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Michael Cohen is talking to Mueller about Trump and Russia

Asked about the discussions, Trump attorney Rudolph Giuliani told NBC News that “Cohen has a history of lying” and "is not worthy of belief."
Image: Former Trump Lawyer Michael Cohen Enters Plea Deal Over Tax And Bank Fraud And Campaign Finance Violations
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal attorney and fixer, exits federal court, August 21, 2018 in New York City. Cohen reached an agreement with prosecutors, pleading guilty to charges involving bank fraud, tax fraud and campaign finance violations.Drew Angerer / Getty Images

President Donald Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen is providing special counsel Robert Mueller's team with information and has been for the past few weeks, according to Cohen and his attorney's public tweets as well as multiple people briefed on the matter.

Cohen has been asked by Mueller's team about any Trump Organization business in Russia and any contacts the Trump campaign had with Russians during the 2016 presidential campaign, according a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

Cohen's discussions with the special counsel's office and the nature of those discussions were first reported by ABC News.

When asked about the discussions, Trump attorney Rudolph Giuliani told NBC News that "Cohen has a history of lying" and "is not worthy of belief."

A spokesperson for the special counsel's office declined to comment.

In August, Cohen pleaded guilty to eight counts of tax evasion, bank fraud and campaign finance violations, including two counts related to hush-money payments made to women. He said he made the payments "at the direction of a candidate," meaning Trump.

Trump's name didn't come up in the federal courtroom in Manhattan, but Cohen said he had paid two women, apparently porn actress Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal "at the direction" of an unnamed candidate in 2016, and that a $150,000 payment in August 2016 was for the "principal purpose of influencing" the 2016 presidential election. Both Daniels and McDougal have said they had past relationships with Trump.