Former President Donald Trump sued his ex-attorney Michael Cohen for more than $500 million on Wednesday, saying he breached their contractual relationship and helped to spread falsehoods about Mr. Trump in a criminal prosecution in New York.
Mr. Trump’s attorneys argued in their federal court filing in the Southern District of Florida that Cohen published his first book, “Disloyal,” just before the 2020 election in an attempt to gain financially from the timing.
They also argue he went on to publish another book and launch a podcast, focused on his previous relationship with Mr. Trump to profit from it, often hosting guests such as former porn actress Stormy Daniels on his broadcast. Ms. Daniels alleges she had an affair with Mr. Trump, and the criminal case is centered on hush-money payments through Cohen to her.
The lawsuit also asserts that the ex-president should receive financial royalties from Cohen’s work for disclosing inside information about their business dealings.
“Defendant breached his fiduciary duties owed to Plaintiff by virtue of their attorney-client relationship by both revealing Plaintiff’s confidences, and spreading falsehoods about Plaintiff, likely to be embarrassing or detrimental, and partook in other misconduct in violation of New York Rules of Professional Conduct,” the 34-page complaint read.
A lawyer who has represented Cohen in other litigation did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the new lawsuit.
Mr. Cohen used his Twitter account to call for donations to fight the legal battle.
“Donald and acolytes continue to disparage me as a way of deflection from his looming legal troubles. I will not be deterred from continuing speaking truth to power. I need your help to do so,” he wrote, linking to a GoFundMe page that’s already raised more than $10,000.
Cohen had worked for Mr. Trump as his personal attorney beginning in 1996. After Mr. Trump became president, Cohen went on to do other legal and consulting work, earning about $500,000 a year, according to the lawsuit.
Cohen paid $130,000 in 2016 to Ms. Daniels as hush money to keep her from coming forward publicly about her affair with the billionaire, so as not to have his wife, Melania, learn of it.
Mr. Trump denies the affair and also that the money was paid for his political benefit and aspirations.
Cohen, though, went to prison in 2019 after pleading guilty to charges related to tax fraud, lying to federal officials in relation to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and a campaign finance violation.
The campaign finance violation, tied to the payment to Ms. Daniels, is also part of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against the former president, whom he indicted last month on 34 charges for falsifying business records.
Cohen was disbarred from practicing law in 2019 and was eventually released from prison in 2021.
He faced a three-year prison sentence, but spent most of it in home confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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