Trump says payment to Michael Cohen in Stormy Daniels scandal was 'not from the campaign'
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said his lawyer Michael Cohen did not use presidential campaign funds to pay Stormy Daniels as part of a contract that he said was aimed at stopping the adult-film star from making “false and extortionist accusations” about an affair.
“Money from the campaign, or campaign contributions, played no roll in this transaction,” Trump wrote in one of a series of early morning tweets.
Mr. Cohen, an attorney, received a monthly retainer, not from the campaign and having nothing to do with the campaign, from which he entered into, through reimbursement, a private contract between two parties, known as a non-disclosure agreement, or NDA. These agreements are.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2018
...very common among celebrities and people of wealth. In this case it is in full force and effect and will be used in Arbitration for damages against Ms. Clifford (Daniels). The agreement was used to stop the false and extortionist accusations made by her about an affair,......
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2018
...despite already having signed a detailed letter admitting that there was no affair. Prior to its violation by Ms. Clifford and her attorney, this was a private agreement. Money from the campaign, or campaign contributions, played no roll in this transaction.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2018
His comments come after former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who joined Trump’s legal team last month, said on Wednesday Trump had reimbursed Cohen the $130,000 that was given to Daniels to buy her silence about an alleged affair with the president.
Trump had told reporters on Air Force One last month that he did not know about the payment or the source of the money.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has filed two lawsuits against Trump, one to get out of the non-disclosure agreement she signed in October 2016 in exchange for the $130,000, and another for defamation.
Asked about the president’s Thursday morning tweets, her lawyer Michael Avenatti told MSNBC the president had opened himself up to another possible lawsuit for defamation.
Reporting by Susan Heavey and Makini Brice; Editing by Bernadette Baum
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