Trump's personal lawyer admits he paid a former porn star $130,000 but says the money came out of his own pocket

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February 14, 2018 2:52 PM

Cohen stressed that neither the Trump campaign nor the Trump organization was involved in the transaction.

Michael Cohen, the longtime attorney for President Donald Trump, said he personally made a payment of $130,000 to the porn star Stormy Daniels.
Cohen said neither the Trump campaign nor the Trump Organization was involved in the transaction.
The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the payment was made for a nondisclosure agreement covering an alleged sexual encounter with Donald Trump.

Michael Cohen, the longtime attorney for President Donald Trump, said he personally made a payment of $130,000 to the porn star Stormy Daniels with his own money, according to a New York Times report published Tuesday.

"Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly," Cohen said, referring to Daniels' real name, Stephanie Clifford, in a statement to The Times. "The payment to Ms. Clifford was lawful, and was not a campaign contribution or a campaign expenditure by anyone."

Cohen declined to provide further details about the payment, The Times reported.

The money, which was previously reported to have been brokered by Cohen, raised suspicion after a Wall Street Journal report suggested it was made to prevent Clifford from publicly disclosing an alleged sexual encounter with Trump. The deal was reportedly made in 2016, a month before the US presidential election. Cohen previously denied this.

Though Clifford was quoted in a 2011 interview saying she had an affair with Trump, she has since denied it ever happened.

"I recently became aware that certain news outlets are alleging that I had a sexual and/or romantic affair with Donald Trump many, many, many years ago," Clifford said in a statement last month. "I am stating with complete clarity that this is absolutely false."

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