Giuliani: Trump reimbursed Cohen $130K

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s new lawyer Rudy Giuliani said Wednesday that Trump reimbursed his personal attorney Michael Cohen for a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, directly contradicting the president’s past statements.

During an appearance on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” Giuliani said the money had been “funneled ... through the law firm, and the president repaid it.”

Asked whether Trump knew about the arrangement, Giuliani said: “He didn’t know about the specifics of it, as far as I know. But he did know about the general arrangement, that Michael would take care of things like this, like I take care of things like this for my clients. I don’t burden them with every single thing that comes along. These are busy people.”

Several weeks ago, Trump denied to reporters having known about the $130,000 payment to Daniels as part of a nondisclosure agreement she signed days before the 2016 presidential election. Trump also said he didn’t know why Cohen had made the payment or where he got the money.

Giuliani said the president had repaid Cohen over several months. He also said it “is going to turn out to be perfectly legal” because “that money was not campaign money.”

Daniels’ attorney, Michael Avenatti, called the comment “a stunning revelation,” accusing Trump of participating in a felony.

Cohen’s payment could be cast as an illegal campaign contribution, but not if he were acting on the president’s behest and with his money.