The lawyer for porn star Stormy Daniels on Tuesday accused President Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen or his associates of providing “select audio recordings to the media that were seized in the FBI raids.”
“We think that these select leaks are meant to paint a false narrative relating to Mr. Cohen and his business dealings,” Avenatti said in a New York federal court filing Tuesday. “At the same time he is not disclosing numerous other recordings of him speaking with individuals such as Mr. Trump.”
Cohen’s home and office were raided by the FBI in April, where agents seized computers, phones, and other documents of Cohen’s. They also sought materials related to Daniels and ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal, who have both been involved in legal disputes with Trump because of alleged extramarital affairs. They both claim to have received payments in exchange for their silence.
Cohen is allegedly under investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for potentially committing bank fraud and violating campaign finance rules.
Earlier Monday, a law firm overseen by Avenatti was hit with a $10 million judgment from a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge in California due to an unrelated dispute, according to the Los Angeles Times.
But Avenatti told CNBC the firm referenced — Eagan Avenatti — was “completely different” from his.
“Completely different law firm — no ties to Daniels case. Irrelevant,” Avenatti said in an email to the news outlet.
Daniels has been embroiled in a legal battle with Trump concerning an alleged affair the pair had more than a decade ago. Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 for her to stay quiet regarding her relationship with Trump days before the 2016 election, but she filed a lawsuit earlier in 2018 claiming the nondisclosure agreement should be nullified because Trump didn’t sign it. Additionally, she has sued Trump and Cohen for defamation.
The White House and Trump have denied the Daniels affair.
