Top Novartis Exec “Retires” Over Cohen Payments

CNN Money reports:

The top lawyer at Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis stepped down on Wednesday following revelations that the company made payments to President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen. Novartis (NVS) said its general counsel, Felix Ehrat, had decided to retire from his position in the “context of discussions” surrounding the payments to Cohen.

Cohen’s company Essential Consultants had a one-year $1.2 million contract with Novartis during the beginning of the Trump administration. “Although the contract was legally in order, it was an error,” Ehrat said in a statement. “As a co-signatory with our former CEO, I take personal responsibility to bring the public debate on this matter to an end.”