Trump lawyer tried to contact Kremlin over help for business project

A LAWYER acting for Donald Trump tried to make contact with the Kremlin during the 2016 presidential campaign, seeking help for a business project in Russia.

In a statement to the House Intelligence Committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, Michael Cohen said on Monday that the president’s company pursued a project in Moscow during the Republican primary.He said the plan was abandoned for various reasons.

President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters in Moscow on Wednesday that they received Mr Cohen’s email, which was sent to the press office’s general email address.

Mr Peskov said it was one of many emails the Kremlin press office gets – since its email address is available online – and that the Kremlin did not reply to it. Mr Cohen said he worked on the property development proposal with Felix Sater, a Russia-born associate who he said claimed to have deep connections in Moscow.

The discussions about a deal in Moscow occurred in the autumn of 2015, months after Mr Trump had declared his presidential bid.

They ended early in 2016 when Mr Cohen determined that the project was not feasible, according to the lawyer’s statement.