March 28, 2024

Trump Personal Attorney Michael Cohen Paid Porn Star – But Hey, Nothing to See Here


Michael Cohen, President Trump’s personal attorney, says he paid $130,000 to adult film star. / Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP


By Brian Naylor / 02.14.2018


President Trump’s personal attorney says he paid $130,000 to an adult film star who said she had an affair with Trump.

In a statement first provided to The New York Times, Michael Cohen says that “in a private transaction in 2016, I used my own personal funds to facilitate a payment of $130,000 to Ms. Stephanie Clifford. Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly.”

Clifford, whose stage name is Stormy Daniels, says she met Trump during a golf tournament in 2006. In a 2011 interview with In Touch Weekly, she said she had an affair with Trump while he was married to his current wife, Melania, shortly after she gave birth to their son, Barron. Cohen has stated that Trump has denied the affair, and Clifford has been coy since the allegations became public.

Cohen says his payment to Clifford, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, “was lawful and was not a campaign contribution or a campaign expenditure by anyone.” Cohen initially denied making the payments in the first Wall Street Journal story.

He cited a complaint filed by Common Cause to the Federal Election Commission that he said “alleges that I somehow violated campaign finance laws by facilitating an excess, in-kind contribution.” Cohen says the allegation in the complaint “are factually unsupported and without legal merit,” adding his counsel has submitted a response to the FEC.

Cohen said he would not have any further comment on the complaint or Clifford.


Originally published by NPR with permission for non-commercial purposes.