pugnacious Cohn, practicing law was a contact sport rules and ethics be damned. "[117] Altogether the prosecutors have been given more than one hundred audio recordings from the material seized from Cohen in the April 2018 raid, after the Trump team withdrew their claims of privilege for those items; reportedly only one of them features a substantive conversation with Trump. His father, Albert C. Cohn, was a longtime member of New York's Democratic machine and a State Supreme Court and. [37][41] On October 11, 2018, Cohen re-registered as a Democrat in an effort to distance "himself from the values of the current" administration. Michael Cohen, who gave porn star Stormy Daniels hush money to keep her quiet about an alleged sexual tryst with . The total purchase price of the four buildings was $11million and the total sales price was $32million. [116] According to his lawyer Lanny Davis, "Michael Cohen had the habit of using his phone to record conversations instead of taking notes. It took a great man (@POTUS) to get me to make the switch. America Media never published McDougals allegations. able to use or see these sharing tools. [184], On December 12, 2018, U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III sentenced Cohen to three years in prison and a $50,000 fine, and additionally ordered Cohen to pay $1.4million in restitution and to forfeit $500,000. We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to Following the Trump Organization being found guilty in a 15-year tax fraud scheme, facing roughly $1.6 million in fines at sentencing, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen says that Allen. [233], In April 2019, Cohen said he had found a hard drive with 14 million documents, many of which were personal, but some of which might be relevant to the charges. But Cohn survived. [70][71][72] In April 2017, Cohen also formed an alliance with Squire Patton Boggs for legal and lobbying counsel on behalf of Trump. [9] In November 2018, Cohen entered a second guilty plea for lying to a Senate committee about efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. to take that as a valid request to opt-out. [213] Days later, Cohen's attorney informed Hellerstein that Cohen hoped to accept a job offer with an unnamed political action committee to consult and make media appearances on its behalf. traffic on our website. Cohen's Wife Is From. [241] They have a daughter, Samantha, and a son, Jake. several times in response to Keilar's statement that Trump was behind in all of the polls. They are capable of intended if you do so. In the late 1970s and during the 1980s, he became a prominent political fixer in New York City. cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. [155] According to Stormy Daniels' attorney Michael Avenatti and civil rights attorney Lisa Bloom, some of the recordings may have included participants located in California, which would make the recordings illegal, as California is a "two party consent" state. For the lawyer, author, and former Harvard professor, see, Recording of discussion regarding Karen McDougal, Conviction on campaign finance, tax evasion, and other charges, Conviction for perjury in congressional testimony. [28] Cohen became a close confidant to Trump, maintaining an office near Trump at Trump Tower. [16][206][18], On July 2, 2020, Cohen was photographed dining at a Manhattan restaurant, which according to his lawyer Lanny Davis was not a violation of his prison furlough since he had not yet transitioned to house arrest. A registered Democrat, he primarily supported Republicans and informally advised Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, but when it came to influence-peddling, especially in heavily Democratic New York City, he was nonpartisan. Trump had expected the attorney general to act like his personal lawyer and have his back, the role that Cohn the colorful consigliere to mobsters, politicians and celebrities had played for more than a decade after taking Trump under his wing in the 1970s. Roy Cohn and Michael Cohen are disbarred, while Giuliani has a chance of being the third Trump lawyer to be disbarred. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the It is silent on whether a Cohen device pinged there", "Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election Volume II", "A Back-Channel Plan for Ukraine and Russia, Courtesy of Trump Associates", "RNC Announces Additions To RNC Finance Leadership Team", "Trump's personal lawyer will serve as key RNC finance executive", "The President, His Business Partner, and the Fundraiser | Money Talking", "Trump lawyer salaries revealed as Squire Patton Boggs seals alliance with president's personal adviser", "Russia inquiry expands to Trump lawyer Michael Cohen", "Congress expands Russia investigation to include Trump's personal attorney", "Here's the Audio of Donald Trump's Private RNC Fundraiser at His Own Hotel", "Mueller probe tracking down Trump business partners, with Cohen a focus of queries", "Special counsel has examined episodes involving Michael Cohen, Trump's longtime lawyer", "Giuliani Confirms Trump and Manafort Have Joint Defense Agreement for Mueller Probe, Share Confidential Information", "Giuliani: Trump sees no danger in Manafort plea: Trump's lawyer says of Manafort: 'It's pretty clear if they were going to get anything from him they'd have gotten it already. Musk Made a Mess at Twitter. As the investigation surrounding Donald Trump was in the daily news headlines, the story became fodder for parody on Saturday Night Live, with Trump being portrayed by Alec Baldwin and Cohen by Ben Stiller.[246]. It's not like "Oh my God, we've never seen Pacino like this"; he's on a continuum with Scarface and Corleone and all those . Avenatti did not reveal the source of his information, which was later largely confirmed by The New York Times and other publications. Like Cohn, Trump learned to be a walking contradiction for his own personal gain. Here's what you need to know: 1. Roy Cohn, both a character in the play and a real-life attorney and political figure, is an elderly lawyer and a mentor to Joe Pitt. Cohen is reportedly under federal investigation for possible bank fraud and campaign finance law violations. [65][166] Mother Jones reported that Cohen had told them "I was in Prague for one afternoon 14 years ago," contradicting later statements that he had never visited. I cant believe hes doing this to me, Cohn told Trump biographer Wayne Barrett. Cohen lawyer Lanny Davis did not comment on the allegations against Cohen.[245]. When Donald Trump was a young Manhattan real-estate developer, and negotiations with competitors or partners reached an impasse, he would brandish a photograph of his pit-bull attorney, Roy Cohn. Cohen served as chairman of the board of directors of Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School through late 2016. [81][82][83], In May 2018, BBC News falsely reported that Cohen had received a secret payment of between $400,000 and $600,000 from intermediaries for Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to arrange a meeting between Poroshenko and Trump, though Cohen was not registered as a foreign agent. "[44], In January 2016, according to The Washington Post, Cohen sent an e-mail to Dmitry Peskov which was the "most direct outreach documented by a top Trump aide to a similarly senior member of Putin's government". Vilified. He received a law degree from Western Michigan Universitys Cooley Law School, which was recently ranked the worst law school in the country by Above the Law. "[185] Cohen said Trump was "the man that caused me to choose the path of darkness" and do "dirty deeds". Cohens specific duties, before and after Trump took office, have always been murky. [64] The following day, Cohen again denied he has "ever been to Prague". McCarthy generally, as an individual, was a liberal. Help us tailor content specifically for you: Natural gas alarm system enhances public safety, quickens emergency response, New York City Initiates $1.5 Billion Flood Resilience Project after Hurricane Sandy, Technical upskilling program streamlines modernization project delivery across NYC schools. [221] According to former federal investigators, Shusterman actually introduced Trump to Cohen. information. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your The statement continued that Novartis made a decision to not engage Essential Consultants further, but it could not terminate the contract for "cause", raising concerns on why the company did not pursue reimbursement. McClatchy News recently reported that Mueller is looking into Cohens role in Trumps business deals not only in Russia, but also in Georgia and Kazakhstan, even though Trump has denied having any such dealings.