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During a discussion in Cohen's office, located on the
skyscraper's 26th floor eleven days before the inauguration,
Cohen and Russian businessman Viktor Vekselberg talked about
improving relations between Moscow and Washington and arranged
to meet again at the inauguration, the New York Times first
reported. The paper quoted Andrew Intrater, an American who
attended the meeting and manages investments for Vekselberg.
The source, who asked for anonymity as private conversations
were being discussed, confirmed the New York Times' account to
Reuters by telephone.
Cohen and a lawyer for Intrater could not immediately be reached
for comment.
The paper reported that days after Trump's inauguration as
president in January 2017, Intrater's private equity firm,
Columbus Nova, gave Cohen a $1 million consulting contract,
which was now under investigation by U.S. federal authorities.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is conducting an extensive
investigation into alleged contacts and dealings between Trump,
his associates and Russia, before and after the 2016 U.S.
presidential election.
Federal prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan
are, meanwhile, conducting a separate investigation into
financial and business dealings by Cohen.
Intrater told The New York Times that Vekselberg, his cousin and
biggest client, did not instruct Columbus Nova to hire Cohen as
a consultant.
Earlier this year, Vekselberg himself was questioned by FBI
agents working on Mueller's inquiry, and was asked about
Columbus Nova payments to Cohen as well as more than $300,000 in
donations Intrater made to the Republican National Committee and
Trump's inauguration, CNN reported on Friday.
(Reporting by Mark Hosenball, Nathan Layne and Karen Freifeld;
Editing by Bernadette Baum)
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