When Donald Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, approached Novartis early last year to provide access to the new Trump administration, the company’s response was tone-deaf. But it was hardly a surprise.
The personal lawyer and “fixer” for the president came knocking as big drug makers were anxious about the future, since candidate Trump had lambasted them for through-the-roof prices. So former Novartis chief executive Joe Jimenez quickly authorized a one-year, $1.2 million deal. This was considerably more than Novartis typically paid Washington lobbyists. And it wasn’t for Cohen’s policy expertise — he knew nothing about health care.
Even so, the entreaty from Cohen was too good to pass up. Why reject a direct pipeline to someone who has Trump’s ear?
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USA: the masters in the art of bribing
It is amusing how what around the world is called bribing, in the US is called lobbying and gaining insights or access
🙂