BUSINESS/LEGAL/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Novartis AG was drawn into Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of suspected Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election after paying $1.2 million to a consulting firm led by Donald Trump’s lawyer. The Swiss drugmaker said Wednesday [5-9-18] that it had a one-year agreement with attorney Michael Cohen’s firm that began in February 2017 and was aimed at gaining insight into the administration’s health-care policy. The company quickly determined that Cohen’s firm would be unable to provide the services it anticipated and decided not to engage further, but was contractually bound to keep making monthly payments of $100,000. Novartis said that it was contacted in November 2017 by Mueller’s office about its agreement with Cohen’s consulting firm. The disclosure comes as the company seeks to move beyond allegations of improper sales practices, stemming from gifts and payments to doctors and pharmacies, presenting a challenge to new Chief Executive Officer Vas Narasimhan.”
-James Paton and John Lauerman, “Novartis Drawn Into Mueller Probe After Payments to Trump’s Lawyer,” Bloomberg, May 9, 2018 11:11 am