Mr Cohen is alleged to have struck a deal with John Gauger the owner of Red Finch Solutions the owner of an IT company, to rig polls in favor of President Trump having a higher rating.

Mr Cohen promised Mr Gauger $50,000 for the work, but paid only $13,000 worth in cash in a blue Walmart bag, and a boxing glove worn by an MMA fighter. Based on a New York Times article Mr Cohen  stated, “ at the direction of and for the sole benefit of Trump” and also “All Monies paid to Mr Gauger were by check.” Mr Cohen tries to state that rigging polls was to benefit Trump. (https://nypost.com/2019/01/17/michael-cohen-reportedly-hired-it-firm-to-rig-online-polls-for-trump/)

According to The Week article “Gauger was unsuccessful. In the Drudge poll of possible Republican candidates, Trump ended up in fifth place with five percent of the vote, and in the CNBC of America’s Top Business Leaders poll, he didn’t even make it into the top 100” (https://theweek.com/speedreads/818228/michael-cohen-reportedly-hired-firm-rig-online-polls-trump ).

Cohen, who cooperated with investigators in exchange for leniency and agreed to go before the House Oversight Committee next month and testify before Congress. Despite Mr. Cohen’s willingness to protect Trump, Mr. Cohen was sentenced last month to three years in prison for pleading guilty to violating finance laws and paying hush money to a mistress.

With all this unfolding, President Trump did pay Mr Cohen $50,000 for the originally agreed payment for Mr Gauger of Red Finch Solutions, but Mr Cohen never gave the rest of the money, according to The Week.