Longtime Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen said Thursday he participated in 'rigging' of online polls to benefit Donald Trump in 2014 and 2015 – 'at the direction' of the then-candidate and businessman.

Cohen acknowledged the effort to manipulate polls 'for the sole benefit' of Trump after a bombshell report in the Wall Street Journal that he delivered a cash payment to the IT consultant for Liberty University as part of a plan to boost Trump's image.

At one point in 2015, Cohen delivered up to $13,000 in cash contained in a Wall-Mart bag to John Gauger, the IT consultant and owner of RedFinch Solutions LLC, Gauger told the paper. Gauger claims he was owed $50,000 for work he had done.

Longtime Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen acknowledged the effort to manipulate polls 'for the sole benefit' of Trump

Cohen wrote that he acted 'at the direction of and for the sole benefit' of Trump, in a statement on 'poll rigging'

Cohen also threw in a boxing glove he said had been worn by a Brazilian mixed-martial arts fighter, according to the report.

The tasks he was paying for included efforts to manipulate two online polls. One was a CNBC poll of the nation's top business leaders.

A computer code he wrote was supposed to help boost Trump's performance, but Trump didn't make the top 100.

IT consultant John Gauger tells the Wall Street Journal Michael Cohen gave him a bag of cash but never paid what he was owed for work that involved trying to manipulate online polls to benefit Donald Trump

Another was to boost Trump in a February 2015 Drudge Report poll of Republican candidates – at a time of critical sorting through the field. Such polls can affect media appearances, potential crowds, and even campaign donors.

Trump came in fifth, scoring 24,000 votes, or about 5 per cent.

The Drudge site teased the story Thursday with a headline: 'Did Trump Bribe Drudge Poll?'

However, Gauger claims Cohen stiffed him for the full amount of the transaction.

Cohen 'kept saying he would pay the balance of the $50,000 but never did,' according to the paper. He also 'promised' to get him worth with the Trump campaign, but it never panned out.

However in 2017, Cohen was able to get reimbursement for himself for $50,000, based on a handwritten note he submitted. Most of the funds came form Donald Trump's personal account, according to the paper.

Cohen sought the creation of the site 'WomenForCohen' which called him a sex symbol

One 2016 post called him 'Snazzy'

Another tweet gave Cohen and Trump the 'Best looking men award'

Cohen also asked Gauger to create a front account, @WomenForCohen. Launched in May 2016, it praised him for good lucks and repeatedly retweeted his appearances and favorable comments about him. The account was still active Thursday.

The account's bio states: 'Women who love and support Michael Cohen. Strong, pit bull, sex symbol, no nonsense, business oriented, and ready to make a difference!'

A December 2016 post called him Snazzy looking & ready to #MAGA.' One sent out an apparent selfie of Cohen. 'Never too late for #mcm & a #selfie.'

'MCM' most likely refers to man-crush Monday.

Cohen tweeted Thursday: 'As for the @WSJ article on poll rigging, what I did was at the direction of and for the sole benefit of @RealDonaldTrump @POTUS. I truly regret my blind loyalty to a man who doesn’t deserve it.'

Cohen, 52, was sentenced to three years in jail after pleading guilty to campaign finance violations related to the $130,000 payment he provided to porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an affair with Trump.

He is assisting special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators, and is scheduled to testify to the House Oversight Committee on February 7.