Trump tried to make another hush money deal with Stormy Daniels, lawyer says

Topline

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump asked adult film star Stormy Daniels in July not to defame Trump before the 2024 election in exchange for paying legal fees she owed him, Daniels’ attorney told Forbes, even though Trump was convicted on 34 counts Found guilty of a hush money deal with Daniels before the 2016 election.

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels (Stephanie Clifford) leaves the US District Court … [+] Southern District of New York on April 16, 2018 in New York City.

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Important facts

Daniels claims she had an affair with Trump in July 2006 (which Trump denies) and then received $130,000 from ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen before the 2016 election to cover up the allegations. She then became an outspoken critic of the ex-president and testified against him in his criminal trial.

After Daniels unsuccessfully sued Trump for defamation in March and October 2018, she was ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees to Trump in several legal cases – fees she said she had not paid as of May.

In a July 23 letter first reported by MSNBC and confirmed by Forbes – which came after she testified at his trial in May – Trump’s lawyers told Daniels’ lawyers that they would now owe Trump $652,362.23 $ for legal fees and required her to sign a “non-attorney declaration.” Disparagement Agreement” regarding statements against Trump.

Daniels’ lawyers offered to pay $620,000, and Trump’s lawyers said in a July 25 letter that while that amount was not “in full satisfaction” of the verdicts, they would agree to it if Daniels “in writing agrees not to make public or… “private statements related to alleged past interactions with President Trump or defamatory or derogatory statements about him, his companies and/or affiliates, or his suitability as a presidential candidate.”

Daniels’ attorney, Clark Brewster, told Forbes that both sides ultimately agreed to pay $627,500 and the fees are now “paid in full,” but that Daniels did not agree to the non-disparagement agreement.

The Trump campaign has not yet responded to a request for comment, but spokesman Steven Cheung, in a statement to MSNBC, incorrectly blamed the release of the emails on “stolen materials by opponents of the terror regime” – an allusion to that Iran allegedly hacked the Trump campaign – although Daniel’s lawyer provided the emails to MSNBC.

Crucial quote

The outstanding judgments ordering Daniels to pay Trump’s legal fees are now “vacated and released,” Brewster told Forbes in an email. “We rejected the additional deadline of an NDA and made it clear that we would never agree to such a deadline.”

Main critic

“MS. “Daniels was held accountable for having to pay President Trump more than the money she owes him as a result of her transgressions,” Cheung said in a statement to NBC, although this contradicts the amount referred to Both sides agreed to the full amount that Trump’s lawyers owed Daniels. Although Daniels lost her defamation claim against Trump and was subsequently ordered to pay legal fees, the court found her not liable for any wrongdoing.

What you should pay attention to

Trump still has not been convicted of the 34 felony counts against him, which involved falsifying business records based on reimbursement checks he sent for the Daniels payment. The ex-president managed to get the sentencing postponed until November 26th – after the election and much later than the original July sentencing date – with New York State Judge Juan Merchan ruling that he would postpone the sentencing to avoid any impression to avoid political bias. Each of the 34 counts on which Trump was convicted is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 per offense and/or a prison sentence of up to four years, although legal experts consider it highly unlikely – but not impossible – for that to happen he is sentenced to prison as a first-time offender.

Important background

Daniels’ alleged affair with Trump took place after they met at a celebrity golf tournament. Daniels testified that she went to his hotel room for dinner after they met at the tournament and allegedly had sex with him. The adult film star testified that their encounter was based on a “power imbalance” and that she was “ashamed that I didn’t stop it,” claiming she asked herself, “Oh my God, what did I misunderstand, um to come here?” and “went as fast as I could” after it was over. The alleged affair and subsequent hush money payment was first reported by the Wall Street Journal in January 2018, which ultimately led to Michael Cohen pleading guilty to campaign finance violations and other crimes in connection with his payment to Daniels. Trump has long denied Daniels’ allegations of an affair and pleaded not guilty when he was indicted on charges related to the hush money payments. Trump compensated Cohen through a series of checks paid throughout 2017 that prosecutors and the jury agreed were mischaracterized as legitimate payments. The ex-president fiercely attacked Daniels during his criminal case – violating a judge’s order prohibiting him from doing so – and continued to oppose his conviction.