Rudy Giuliani is claiming that President Trump repaid his Michael Cohen for a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels — an admission that directly contradicting the president’s past statements.
During an appearance on Sean Hannity’s Fox News Channel show Wednesday, Trump’s newly minted lawyer asserted that the money had been “funneled … through the law firm and the president repaid it.”
Trump has emphatically claimed he didn’t know about the $130,000 payment to Daniels, who says she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006.
Cohen is under investigation by federal prosecutors for his role in the payment as well as other murky business deals.
When asked by reporters on April 5 if he knew about the payment to Daniels, Trump responded, “No.” Asked why Cohen made the payment, Trump said: “You’ll have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney. You’ll have to ask Michael.”
Cohen also said he paid Daniels out of his own pocket and was not reimbursed by Trump.
The White House has denied Trump had sex with Daniels.
Daniels has sued Trump and Cohen to be released from the non-disclosure agreement, saying it was invalid because Trump never signed it. She has also sued Trump for defamation.—Reuters
Authors
Dave Goldiner
Dave Goldiner is the Forward’s director of digital media. Dave is a veteran journalist who has spent two decades working at newspapers in the United States and Africa. A native New Yorker, Goldiner wrote for the New York Daily News, where he covered some of the biggest stories of our time, including the attacks of September 11, along with thousands of stories of hope and heartbreak. He also studied and worked in Southern Africa and has written for publications in South Africa and Zimbabwe. He holds masters degrees in journalism and public administration from Columbia University. Dave can be reached at goldiner@forward.com, or follow him on Twitter @davegoldiner
Giuliani Says Trump Repaid Michael Cohen For $130K In Stormy Daniels Hush Money