Stormy Daniels’ lawyer claimed at Donald Trump’s trial Thursday the $130,000 she was given “wasn’t a payoff, and it wasn’t hush money.”
Stormy Daniels’ lawyer claimed at Donald Trump’s trial Thursday the $130,000 she was given “wasn’t a payoff, and it wasn’t hush money.”
Keith Davidson was on the stand at Manhattan Supreme Court when he made the admission, cheekily testifying he prefers to describe the arrangement — which was set up by then-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen with the porn star — as a “consideration in a civil settlement.”
Trump is on trial for allegedly falsifying records related to the payment.
Davidson defended a 2018 statement he wrote on behalf of Daniels, which claimed she never had a “sexual and/or romantic affair with Donald Trump,” by zooming in on a very specific and technical definition of its wording.
“I don’t think anyone has ever alleged that any interaction between she and Mr. Trump was romantic,” the lawyer testified.
Davidson also testified it was his “understanding” Daniels had in fact had sex with Trump despite the letter he wrote and her signing it.
Daniels had been shopping around her story about her alleged 2007 tryst with Trump ahead of the 2016 election and prosecutors say she was paid by Cohen to keep her quiet.
The charges against Trump come from his then allegedly falsifying business records by paying Cohen back the $130,000 but listing it as ‘legal fees’.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to the 34 felony charges and denied ever having sex with Daniels, who may testify later during the trial.
Trump’s lawyers also drew out details of Davidson’s somewhat unsavory past dealings during a tense cross-examination, pointing out he represented clients who were paid hush money by actor Charlie Sheen, and asking him whether he got another client paid for leaking Lindsay Lohan’s medical files to TMZ.
