Daniels to meet today with prosecutors in Cohen probe
Stormy Daniels is scheduled today to be interviewed by prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, preparing for a potential grand jury appearance about a $130,000 payment from President Donald Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair with Trump, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
Daniels and her attorney, Michael Avenatti, have been cooperating with prosecutors and provided documents about the payment, made shortly before the 2016 election, in response to a subpoena, said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide the information about Monday’s interview.
A spokesman for the U.S. attorney and attorneys for Cohen declined to comment.
Cohen is under federal investigation for possible campaign finance violations as well as bank and wire fraud. An FBI raid of his New York law office and home included a search for records related to the Daniels payment.
Cohen has acknowledged making the payment through one of his Delaware business entities.
The payment came in the final weeks of Trump’s campaign, and Trump has recently said he was aware that Cohen made an arrangement
with Daniels, an adult-film star whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
The White House officials has repeatedly denied that Trump had a sexual relationship with Daniels.
Daniels is suing Trump and Cohen in California to invalidate the confidentiality agreement she signed at the time of the payment. A federal judge in April granted Cohen’s request for
a delay, saying it appeared likely Cohen would be indicted in the criminal investigation in New York.
Daniels is also suing the president for defamation in New York federal court; a response to her claim is due by July 23.
Cohen is also under scrutiny by special counsel Robert Mueller III in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.