Around the time that telecom giant AT&T hired Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, it was shopping around for other Trump allies who could bring them closer to the new administration, The Daily Beast has learned.
The company was in talks in early 2017 with the Washington lobbying firm Avenue Strategies, which was co-founded and staffed by Trump campaign veterans and marketed its insight into and favor with the Trump White House, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.
News of AT&T’s overtures to Avenue sheds additional light on its government relations strategy early in the Trump administration—which included its hiring of Cohen through an anonymous shell company, a decision that resulted in the ouster of a senior AT&T executive on Friday.
AT&T declined to comment on its discussions with the lobbying firm. Avenue did not respond to questions.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member