Hindustan Times (Delhi)

Former doorman now free to discuss alleged Trump affair

PAID NEWS? Sajudin would have had to pay $1 mn if he talked to anyone else

- Yashwant Raj yashwant.raj@hindustant­imes.com (With inputs from agencies)

WASHINGTON: A former doorman of Trump Tower has said he has been released from a gag deal that had prevented him from discussing claims of an alleged relationsh­ip Donald Trump had with his former employee that reportedly resulted in a child.

Marc Held, attorney for the doorman Dino Sajudin, told CNN on Friday that his client has been released from an agreement with American Media Inc (AMI).

AMI is the parent company of National Enquirer that bought stories and articles that could potentiall­y be damaging for the US president and never ran them.

The doorman claims to have knowledge of an affair Trump had with a former housekeepe­r.

Multiple publicatio­ns had reported the claim and the payment of $30,000 by AMI to Sajudin in April.

“Just recently, AMI released Mr Sajudin from the terms of his agreement and he is now able to speak about his personal experience with them, as well as his story, which is now known to be one of the ‘catch and kill’ pieces,” Held told CNN. “Mr. Sajudin hopes the truth will come out in the very near future.”

But there were no details then and the contract released by Sajudin has none either. But said: “Source shall provide AMI with informatio­n regarding Donald Trump’s illegitima­te child.”

AMI’S owner David Pecker is cooperatin­g with federal prosecutor­s under an immunity deal in a case in which Michael Cohen, a former lawyer and fixer for Trump, has pleaded guilty to eight charges.

Those charges include campaign funding law violations for hush money paid to two women for their silence about their claims of having had affairs with Trump years ago. Cohen has implicated Trump in this case, saying these payments were made at his direction and in coordinati­on with him.

The contract between AMI and the doorman appears to have been signed in November 2015 and stated that Sajudin was being paid $30,000 for his account to which the publicatio­n had exclu- sive rights in perpetuity. It set a penalty of $1 million for him for violating the contract.

“He’s a blue-collar worker and a million dollars would have ruined him for life,” Held told CNN about his client’s silence so far. There was no word when Sajudin plans to speak out, and to whom.

IN NEW TWEET, TRUMP ATTACKS SESSIONS

Donald Trump on Saturday again laced into Jeff Sessions, his attorney general, who defended himself from the president’s scathing criticism over his recusal from a probe into Russia’s alleged interferen­ce in the 2016 election.

In a rare rebuttal to Trump, Sessions said on Thursday that he “took control of the Department of Justice” the day he became attorney general, and that “the actions of the Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerat­ions.”

In a tweet on Saturday , Trump said Sessions “doesn’t understand what is happening underneath his command position.”

 ?? AFP ?? Tower of secrets: A guard stands outside Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan in New York City.
AFP Tower of secrets: A guard stands outside Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan in New York City.

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