Media outlets began feverishly reporting the tale of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen paying to rig online polls.
Cohen allegedly agreed to pay John Gauger of Redfinch Solutions to artificially inflate online polls conducted by CNBC and Drudge.
While Gauger was only able to give Trump a boost up to 5% on the Drudge poll, he was still paid $25,000 by Cohen . . . who supposedly paid the main in cash stuffed in a Walmart bag.
Cohen also supposedly threw in a pair of MMA boxing gloves worn by a Brazilian champ.
The story is supported by records kept by the Federal Election Commission as no payments were made by the Trump Campaign to Redfinch or Gauger.
Cohen apparently decided to pay Gauger off the books for something that while devious, was legal.
It is common practice on campaigns of any size to manipulate non-official public data, polls, online article comments along with favorable public commentary.
While it’s a manipulative practice and campaigns and candidates never want to get caught doing it, making off-the-books payments for services is illegal in most state and federal campaigns.
Rather than accept the blame for illegal acts, Cohen threw shade on President Trump once again, accusing the president of directing the illegal payments:
As for the @WSJ article on poll rigging, what I did was at the direction of and for the sole benefit of @realDonaldTrump @POTUS. I truly regret my blind loyalty to a man who doesn’t deserve it.
— Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) January 17, 2019
Cohen has admitted to paying women for their silence, but again, blamed the president for the tactics.
