Daniels’ lawyer wants to question Trump
WASHINGTON — A lawyer for Stormy Daniels filed a motion Wednesday seeking to question President Donald Trump and his attorney under oath about a pre-election payment to the adult film actress aimed at keeping her quiet about an alleged tryst with Trump.
If successful, it would be the first deposition of a sitting president since Bill Clinton in 1998 had to answer questions about his conduct with women.
Attorney Michael Avenatti is seeking sworn testimony from Trump and Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, about a US$130,000 payment made to Daniels 11 days before the 2016 election as part of a nondisclosure agreement she is seeking to invalidate.
Avenatti is part of a growing list of lawyers looking to question Trump. Attorneys for a former contestant on one of Trump’s Apprentice TV shows have said they want to depose the president as part of a defamation suit. And the president’s legal team continues to negotiate with special counsel Robert Mueller over the scope and terms of an interview with Trump.
Avenatti wants to question Trump and Cohen for “no more than two hours.” In the filing, he says the depositions are needed to establish if Trump knew about the payment, which he refers to as a “hush agreement,” and if he consented to it.
“We’re looking for sworn answers from the president and Mr. Cohen about what they knew, when they knew it and what they did about it,” Avenatti said.
Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, detailed her alleged 2006 tryst with Trump on the CBS show 60 Minutes that aired Sunday.