Stormy Daniels’ attorney says he has proof that Michael Cohen was acting on behalf of Donald Trump, contrary to his public claims, when he gave the porn star $130,000 in October 2016, the same month she signed a non-disclosure agreement.
In an important point regarding whether the payment might be a campaign-finance violation, Mr. Cohen has said he gave the money to the adult-film actress, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, from his own funds and without the knowledge or connivance of Mr. Trump or his businesses.
Michael Avenatti, the Los Angeles attorney representing Ms. Clifford, has publicly scoffed at that claim in recent weeks, once asking rhetorically when lawyers ever pay their clients’ bills.
But in a “60 Minutes” interview that aired Sunday, he also provided evidence that he says proves it false.
“He’s found documents that show Michael Cohen used his Trump Organization email address in setting up the payment,” CBS reported.
Mr. Avenatti also told CBS that when the non-disclosure agreement was signed, it was shipped overnight to Mr. Cohen at his Trump Organization Office at Trump Tower on New York’s Fifth Avenue.
“That is a copy of the Federal Express confirmation,” Mr. Avenatti said on the air.
Mr. Avenatti then read a cover letter from Ms. Clifford’s previous lawyer: “‘To Mr. Cohen as executive vice president and special counsel to Donald J. Trump, the Trump Organization,’ again— listing the 5th Avenue address.
He concluded: “this idea that there’s a separation now between Mr. Cohen individually and the Trump Organization, or Mr. Cohen individually and Donald Trump — it’s nonsense.”
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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