A lawyer for adult film star Stormy Daniels says there’s “no question” President Trump knew about his longtime personal lawyer’s payoff to his client.
Daniels was paid $130,000 for her silence about an affair she claims she had with Trump during the early days of his marriage to Melania.
Michael Avenatti said on the “Today” show Wednesday that “it’s highly questionable” whether Trump’s lawyer Michel Cohen paid Daniels with his personal money, as he has claimed.
“We think it’s highly questionable as to whether it came from his personal funds,” Avenatti said. “There’s no question the president knew about it at the time. The idea that an attorney would go off on his own, without his client’s knowledge, and engage in this type of negotiation and enter into this type of agreement quite honestly is ludicrous.”
Yet Avenatti declined to say how he knew Trump was aware of the transfer of funds that happened just days before the 2016 presidential election.
“There’s many additional facts and evidence that we have and we think that’s going to come to light,” he said, not giving other details.
Watch @savannahguthrie's full interview with Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniels’ lawyer pic.twitter.com/8koWFXvYh1— TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 7, 2018
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, sued Trump on Tuesday, arguing their nondisclosure agreement is invalid because he never signed it. The suit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and alleges Cohen used “intimidation and coercive tactics” to keep Daniels from talking about the alleged affair.
Daniels may have to return the $130,000 if a court rules the agreement is void, her lawyer said.
“She’s looking to disclose the truth about what happened,” Avenatti said when asked if Daniels is looking to make money off the controversy.
But Avenatti wouldn’t pledge that Daniels wouldn’t accept money to tell her story publicly if she wins the lawsuit.
“I don’t think she’s ultimately determined what’s she going to do,” he said.
The White House has denied the alleged affair happened.
