How Michael Cohen cashed in

Michael Cohen made more than $2 million working as a Trump whisperer. But he's far from the only one. President Donald Trump's longtime lawyer and fixer is the latest member of the president's inner circle to cash in on connections by selling insight into how Trump operates. The president's 2016 victory rattled corporations enough that clients were eager to pay top dollar to anyone who could help them understand the administration in its first months. Many of those insiders have become lobbyists, joining established Washington firms or starting their own shops. Gotham Government Relations and Communications, a New York law and lobbying firm that orchestrated Trump's campaign announcement in 2015, opened a Washington office after Trump's victory. So did Brian Ballard, a Florida lobbyist who had raised millions for Trump's campaign. Others, including Cohen and former-Trump campaign chief Corey Lewandowski, avoided registering as lobbyists but took on work helping corporate clients understand Trump’s thinking. "It's a little bit like Lucy hanging out behind her table and charging people five cents for wisdom," said Rich Gold, a longtime Democratic lobbyist, referring to the "Peanuts" character. But President Trump has proved difficult to predict or sway.