Dean Nick Allard Discusses Cohen Payments with CBS News and Slate
Dean Nick Allard, who has been a frequent commentator on issues related to lobbying and the inner workings of Washington, D.C., was featured in recent stories about Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's alleged peddling of information about the president to corporations.
Appearing in a May 11 segment airing on “CBS Evening News with Jeff Glor,” Allard said that it is virtually unheard of for a lawyer to sell information about a client. The story followed reports confirming Cohen, through a company he formed called Essential Consultants LLC, engaged in political consulting, for which he collected large payments from several companies including AT&T and Novartis—both of which issued public apologies for what it called “mistakes,” as well as Russian-backed investment firm Columbus Nova.
"There's a fundamental conflict. It's like John Gotti's lawyer selling information to the other four families,” said Allard, referring to the five major New York City organized crime families. "Not only is it not done, but it's a fundamental conflict—and a very dangerous one."
Allard also was quoted in a story on Slate.com that asked a group of experts if it was normal for the President’s lawyer to run a political consulting firm.
“Just the brazen, shameless, sloppy attempt to peddle the ability to buy results is not only shocking but is done at a level that in recent modern history we have not seen,” said Allard. “We’re in dangerous territory because when there’s a suggestion that enormous sums of money change hands for no professional work being done, questions arise as to what that money is for.”
Before coming to the Law School in 2012, Dean Allard worked in private practice in Washington, D.C., leading the preeminent public policy practice in the nation. His government service and political experience includes serving as senior staff to the late Senators Edward Kennedy on the United States Senate Judiciary Committee, Chief of Staff for the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and Vice President Al Gore.