Cohen blames....

Michael Cohen blames Trump for reported poll-rigging efforts

By CAITLIN OPRYSKO

Michael Cohen, the former fixer for President Donald Trump, is deflecting responsibility for allegedly paying someone to rig online polls in Trump’s favor, claiming in a tweet Thursday that his efforts were “at the direction of and for the sole benefit” of his boss.

Cohen was responding to a report in the Wall Street Journal that alleged Cohen owed money to the owner of a small tech company for creating a computer script aimed at boosting Trump’s standing in two online polls in 2014 and 2015, before Trump declared his candidacy for president.

John Gauger, the owner of RedFinch Solutions LLC, was unsuccessful in his attempts to push Trump to the top of a CNBC poll about business leaders and a Drudge Report poll measuring support for potential GOP presidential contenders, and he told the Journal that Cohen only paid him about a quarter of the $50,000 he was owed.

Cohen was sentenced late last year to three years in prison for tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations for paying hush money to women alleging affairs with Trump.

Though Gauger maintains Cohen still owes him money for the services he provided Cohen on Trump’s behalf, the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen for the full $50,000, a sum that came out of Trump’s personal account, the Journal said.

The report states that Cohen promised Gauger lucrative work for the Trump campaign that never panned out, but Trump’s former personal attorney enlisted Gauger in other work to boost the online reputations of himself as well as other clients and friends.

That included launching a Twitter account with the handle @WomenForCohen, which is still active and purports to be run by “Women who love and support Michael Cohen. Strong, pit bull, sex symbol, no nonsense, business oriented and ready to make a difference!”

Cohen did not deny the Journal’s report, but disputed that what he did pay Gauger was in cash. “All monies paid to Mr. Gauger were by check,” he said.

Cohen on Thursday appeared to confirm the Wall Street Journal report, even while he sought to absolve himself of blame. “I truly regret my blind loyalty to a man who doesn’t deserve it,” he wrote on Twitter.