Daniels sues Trump, says he never signed hush deal

Stormy Daniels, the porn star who says she was paid to keep quiet about her affair with Donald Trump, sued the president Tuesday alleging that her nondisclosure agreement before the 2016 election is void because Trump did not sign it.

In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, said she wanted to go public with the story of her affair with Trump in the weeks leading up to the election. The lawsuit was first reported by NBC News.

Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, and Daniels’ attorney, Keith Davidson, negotiated what the lawsuit calls a “hush agreement” in which she would be paid $130,000. The payment arrived on Oct. 27, 12 days before the election, according to emails reviewed by The Washington Post. Cohen said recently that he used his own money to “facilitate” the payment.

The lawsuit suggests that Trump was aware of the agreement and that the money was intended to influence the election outcome.

The lawsuit says, “Mr. Trump, with the assistance of his attorney, Mr. Cohen, aggressively sought to silence Ms. Clifford as part of an effort to avoid her telling the truth, thus helping to ensure he won the presidential election.”

The lawsuit says Cohen forced her earlier this year to sign a statement denying the affair “through intimidation and coercive tactics.” The suit says Cohen has continued to try to “intimidate” Daniels into keeping quiet in recent weeks as reports about the deal and their relationship have leaked out and Daniels has given television interviews.

Cohen did not respond Tuesday to a request for comment.