Trump protests innocence over pay-off to porn star
DONALD TRUMP has broken his silence about allegations that he had sex with a porn star, insisting that he did not pay her $130,000 (£92,000) hush money through his lawyer.
After weeks of dodging questions about the alleged affair, the US president offered a flat “no” when asked if he knew about the payment made in the final weeks of the 2016 election.
The actress, Stephanie Clifford – who goes by the screen name Stormy Daniels – claims she received the money to cover up a sexual encounter with Mr Trump more than a decade ago. Michael Cohen, the president’s lawyer, has admitted to making the payment and has accused Daniels of breaching a non-disclosure agreement she signed in return.
Last month, Daniels told 21million television viewers that she had unprotected sex with Mr Trump in July 2006, shortly after Melania, his wife, gave birth to their son.
While the alleged sexual encounter was said to be consensual, the payment to Daniels could constitute an undeclared campaign contribution.
Mr Trump insisted he did not know why Mr Cohen made the payment. “You’ll have to ask Michael Cohen. Mi- chael is my attorney.” Asked if he knew the source of the money, the president told reporters on Air Force One: “No, I don’t know.”
The claim was immediately challenged by Michael Avenatti, Daniels’s lawyer, who tweeted: “We very much look forward to testing the truthfulness of Mr Trump’s feigned lack of knowledge concerning the $130,000 (£92,000) payment.”
The alleged affair and suspected cover-up presents a legal and political minefield for Mr Trump, as support among US evangelical Christians, who make up 25 per cent of the population, was pivotal in his election victory.