Donald Trump finally breaks silence on affair with porn star
After months of a porn star alleging that she had an affair with him in 2006 and was paid to not disclose it, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was unaware about the $130,000 given to Stormy Daniels, once again denying all accusations. When asked aboard Air Force One if he knew about the payment, Trump said: "No." Here's more.
'You'll have to ask Michael Cohen'
Trump also said he had no idea why his lawyer, Michael Cohen, would pay Stormy or where he got the money from, reported The Associated Press. "You'll have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney. You'll have to ask Michael," he reportedly said. However, the President chose not to comment on whether he had a fund that Cohen could access.
The Donald Trump-Stormy Daniels saga is only getting murkier
Though Trump has been firmly denying any involvement, it's the first time he has talked publicly about it. Stormy claims that ahead of the 2016 presidential election, Cohen had paid her to sign a nondisclosure agreement that required her to never discuss the Trump story. Cohen admitted in February that he did in fact pay Stormy, who is now seeking to invalidate the NDA.
Stormy's attorney looking forward to testing Trump's truthfulness
According to Stormy's attorney Michael Avenatti, Trump's comments have made their case "much better". "We very much look forward to testing the truthfulness of Mr. Trump's feigned lack of knowledge concerning the $130k payment as stated on Air Force One. It is one thing to deceive the press and quite another to do so under oath," he said in a statement.
Could Trump's comments create legal problems for him?
Avenatti, who wants Trump to give a sworn testimony, later said on MSNBC that Trump's comments could land him in legal trouble. "If the president didn't know anything about the payment, then he obviously didn't know anything about the agreement, in which case you can't have an agreement. And then there is no such thing as an NDA," he argued.
Stormy has offered to return the $130,000
Stormy, meanwhile, has offered to return the $130,000 to "set the record straight." She argues that the NDA is legally void since only she and Cohen signed on it, Trump didn't. She claims her relationship with Trump continued for about a year and they had sex once in 2006. Trump married current wife Melania in 2005. Their son Barron was born in 2006.
Trump wants the case be heard by an arbitrator, not a jury
Earlier this week, Trump and Cohen filed papers in a Los Angeles federal court, requesting a judge that the case be heard by an arbitrator, not a jury. But Avenatti plans to oppose private arbitration, saying the case must be heard by the American public.
