Trump lawyers paid $130,000 to halt sex reports
DONALD Trump’s lawyer paid a former porn star $130,000 (€106,000) just before the election in an agreement that kept her silent over an alleged sexual encounter, the ‘Wall Street Journal’ has reported.
The payment was arranged in October 2016 by Michael Cohen, a top attorney to the Trump Organisation for more than a year, according to the newspaper.
The woman in question is Stephanie Clifford, whose stage name is Stormy Daniels and who has appeared in more than 150 adult films.
Ms Clifford alleged the encounter took place in July 2006 at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, according to people referred to in the report. Mr Trump married Melania Trump in 2005.
A White House official told the ‘Wall Street Journal’: “These are old, recycled reports, which were published and strongly denied prior to the election.”
Mr Cohen told the paper: “President Trump once again vehemently denies any such occurrence, as has Ms. Daniels.”
Ms Clifford was 27 at the time she met Mr Trump in 2006. A photo uploaded that year by Ms Clifford on her MySpace account shows the pair together.
Mr Trump faced a string of sexual harassment claims in the run-up to the US election – all of which he denied in the strongest terms.
That followed a leaked video tape showing Mr Trump boasting of grabbing women “by the p **** ”.
Ms Clifford did not respond to requests for comment, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Mr Cohen sent a twoparagraph statement from Ms Clifford which denied “a sexual and/or romantic affair” with Mr Trump.
It went on: “Rumors that I have received hush money from Donald Trump are completely false.”
It is not known whether Mr Trump was aware of the payment, the ‘Wall Street Journal’ reported. There is also no suggestion that the alleged sexual encounter was non-consensual.