Giuliani Trumps sex star pay tale
DONALD Trump’s new lawyer has revealed Mr Trump repaid his lawyer $130,000 in a deal made just before the election to keep porn star Stormy Daniels quiet about an affair, directly contradicting the US President’s past statements about the hush money.
Mr Trump’s new lawyer Rudy Giuliani said the money to repay Michael Cohen had been “funnelled ... through the law firm and the President repaid it”. Asked if Mr Trump knew about the arrangement, Mr 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.”
Mr Trump several weeks ago said he didn’t know about the payment to Ms Daniels as part of a nondisclosure agreement she signed days before the 2016 presidential election.
Asked aboard Air Force One whether he knew about the payment, Mr Trump said flatly: “No.” He also said he didn’t know why Mr Cohen had made the payment or where he got the money.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mr Giuliani, who joined Mr Trump’s legal team last month, said the president had repaid Mr Cohen over several months, indicating the payments continued through at least the presidential transition, if not into his presidency.
He also said the payment “is going to turn out to be perfectly legal” because “that money was not campaign money”.
Ms Daniels’ lawyer, Michael Avenatti, called the comment “a stunning revelation”. “Mr Trump evidently has participated in a felony and there must be serious consequences for his conduct and his lies and deception to the American people,” he said.
Ms Daniels (pictured), whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, says she had a sexual encounter with Mr Trump in 2006 and was paid to keep quiet as part of a nondisclosure agreement she is now seeking to invalidate.
She has also filed a defamation suit against Mr Trump after he questioned a composite sketch she released of a man she says threatened her to stay quiet about the encounter with Mr Trump.
The White House has said Mr Trump denies having a relationship with Ms Daniels.