Judge rejects porn star’s bid for Trump to give evidence

LOS ANGELES: A federal judge in Los Angeles rejected a motion by adult film actress Stormy Daniels on Thursday to depose President Donald Trump over an alleged affair with the performer.

Her attorney Michael Avenatti said he plans to refile the request once attorneys for Trump and his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, file their formal response to Daniels’ lawsuit trying to nullify a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) she signed last year.

Avenatti, whose motion requested two-hour depositions of Trump and Cohen, argued that both are expected to file papers forcing the case into private arbitration “to hide the facts from public view.”

“We expect this any day,” Avenatti tweeted in response to the ruling by US District Judge S. James Otero.

Otero noted that although Trump and Cohen had stated their intention to compel arbitration, they had not yet filed a petition.

“If such a petition were filed, a number of the questions raised in (Daniels’) motion may be answered in the petition, thus limiting the need for discovery on these issues,” the judge said.

“If such a petition is never filed, plaintiff’s motion is moot. Accordingly, plaintiff’s motion is premature and must be denied.”

Daniels — real name Stephanie Clifford — gave a blockbuster interview to CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday, describing a brief affair she alleges she had with Trump more than a decade ago. — AFP