‘Cohen Complained to Friends That He Had Yet to Be Reimbursed for the Payment’
A Wall Street Journal report published Monday blows a wide hole into claims Donald Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid adult film actress Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, $130,000 out of his own money. It also strongly suggests that then-candidate Donald Trump did know about the payment.Â
“Mr. Cohen said he missed two deadlines earlier that month to make the $130,000 payment to Ms. Clifford because he couldn’t reach Mr. Trump in the hectic final days of the presidential campaign,” The Wall Street Journal reports, citing a person familiar with the matter.
“Ms. Clifford was owed the money in return for signing an agreement that bars her from discussing an alleged sexual encounter with Mr. Trump in 2006,” The Journal adds. “After Mr. Trump’s victory, Mr. Cohen complained to friends that he had yet to be reimbursed for the payment to Ms. Clifford, the people said.”
Cohen’s response to the Wall Street Journal when asked for comment, the paper says, was an email saying “Fake News.”
Some are suggesting the payment could have violated the law.
“If this article is true, it shows Cohen coordinated with @realDonaldTrump or his campaign. That makes the $130k payment to Stormy Daniels a felony in violation of federal election law,” Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu of California said on Twitter.
A former Clinton campaign staffer tweeted: “We can stop referring to this as an ‘alleged” affair’ and call it ‘an affair covered up by violating campaign finance laws.'”
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