With WSJ report, Delaware again linked to alleged scandal

With another salacious headline involving the secret movement of money, the public has learned the name of another Delaware limited liability company – this time, it's Essential Consultants LLC.

The Wall Street Journal reported that an attorney for President Donald Trump used the Delaware company to transfer $130,000 to an adult film star just prior to the 2016 presidential election. The money was part of an agreement to ensure she would not divulge information about an alleged affair with the president, the report said.

The case is the latest to link Delaware to alleged scandals, both nationally and internationally. Delaware entities, which do not publicly disclose ownership information, have appeared in connection with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, Mexican drug lord Joaquin "el Chapo" Guzman and former lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

A federal grand jury indictment released in October stated that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former Trump campaign official Rick Gates shielded from U.S. authorities millions of dollars in payments from the Ukraine, using nine Delaware LLCs.

Read more: https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2018/01/19/wsj-report-delaware-again-linked-alleged-scandal/1047537001/