During the recent legal proceedings, Trump attorney Blanche has brought attention to an email sent by Michael Cohen to Allen Weisselberg in May 2017. In the email, Cohen attached an invoice and requested Weisselberg to 'call me to discuss the last open foundation matter.' This communication suggests that Cohen was actively working for Trump in 2017 while receiving payment.
Blanche further argues that Cohen's legal services in 2017 were legitimate due to the existence of a retainer agreement. Blanche highlighted another retainer agreement Cohen had as a consultant in 2017, emphasizing that Cohen was compensated $100,000 for six meetings with Novartis. According to Blanche, this arrangement exemplifies the nature of retainer agreements, where Cohen was available for services 'on call' for both the company and President Trump.