Stormy Daniels settles for $450,000 from arrest
Stormy Daniels, the pornographic film actress who said she had an affair with Donald Trump before he became president, reached a $450,000 settlement Friday with Columbus, Ohio, after suing over her arrest at a strip club in July 2018.
The arrest made headlines across the country, raising questions about whether politics had been at play and why it was a priority to send four vice detectives to a strip club.
Within 24 hours, Daniels was charged with three misdemeanours, bailed out and released, and the charges were dropped. Columbus police later said the arrest had been a mistake.
Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, sued the city in January for $2 million, citing false arrest and false imprisonment in violation of her civil rights.
Speaking to reporters after the settlement was announced, Daniels said she was pleased.
Clark Brewster, a lawyer for Daniels, said he was glad the city “did a proper investigation and was critical of their own people.”
“She was targeted not for what she had done, but for who she was,” he added. “And we felt it was very important that this woman stand up for not just herself but for the other people who were treated or could be treated like that in the future.”
The settlement is subject to approval by the Columbus City Council, but there is no firm timeline on when the council will vote.
The 2018 episode began about 10 p.m. July 11, when four vice detectives were sent to the Sirens Gentlemen’s Club in northeastern Columbus to investigate complaints “alleging prostitution and drug activity,” according to court documents.
The detectives said in affidavits that while dancing topless, Daniels pressed patrons’ faces into her chest and fondled the breasts of some women in the audience.
Daniels, who had a two-night gig at the club, performed similar acts on three officers and grabbed one by the buttocks.
But the charges were dropped the next day because the law under which Daniels was arrested applied to people who “regularly” appear nude or seminude at a particular establishment, and Clifford had not appeared at the club consistently.