It is unclear what insight Cohen—a longtime real estate attorney and former taxi cab operator—could have provided AT&T on complex telecom matters… A “scope of work” describing Cohen’s contract in an internal AT&T document shows that he was hired to “focus on specific long-term planning initiatives as well as the immediate issue of corporate tax reform and the acquisition of Time Warner.” He was also directed to “creatively address political and communications issues” facing the company and advise the company on matters before the Federal Communications Commission…

… In an internal email to employees obtained by The Post, AT&T said Cohen was among “several consultants” the company hired in early 2017 “to help us understand how the President and his administration might approach a wide range of policy issues important to the company, including regulatory reform at the FCC, corporate tax reform and antitrust enforcement.”