Novartis paid shell company controlled by Trump's attorney

n an unexpected twist, Novartis has gotten caught up in the messy investigation into Michael Cohen, President Trump’s personal attorney.

The drug maker apparently entered into a previously undisclosed agreement with Essential Consultants, which is reportedly a shell company that Cohen used to make payments for various matters.

A Novartis unit called Novartis Investment SARL made four payments, each one totaling $99,980, to the consulting firm, according to documents released by Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for Stormy Daniels, the pornographic film star whose real name is Stephanie Clifford and who was paid $130,000 by Essential Consultants to keep quiet about her alleged affair with Trump.

The first Novartis payment was purportedly made on Oct. 5, 2017, while the subsequent payments followed in successive months — Nov. 3, 2017, Dec. 1, 2017, and Jan. 5, 2018, according to the documents.

A Novartis spokesman wrote us that “any contracts were done prior to (chief executive officer Vasant Narasimhan) taking over.” He did not provide any further details concerning the payments, but suggested any agreements had expired.

Narasimhan succeeded Joe Jimenez as Novartis chief executive on Feb. 1 this year, although he attended a dinner with Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 25, which Avenatti noted in the documents that he released.

Novartis is based in Basel, Switzerland, but has major research operations in the United States and needs approval from the Food and Drug Administration for its drugs to be sold in the U.S. It spend nearly $8.8 million lobbying the U.S. government last year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics OpenSecrets database.

Throughout much of last year, Novartis was embroiled in a bribery scandal in Greece, where the government was probing allegations that the drug maker made payments to numerous politicians to boost sales of its medicines through public agencies.

In February 2018, the Athens public prosecutor’s office reportedly asked the U.S. Justice Department to assist its investigation. Although the Greek parliament effectively ended the probe recently, the episode caused Novartis substantial negative publicity much of last year. There is no evidence at this point, however, that these events were connected to the payments made to Essential Consultants.

In the U.S., the drug maker is defending a long-running lawsuit that is being pressed by the federal government over allegations it provided doctors with paid speaking engagements, fancy meals, and alcohol in exchange for writing prescriptions for its drugs.

The case is being closely watched because the company has been accused of being a repeat offender. How so? In 2010, Novartis paid $422.5 million in penalties and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor to resolve criminal allegations that it improperly promoted several medicines.

At the time, the company was already operating under a Corporate Integrity Agreement, which required establishing an internal compliance program and reporting violations, among other things. That agreement was signed in September 2010, yet the lawsuit alleged the infractions occurred afterward, suggesting Novartis might face a stiff penalty should it attempt a settlement with the government.