Trump accuser Stormy Daniels sues Michael Cohen for ‘colluding’ with her ex-lawyer
Adult film actress has alleged having an affair with Mr Trump and has been fighting the president over a nondisclosure agreement
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An adult film star who is battling Donald Trump in court has sued Mr Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen for allegedly colluding with her former lawyer.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles superior court, marks the latest twist in a legal dispute that centres on a a nondisclosure agreement that porn star Stormy Daniels signed in 2016 and a $130,000 payout to the actress that was facilitated by Mr Cohen and reimbursed by Mr Trump.
Ms Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has sued to nullify the confidentiality agreement, which she said was intended to prevent her from speaking about an alleged affair with Mr Trump (the president denies any affairs occurred).
Now a lawsuit alleges that as Mr Cohen sought to suppress Ms Daniels he was aided by her then-attorney Keith Davidson.
“Mr Davidson abdicated bis role as an advocate and fiduciary of his client Ms Clifford, and instead elected to be a ‘puppet’ for Mr Cohen and Mr Trump in order to advance their interests at the expense of Ms Clifford”, the lawsuit alleges.
In a statement to the Independent, Mr Davidson dismissed the “outrageously frivolous lawsuit” as an attempt by Ms Daniels’ outspoken new attorney, Michael Avenatti, to “continue his ‘publicity tour’” and distract from a recent bankruptcy court judgment against his law firm.
“Thankfully, the truth can now finally come out to rebut the false narrative about Attorney Davidson that Mr. Avenatti has been pushing in his more than 175 television appearances and countless other media interviews”, Mr Davidson said. “Attorney Davidson believes that the American people deserve to know the entire truth - and they soon will.”
In a tweet after the lawsuit was filed, Mr Avenatti called Mr Davidson “a disgrace to the profession”.
According to the complaint, Mr Cohen contacted Mr Davidson about having his client go on television to deny a January article in gossip tabloid In Touch detailing Ms Daniels’ allegations of an affair with Mr Trump.
Court documents detail text messages allegedly exchanged between the two men, including one in which Mr Davidson suggests waiting an additional night so Fox can “can promote the heck out of the show”.
While that television appearance never materialised, the lawsuit alleges that Mr Davidson later “secretly tipped” Mr Cohen when he learned that Ms Daniels planned to switch attorneys and go public with her allegations about Mr Trump.
The Independent was unable to reach Mr Cohen for comment.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments