Adult film star Stormy Daniel’s lawyer, Michael Avenatti, on Sunday submitted a renewed motion to depose President Trump and his personal attorney Michael Cohen about a $130,000 payment made to Daniels as part of a nondisclosure agreement before the 2016 election.
“[W]e just filed seeking to depose Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen, as well as an expedited jury trial,” Avenatti said in a tweet along with a link to the motion, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Here is the renewed motion we just filed seeking to depose Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen, as well as an expedited jury trial. #searchforthetruth #bastahttps://t.co/qzrzUUoNxL
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) April 8, 2018
S. James Otero, a U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, rejected without prejudice the first motion for an expedited jury trial and for limited expedited discovery late last month.
Avenatti wasn’t discouraged by the setback however, telling CNN that, “This is a procedural ruling. It really means nothing. But I will tell you this, we’re very, very encouraged by language in the order.”
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, claims to have had an extramarital affair with Trump beginning in 2006 shortly after his marriage to third wife Melania Trump.
Avenatti is arguing on behalf of Daniels that the nondiclosure agreement signed just before the 2016 election is invalid because Trump never signed it. Trump last week told reporters that he had no knowledge of the six-figure payment his lawyer offered to Daniels.
The White House has denied the existence of the relationship.
Earlier on Sunday, Avenatti teased what could be forensic evidence to support his client’s claim that she and her daughter were threatened in 2011 in order to keep her silent on her alleged affair with Trump. He shared a picture of Daniels with Lois Gibson, who he called “the foremost forensic artist in the world.” In the photo she appeared to be drawing up sketches.
