Stormy Daniels–Donald Trump Scandal
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On January 12, 2018, ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' reported that in October 2016, just before the
2016 United States presidential election The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket ...
, Michael Cohen, lawyer for then-presidential candidate
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
, arranged a payment of $130,000 to adult film actress
Stormy Daniels Stephanie Gregory Clifford (born March 17, 1979), known professionally as Stormy Daniels, is an American pornographic film actress and director, and former stripper. She has won numerous industry awards, and is a member of the NightMoves, AVN ...
to stop her disclosing an affair they allegedly had in 2006. Daniels had signed a
non-disclosure agreement A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legal contract or part of a contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish ...
(NDA). At first, Cohen denied Trump had the alleged affair and sought to suppress the allegation based on the NDA, but a month later publicly acknowledged making the payment. Besides the allegations of the affair itself, the acknowledged payment raised legal and ethical questions as to whether the payment violated federal campaign finance laws, either because the payment was not duly disclosed as a campaign contribution or because campaign funds may have been used towards the payment. On February 13, Cohen said he paid the money out of his own pocket, not as a campaign contribution; and that neither
The Trump Organization The Trump Organization is a group of about 500 business entities of which Donald Trump is the sole or principal owner. Around 250 of these entities use the Trump name. The organization was founded in 1927 by Donald Trump's paternal grandmother ...
nor the Trump campaign reimbursed him for making it. On April 5, Trump said he had no knowledge of Cohen's payment; but on April 26 admitted for the first time that Cohen represented him in "the Stormy Daniels deal". On May 2, Trump's new lawyer
Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 198 ...
said that Trump had reimbursed Cohen for the payment. In August 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to eight criminal charges, including a campaign finance violation for Daniels' payment. He stated under oath that he paid her "in coordination with and at the direction of a candidate for federal office". Cohen was sentenced to three years in federal prison on various charges, and was
disbarred Disbarment, also known as striking off, is the removal of a lawyer from a bar association or the practice of law, thus revoking their law license or admission to practice law. Disbarment is usually a punishment for unethical or criminal conduct ...
. Daniels filed three lawsuits against Trump and/or Cohen. In the first lawsuit she argued that the NDA was invalid. She won the lawsuit, though it was dismissed after Trump and Cohen agreed not to enforce the NDA. A California court subsequently ordered Trump pay $44,100 to reimburse her legal fees. She lost the second lawsuit, in which she argued she was defamed, and was ordered to pay almost $300,000 in legal fees and court sanctions. In the third lawsuit she claimed that Cohen colluded with her previous attorney
Keith Davidson Keith M. Davidson is an attorney in Beverly Hills, California. Davidson has represented clients who sought nondisclosure agreement settlements from notable individuals, including Donald Trump, Charlie Sheen, and Hulk Hogan. He has also managed p ...
against her interests when he negotiated the payment. The lawsuit did not name Trump as a defendant, and settled in May 2019. Trump's accounting firm, Mazars, provided his tax returns and related documents to the Manhattan District Attorney,
Cyrus Vance Jr. Cyrus Roberts Vance Jr. (born June 14, 1954) is an American attorney and politician who served as the New York County District Attorney, District Attorney of Manhattan, New York County, New York (state), New York, also known as the Manhattan Dis ...
, following the outcome of the Supreme Court's ''
Trump v. Vance ''Trump v. Vance'', 591 U.S. ___ (2020), was a List of landmark court decisions in the United States, landmark US Supreme Court case arising from a subpoena issued in August 2019 by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. against Mazars, then- ...
'' ruling in February 2021. The potential liability of Trump and other potential charges against Cohen arising from the payments to Daniels had yet to be determined and resolved. Although an internal report said there was "reason to believe" Trump's campaign had knowingly violated campaign finance law, the
Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...
(FEC) abandoned an inquiry into the payment to Daniels. The FEC's vote on May 6, 2021, split 2–2 along party lines.Stormy Daniels: US election officials drop Trump hush money probe
/ref>


Allegation and non-disclosure agreement

Both the blog ''The Dirty'' and the magazine ''
Life & Style ''Life & Style'' is an American syndicated talk show that was geared toward young adult females. It was produced and distributed by Sony Pictures Television and lasted only one season, from September 2004 to March 2005. It is unrelated to the cel ...
'' published the first reports of an alleged 2006 affair between Trump and Daniels (the latter took a
polygraph test A polygraph, often incorrectly referred to as a lie detector test, is a device or procedure that measures and records several physiological indicators such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while a person is asked an ...
) in October of 2011. Daniels talked about the alleged affair with the gossip magazine ''
In Touch Weekly ''In Touch Weekly'' is an American celebrity gossip magazine. The magazine is focused on celebrity news, fashion, beauty, relationships and lifestyle, and is geared towards a younger readership, billing itself as "fast and fun", along with making ...
'', who chose not to publish the interview after Cohen threatened to sue the magazine around the same time. ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' reported on January 12, 2018, that Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 in October 2016, a month before the election, to stop her discussing the alleged affair. Cohen denied the existence of the affair on behalf of his client Donald Trump on January 14 but acknowledged on February 13 that he paid Daniels $130,000. Daniels filed a lawsuit against Trump on March 6, 2018, claiming that the non-disclosure agreement she signed about the alleged affair was invalid since Trump never personally signed it despite acknowledging that she accepted the payment made in exchange for her silence in the matter. It also alleged that Trump's attorney tried to intimidate Daniels and "scare her into not talking". Cohen initiated an
ex parte In law, ''ex parte'' () is a Latin term meaning literally "from/out of the party/faction of" (name of party/faction, often omitted), thus signifying "on behalf of (name)". An ''ex parte'' decision is one decided by a judge without requiring all ...
arbitration process the next day that resulted in an order barring Daniels from disclosing "confidential information" related to the non-disclosure agreement. The order that Daniels' lawyers called "bogus" was to remain confidential. In an interview with ''
60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique styl ...
'' that aired March 25, 2018, Daniels said that she and Trump had sex once. She also said that she was threatened in front of her infant daughter after a fitness class in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
in 2011. The threat pressured her to later sign a non-disclosure agreement.
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
agents raided Cohen's office and seized emails, tax documents, and business records relating to several matters, including the payment to Daniels, on April 9, 2018.


Status of Cohen's payment

Daniels' lawyer said that the $130,000 payment to her was a cover-up, while others also raised questions about whether the payment violated federal campaign finance laws, which may be the case if campaign funds were involved. ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' reported on January 12, 2018, that Daniels was paid $130,000 after a non-disclosure agreement via a
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
limited liability company called Essential Consultants LLC that Cohen created for the purpose. The political watchdog group
Common Cause Common Cause is a watchdog group based in Washington, D.C., with chapters in 35 states. It was founded in 1970 by John W. Gardner, a Republican, who was the former Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in the administration of President L ...
filed a complaint on January 22, calling on the
Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...
and
U.S. Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...
to investigate if the reported payout violated campaign finance rules, saying the alleged payment amounted to an in-kind donation to Trump's presidential campaign that should have been publicly disclosed in its official reports. Cohen responded to ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' on February 13 that he paid Daniels the $130,000 from his own pocket, not as a campaign contribution, and that neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign reimbursed him for making it. ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' later noted that Cohen never ruled out the possibility that Trump reimbursed Cohen for the payment stating that he used his own money to "facilitate" it. Cohen said on March 13 that he transferred funds from his
home equity line of credit A home equity line of credit, or HELOC ( /ˈhiːˌlɒk/ ''HEE-lok''), is a revolving type of secured loan in which the lender agrees to lend a maximum amount within an agreed period (called a term), where the collateral is the borrower's propert ...
to Essential Consultants LLC and from the company to Daniels' attorney. On April 5, 2018, Trump claimed that he had no knowledge of Cohen's payment to Daniels but admitted that Cohen represented him in "the Stormy Daniels deal" for the first time on April 26. Trump's new lawyer Rudy Giuliani said on May 2 that Trump reimbursed Cohen for the payment, stating Trump "didn't know about the specifics of it but he did know about the general arrangement, that Michael ohenwould take care of things like this". Trump tweeted the next day that Cohen entered into the non-disclosure agreement and stated that Cohen was reimbursed for the $130,000 through monthly $35,000 retainer payments to him tweeting "Money from the campaign, or campaign contributions, played no in this transaction". Trump contradicted Giuliani's statements on May 4, saying that Giuliani "wasn't familiar with everything" and that, "He started yesterday. He'll get his facts straight." Giuliani later released a statement saying "the payment was made to resolve a personal and false allegation in order to protect the President's family". Cohen pleaded guilty to eight charges on August 21, 2018, including a campaign finance violation, for his role in the payment. He implicated Trump, saying that he acted "in coordination and at the direction of a candidate for federal office". Trump said that he only knew about the payments "later on", adding that the payments "didn't come out of the campaign, they came from me". ''The New York Times'' reported on August 22 that Cohen's court documents revealed that two senior
Trump Organization Trump most commonly refers to: * Donald Trump (born 1946), 45th president of the United States (2017–2021) * Trump (card games), any playing card given an ad-hoc high rank Trump may also refer to: Businesses and organizations * Donald J. T ...
executives also involved in the
hush money Hush money is a term for an arrangement in which one person or party offers another an attractive sum of money or other enticement, in exchange for remaining silent about some illegal, stigmatized, or shameful behavior, action, or other fact abo ...
payments. It also said that Cohen "coordinated with one or more members of the campaign, including through meetings and phone calls" about the payments. Trump denied directing Cohen to make hush payments on December 13.


Legal issues

The
Common Cause Common Cause is a watchdog group based in Washington, D.C., with chapters in 35 states. It was founded in 1970 by John W. Gardner, a Republican, who was the former Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in the administration of President L ...
filed complaints with the Department of Justice and the
Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...
claiming that the $130,000 payment to Daniels was a campaign contribution and that Trump's campaign violated
campaign finance laws Campaign finance, also known as election finance or political donations, refers to the funds raised to promote candidates, political parties, or policy initiatives and referendums. Political parties, charitable organizations, and political ac ...
by not disclosing the payment to the Federal Election Commission. If the payment was made by Cohen, there is also a question whether it is an illegal or undisclosed in-kind contribution to the Trump campaign. However, several members of Trump's legal team deny the payment related to the campaign, instead claiming that it was a personal payment, to save Trump's marriage. Questions have also been raised about how the payment was categorized for tax purposes, and if there is a possibility of tax-based charges or fees relating to the payment. Daniels filed a civil suit in an attempt to nullify the non-disclosure agreement between Trump and her on March 6, 2018. The hearing set for July; but U.S. district judge S. James Otero pushed it back, citing the possible indictment of Cohen in the ongoing criminal probe by federal prosecutors. Cohen also faces discipline from the State Bar of New York under the New York Rules of Professional Conduct that prohibits lawyers making loans to clients. A well established principle of contract law is the offer and acceptance of "consideration" or something of value, in exchange for a promise to do something (or not do something, as in the case of a non-disclosure agreement]. Legal experts argue that the $130,000 payment being accepted by one party is valid consideration and enforceable regardless of the unsigned state of the Daniels non-disclosure agreement, but other elements in the Daniels agreement make predicting the outcome difficult. Issues like the use of pseudonyms and the disclosure exception for law enforcement investigations may favor Daniels' position. Cohen pleaded guilty to eight charges on August 21, 2018, including tax fraud, bank fraud, and campaign finance violations, for his role in the payment, and implicated Trump, who in response said that he only knew about the payments "later on". ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' reported on November 9, 2018, that federal prosecutors have evidence of Trump's "central role" in payments to both Stormy Daniels and
Karen McDougal Karen McDougal (born March 23, 1971) is an American model and actress. She is known for her appearances in ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month for December 1997 and Playmate of the Year of 1998.Fegley, Richard, & Wayda, Stephen (photog ...
that violated campaign-finance laws. Federal prosecutors implicated Trump in directing Cohen to commit the campaign finance law felonies that Cohen pleaded guilty in a sentencing memorandum for Cohen on December 7, 2018. Trump tweeted shortly after the memorandum court filing, "Totally clears the president. Thank you!" Cohen was sentenced to three years in federal prison.
NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of NBCUniversal, which is, in turn, a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's var ...
reported on December 13, 2018, that Trump was present in an August 2015 meeting with Cohen and
David Pecker David Jay Pecker (born September 24, 1951) is an American publishing executive and businessman, who was the Chief executive officer, CEO of American Media, Inc., American Media until August 2020. He was the publisher of ''Men's Fitness'', ''Mus ...
when they discussed how
American Media Mass media in the United States consist of several types of media: television, radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines, and web sites. The U.S. also has a strong music industry. New York City, Manhattan in particular, and to a lesser extent ...
could help counter negative stories about Trump's relationships with women, confirming previous reporting by ''The Wall Street Journal''. The
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York is the chief federal law enforcement officer in eight New York counties: New York (Manhattan), Bronx, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess and Sullivan. Establishe ...
investigated the possible role of Trump and others regarding concealment of hush money payments, but indicated in a sealed court filing that it is unlikely to bring additional charges. On July 17, 2019, U.S. district judge
William H. Pauley III William Henry Pauley III (August 14, 1952 – July 6, 2021) was a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He was noted for issuing the opinion in ''ACLU ...
, finding the investigation to be over, ordered that filing and materials related to the probe be unsealed on July 18, 2019.


Timeline


January 2018

On January 12, 2018, ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' reported that Michael Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 in October 2016, a month before the presidential election, to stop her discussing an affair she allegedly had with Trump in 2006. On January 14, Cohen denied the existence of an affair on behalf of his client, Trump, but acknowledged that he had paid Daniels $130,000. He also said that the payment was out of his own money. In its initial report, it was reported that the payment came via Essential Consultants LLC, a private company founded by Cohen in
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
on October 17, 2016, which received £500,000 from Columbus Nova, an affiliate of
Viktor Vekselberg Viktor Felixovich Vekselberg (russian: Виктор Феликсович Вексельберг, uk, Віктор Феліксович Вексельберг; born April 14, 1957) is a Ukrainian-born Russian–Israeli-Cyprus oligarch, billion ...
's Renova Group. Daniels was reportedly in talks to tell her account to both ''
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...
'' and ''
Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
'' at the time. ''
The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...
'' also discussed with Daniels "after three sources—including fellow porn star
Alana Evans Alana Evans is an American pornographic actress. She was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 2015 and the XRCO Hall of Fame in 2019. Career Evans entered the sex work industry after her husband was injured in his job. She became president ...
—told the website that both Daniels and Trump were involved. Daniels ultimately backed out on November3, just five days before the 2016 election." On January 16,
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
reported that
Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
reporter
Diana Falzone Diana Falzone is an American journalist. Falzone is a contributing reporter for The Daily Beast. and her work has also been seen in Vanity Fair, Vice News and Buzzfeed. She is a former reporter for Foxnews.com, FoxNews.com and the former host of ...
wrote an article about Daniels and Trump in October 2016, that Fox News never published. It included Daniels' then-manager
Gina Rodriguez Gina Alexis Rodriguez-LoCicero (born July 30, 1984) is an American actress. She is known for her leading role as Jane Villanueva in The CW satirical romantic dramedy series ''Jane the Virgin'' (2014–2019), for which she received a Golden Glob ...
alleging on-the-record about a sexual relationship between them. CNN also reported that "Falzone had even seen emails about a settlement" between Daniels and Trump. ''
In Touch Weekly ''In Touch Weekly'' is an American celebrity gossip magazine. The magazine is focused on celebrity news, fashion, beauty, relationships and lifestyle, and is geared towards a younger readership, billing itself as "fast and fun", along with making ...
'' published excerpts of a 2011 interview of Daniels alleging a 2006 extramarital affair with Trump the next day. The magazine described her account as being supported by a polygraph and corroborated by both her friend
Randy Spears Randy Spears (born June 18, 1961), sometimes credited as Greg Ory, is an American retired pornographic actor and director who has appeared in numerous adult feature films. Spears is noted among porn actors for his comedic acting talent. Career ...
and her ex-husband Mike Moz. Although Cohen alleged that claims made in that interview were untrue and previously published in ''
Life & Style ''Life & Style'' is an American syndicated talk show that was geared toward young adult females. It was produced and distributed by Sony Pictures Television and lasted only one season, from September 2004 to March 2005. It is unrelated to the cel ...
'' magazine on October 24, 2011, ''The Daily Beast'' described the interviews as "hardly identical". Although Daniels declined to comment to ''Life & Style'', the ''In Touch Weekly'' interview had direct quotes from Daniels. On January 18, ''
Mother Jones Mary G. Harris Jones (1837 (baptized) – November 30, 1930), known as Mother Jones from 1897 onwards, was an Irish-born American schoolteacher and dressmaker who became a prominent union organizer, community organizer, and activist. She h ...
'' reported that Daniels considered running to become the
senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
for
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
in 2009, identified Trump as a potential campaign donor to a political consultant, and described details of a sexual relationship with Trump. That consultant discussed Daniels' revelations to another consultant in emails that ''Mother Jones'' obtained and published.


February 2018

On February 13, Cohen publicly acknowledged paying Daniels $130,000 and said the payment was made with his own funds. He also said that neither
The Trump Organization The Trump Organization is a group of about 500 business entities of which Donald Trump is the sole or principal owner. Around 250 of these entities use the Trump name. The organization was founded in 1927 by Donald Trump's paternal grandmother ...
nor the campaign reimbursed him. Daniels' attorneys notified Cohen that by disclosing the payment Cohen was in breach of the NDA agreement, and so Daniels was no longer bound to it.


March 2018

On March 5, ''The Wall Street Journal'' cited anonymous sources recounting Cohen as saying he missed two deadlines to pay Daniels since Cohen "couldn't reach Mr. Trump in the hectic final days of the presidential campaign" and that he complained that he had not been reimbursed for the payment after Trump's election. Cohen described this report as "
fake news Fake news is false or misleading information presented as news. Fake news often has the aim of damaging the reputation of a person or entity, or making money through advertising revenue.Schlesinger, Robert (April 14, 2017)"Fake news in reality ...
". On March 6, Daniels filed a lawsuit against Trump in
California Superior Court Superior courts in California are the state trial courts with general jurisdiction to hear and decide any civil or criminal action which is not specially designated to be heard in some other court or before a governmental agency. As mandated by t ...
, claiming that the non-disclosure agreement never came into effect since Trump never signed it among other things. A complaint for
declaratory relief A declaratory judgment, also called a declaration, is the legal determination of a court that resolves legal uncertainty for the litigants. It is a form of legally binding preventive by which a party involved in an actual or possible legal mat ...
, the suit seeks a judgment declaring that no agreement formed and for costs of the suit and other relief the Court deemed proper. The Court set a July hearing date. On March 7,
NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of NBCUniversal, which is, in turn, a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's var ...
reported that Cohen initiated an ''ex parte'' private arbitration case against Daniels on February 27, 2018, and obtained a
restraining order A restraining order or protective order, is an order used by a court to protect a person in a situation involving alleged domestic violence, child abuse, assault, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault. Restraining and personal protection or ...
barring Daniels from disclosing "confidential information" related to the NDA agreement and stated that Daniels faces penalties for discussing her alleged relationship with Trump in public. Daniels' lawyers called the order bogus and was to remain confidential. White House press secretary
Sarah Sanders Sarah Elizabeth Huckabee Sanders (born August 13, 1982) is an American former political spokesperson and the governor-elect of Arkansas. She was the 31st White House press secretary, serving under President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2019. She ...
said that President Trump's personal attorneys won an arbitration case "in the President's favor" against Daniels, and "there was no knowledge of any payments o Danielsfrom the President". On March 14, documents surfaced indicating that Jill Martin, assistant
general counsel A general counsel, also known as chief counsel or chief legal officer (CLO), is the chief in-house lawyer for a company or a governmental department. In a company, the person holding the position typically reports directly to the CEO, and their ...
for The Trump Organization, signed legal papers in connection with the restraining order against Daniels. On March 16, Daniels' lawyer,
Michael Avenatti Michael John Avenatti (born February 16, 1971) is an American former attorney and convicted felon, best known for his legal representation and defrauding of adult film actress Stormy Daniels in unsuccessful lawsuits against then U.S. president D ...
, said on both
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
and
MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...
that Daniels had been threatened with physical harm if she was not silent about the alleged affair with Trump. Avenatti did not state when the threat was made, or who made it. On March 16, Cohen asked for Daniels' suit to move from the state to federal court, based on the criteria that the parties live in different places and the amount at stake is more than $75,000 with Trump's approval. Cohen asserted that Daniels could owe up to $20 million in
liquidated damages Liquidated damages, also referred to as liquidated and ascertained damages (LADs), are damages whose amount the parties designate during the formation of a contract for the injured party to collect as compensation upon a specific breach (e.g., late ...
for breaching the agreement. The filing marked the first time that Trump himself, through his personal attorney, took part in the Daniels litigation. On March 25, Daniels' involvement with Trump was the subject of a segment on the U.S. television news program ''
60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique styl ...
''. The segment included interviews by
Anderson Cooper Anderson Hays Cooper (born June 3, 1967) is an American broadcast journalist and political commentator from the Vanderbilt family. He is the primary anchor of the CNN news broadcast show ''Anderson Cooper 360°''. In addition to his duties at C ...
with Daniels, her attorney Avenatti, and
Trevor Potter Trevor Potter (born October 24, 1955) is a lawyer, former commissioner and chairman of the United States Federal Election Commission. He is the Founder and President of the Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit organization which works in the areas ...
, the former chairman of the
Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...
. Daniels said in her interview that she briefly spanked Trump with a copy of a ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' magazine; had sex with Trump in the same encounter; later met Trump privately but not had sex on that occasion; and signed multiple false statements that the affair was not under pressure from her former business manager–lawyer. She also said that, while she was getting her infant daughter out of their vehicle in a Las Vegas parking lot, an unknown man showed up at the vehicle car and said "Leave Trump alone. Forget the story. That's a beautiful little girl. It'd be a shame if something happened to her mom". Includes video and transcript.


April 2018

* April 5, 2018: Trump said he did not know about the $130,000 payment Cohen made to Daniels on
Air Force One Air Force One is the official air traffic control designated call sign for a United States Air Force aircraft carrying the president of the United States. In common parlance, the term is used to denote U.S. Air Force aircraft modified and used ...
. He also said he was not aware of why Cohen had made the payment or where he got the money. * April 9, 2018: FBI agents raid Cohen's office and seized emails, tax documents, and business records relating to several matters, including payments to Daniels. The raid conducted on behalf of the
United States attorney for the Southern District of New York The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York is the chief federal law enforcement officer in eight New York counties: New York (Manhattan), Bronx, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess and Sullivan. Establishe ...
, and likely resulted from information uncovered from Mueller's investigation. Daniels reportedly cooperated with federal investigators following the raid. * April 26, 2018: Trump said in an interview on ''
Fox & Friends ''Fox & Friends'' is an American daily morning news and talk program that airs on Fox News. It premiered on February 1, 1998, and is currently hosted by Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade on weekdays. Will Cain, Rachel Campos-Du ...
'' that Cohen "would represent me on some things. He represents me like with this crazy Stormy Daniels deal, he represented me". This is Trump's first admission of any relationship to the case. * April 27, 2018: Judge put Stormy Daniels lawsuit on hold for at least 90 days while the criminal investigation of Cohen moves forward in New York since Cohen asserted his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself while the criminal investigation continues. * April 30, 2018: Daniels' lawyer Michael Avenatti, tweeted about a lawsuit filed against Trump, where Daniels currently sues Trump for his "recent irresponsible and defamatory statements" made against her. These statements appear in a tweet mocking the released police sketch of the man Daniels claims told her to drop her allegations of the affair, and have been claimed to be defamatory as they accuse Daniels of falsely accusing a person of threatening her.


May 2018

* May 2, 2018: Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani said on
Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
that "the president repaid" Cohen the $130,000 that Cohen had paid to Daniels. He also said that Trump "did know the general arrangement" of Cohen's payment, but not "the specifics". This contradicts Trump's claim of April5 that he had no knowledge of the payment. * May 3, 2018: Trump tweeted that Cohen entered into a non-disclosure agreement with Daniels. He tweeted that Cohen reimbursed for the $130,000 through monthly $35,000 retainer payments to him and wrote that "Money from the campaign, or campaign contributions, played no in this transaction". * May 4, 2018: Trump contradicted Giuliani's statements, saying that Giuliani "wasn't familiar with everything" and that "He started yesterday. He'll get his facts straight." Giuliani later released a statement saying "the payment was made to resolve a personal and false allegation in order to protect the President's family". * May 5, 2018: Daniels appeared on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'', playing herself, in a sketch involving the president, played by
Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. In his early career, Baldwin played both leading and supporting roles in a variety of films such as Tim Burton's ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), Mike Nichol ...
, and mocking Trump with the line, "I know you don't believe in
climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
but a storm's a-coming baby". * May 9, 2018:
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
reported that Mueller's team questioned Russian oligarch
Viktor Vekselberg Viktor Felixovich Vekselberg (russian: Виктор Феликсович Вексельберг, uk, Віктор Феліксович Вексельберг; born April 14, 1957) is a Ukrainian-born Russian–Israeli-Cyprus oligarch, billion ...
about hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments his company's US affiliate made to Cohen. The
US Treasury Department The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and th ...
opened an investigation into the leak of Michael Cohen's private bank records to
Michael Avenatti Michael John Avenatti (born February 16, 1971) is an American former attorney and convicted felon, best known for his legal representation and defrauding of adult film actress Stormy Daniels in unsuccessful lawsuits against then U.S. president D ...
, the porn actress' lawyer, who sent a seven-page dossier to ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' and other news outlets. * May 10, 2018: ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'' reported that Michael Cohen's lawyers argued that some of the small transactions that Avenatti reported were for a different Michael Cohen but not denied that the large transaction were for their client.
Greenberg Traurig Greenberg Traurig is a multinational law firm founded in Miami in 1967. As of 2022, the Greenberg Traurig is the 9th largest law firm in the United States. The firm has 43 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and ...
, the former law firm of Giuliani, released a statement against Giuliani's claim that it was common practice for lawyers to make secret payments to individuals. A spokesperson for the firm stated: "We cannot speak for Mr. Giuliani.... Speaking for ourselves, we would not condone payments of the nature alleged to have been made or otherwise without the knowledge and discretion of a client." * May 16, 2018: Trump acknowledged that Cohen was paid between $100,000 and $250,000 last year, out of which potentially came the $130,000 payment for Daniels, in his annual disclosure of personal finances required by the
Office of Government Ethics The United States Office of Government Ethics (OGE) is an independent agency within the executive branch of the U.S. Federal Government which is responsible for directing executive branch policies relating to the prevention of conflicts of intere ...
. The form reports on page 45, "Mr. Cohen sought reimbursement of those expenses and Mr. Trump fully reimbursed Cohen in 2017. The category of the value would be $100,001 to $250,000..." * May 24, 2018: Daniels' lawyer Avenatti filed a motion in federal court to have a judge allow Daniels' lawsuit to move forward, instead of continuing the 90-day hold placed last month. Avenatti cited recent statements by Trump and Giuliani, that potentially contradict Cohen's argument for the stay, with the recent disclosure of the Settlement Agreement and the "new facts call into question whether Mr. Cohen's Fifth Amendment rights..." in relation to the case are "as compelling as previously argued..."


June 2018

* June 6, 2018: Daniels sued both Michael Cohen and her own former lawyer,
Keith Davidson Keith M. Davidson is an attorney in Beverly Hills, California. Davidson has represented clients who sought nondisclosure agreement settlements from notable individuals, including Donald Trump, Charlie Sheen, and Hulk Hogan. He has also managed p ...
, accusing Cohen of encouraging Davidson to violate her
attorney–client privilege Attorney–client privilege or lawyer–client privilege is the name given to the common law concept of legal professional privilege in the United States. Attorney–client privilege is " client's right to refuse to disclose and to prevent any ...
. The lawsuit also alleges Trump was aware of the efforts for Daniels to deny the affair on media interviews. * June 6, 2018: Trump's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, verbally attacked Daniels, saying: "The business you were in entitles you to no degree of giving your credibility any weight... Explain to me how she could be damaged... If you're going to sell your body for money, you just don't have a reputation... a woman who sells her body for sexual exploitation I don't respect". * June 19, 2018: Daniels' May 24 motion to reconsider denied. Avenatti said he would file an appeal shortly.


July 2018

* July 12, 2018: Undercover vice cops arrested Daniels in a sting operation in
Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...
. Officers alleged that Daniels "touched" three undercover officers in the club where she performed, which is against
Ohio law The law of Ohio consists of several levels, including constitutional, statutory, and regulatory, local and common law. The ''Ohio Revised Code'' forms the general statutory law. Sources The Constitution of Ohio is the foremost source of state l ...
. Two other female adult entertainers who were arrested at the club for the same alleged violations received summons to appear in court and did not have their mugshots taken, unlike Daniels while she booked into the county jail. Daniels retained Columbus defense lawyer Chase Mallory, who worked with prosecutors to dismiss the charges less than 12 hours later, citing that the law excluded out-of-town performers. It later reported that the lead detective on the vice squad in charge of the arrest was a supporter of Trump.


August 2018

* August 21, 2018: Cohen officially surrendered to the FBI. He pleaded guilty to eight charges that afternoon: five counts of tax evasion, one count of making false statements to a financial institution, one count of willfully causing an unlawful corporate contribution, and one count of making an excessive campaign contribution at the request of a candidate or campaign. The plea deal reportedly does not include any agreement to cooperate with investigators. However, the plea includes both jail time and a substantial monetary fine. Cohen implicated Trump, but not identified him by name, in his plea. Daniels said she felt "vindicated" following the plea. * August 22, 2018: ''The New York Times'' reported that Cohen court documents revealed that two senior Trump Organization executives also involved in the hush money payments, and that Cohen "coordinated with one or more members of the campaign, including through meetings and phone calls" about the payments. * August 23, 2018: Trump said the payment funds came from him personally and not from campaign funds during a ''
Fox & Friends ''Fox & Friends'' is an American daily morning news and talk program that airs on Fox News. It premiered on February 1, 1998, and is currently hosted by Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade on weekdays. Will Cain, Rachel Campos-Du ...
'' interview. He also said that he only knew about the payments "later on". These comments contradict earlier statements that Cohen gave while under oath. Cohen's lawyer
Lanny Davis Lanny Jesse Davis (born December 12, 1945) is an American political operative, lawyer, consultant, lobbyist, author, and television commentator. He is the co-founder and partner of the law firm of Davis Goldberg & Galper PLLC, and co-founder and ...
suggested that Trump be prosecuted for the crimes that he instructed Cohen to commit.


September 2018

* September 7, 2018: Cohen offers to rescind and invalidate the non-disclosure agreement with Daniels, in return for Daniels refunding the $130,000 Cohen paid to her. * September 8, 2018: Trump's lawyers declared that he would neither enforce the non-disclosure agreement nor contest Daniels' claim that it is invalid. * September 10, 2018: Michael Avenatti argues lawsuit over 2016 non-disclosure agreement must be allowed to proceed in federal court since neither President Trump nor his former personal attorney has faced "any true consequences or a meaningful inquiry into the truth" in the case. * September 12, 2018: Stormy Daniels announces a book titled '' Full Disclosure'' about her life that she says will include details of her tryst with Donald Trump.


October 2018

* October 15, 2018: The federal judge S. James Otero dismissed Daniels' defamation lawsuit against President Trump. He also ruled that Trump entitled to receive attorney's fees from Daniels. Daniels' attorney Michael Avenatti immediately appealed to the
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts: * District ...
.


November 2018

* November 9, 2018: ''The Wall Street Journal'' reported that federal prosecutors have evidence of Trump's "central role" in payments to both Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal that violated campaign-finance laws.


December 2018

* December 7, 2018: Federal prosecutors implicated Trump in directing Cohen to commit the campaign finance law felonies where Cohen pleaded guilty in a sentencing memorandum for Cohen. Trump tweeted shortly after the memorandum court filing, "Totally clears the president. Thank you!" * December 11, 2018: Daniels was ordered to pay $293,052.33 in attorney's fees, costs, and sanctions, less than half the amount demanded by Trump's lawyers, in relation to the defamation lawsuit that Judge Otero dismissed in October 2018. * December 12, 2018: Cohen was sentenced to 3 years' imprisonment for having paid $130,000 hush money (characterized in the charges as an "excessive campaign contribution") to Daniels during Trump's election campaign.


May 2019

* May 6, 2019: Cohen began his prison term in a federal prison in
Otisville, New York Otisville is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 969 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie– Newburgh– Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York– ...
.


July 2019

* July 17, 2019: The federal investigation into the hush payments announced as closed. * July 18, 2019: Unsealed documents released, and show that the FBI suspected that Trump talked to both Cohen and
Hope Hicks Hope Charlotte Hicks (born October 21, 1988) is an American public relations executive and political advisor who served in President Donald Trump’s administration from 2017 to 2018 and 2020 to 2021. She served as White House Director of Strate ...
at the time about "the need" to keep Daniels from going public before the presidential election.


August 2019

* August 1, 2019: The
New York County district attorney The New York County District Attorney, also known as the Manhattan District Attorney, is the elected district attorney for New York County (Manhattan), New York (state), New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New ...
subpoenaed
the Trump Organization The Trump Organization is a group of about 500 business entities of which Donald Trump is the sole or principal owner. Around 250 of these entities use the Trump name. The organization was founded in 1927 by Donald Trump's paternal grandmother ...
for records related to the hush-money payments.


September 2019

* September 2, 2019: The
House Judiciary Committee The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, a ...
prepared to investigate Trump's alleged involvement in the 2016 hush-money payments to both Daniels and Karen McDougal. * September 11, 2019: Cohen reported to enter into a proffer agreement with the Manhattan prosecutor to provide information on the matter.


August 2020

* August 1, 2020: Daniels lost her appeal in the defamation lawsuit against Trump. * August 22, 2020: A California judge ordered Trump to pay Daniels' legal fees as the prevailing party due to his September 2018 agreement not to enforce the NDA.


February 2021

* February 22, 2021: The Supreme Court declined to take up the defamation case, making Daniels' loss final.


May 2021

* May 6, 2021: The
Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...
(FEC) dropped an inquiry into whether the payment to Stormy-Daniels by Donald Trump violated campaign financial law during the 2016 election. The FEC split 2-2 between Democrats and Republicans on taking action. The vote came months after an internal report recommended that there was "reason to believe" Trump's campaign had knowingly violated campaign finance law.


March 2022

* March 18, 2022: The 9th Circuit (
United States District Court for the Central District of California The United States District Court for the Central District of California (in case citations, C.D. Cal.; commonly referred to as the CDCA or CACD) is a Federal trial court that serves over 19 million people in Southern and Central California, m ...
) responds to an appeal on the final ruling in the Stephanie Clifford (aka Stormy Daniels) lawsuit case against Donald J. Trump, wherein she owes nearly $300,000 in attorney fees, costs, and sanctions (not including appeal costs) to the injured party. Allegations of an affair remain unproven, and the final court ruling on the matter was affirmed by the USCA asserting that Stephanie Clifford has suffered a loss in court, owing damages, leaving no merit for further appeal on the matter. * Upon the ruling against Daniels, she tweeted "I will go to jail before I pay a penny." * Former President Donald Trump called the ruling "a total and complete victory and vindication for, and of me." He also reiterated his initial claim that he never had sex with Daniels, and claimed that the lawsuit was purely a political stunt.


November 2022

* November 21, 2022: ''The New York Times'' reported that Manhattan district attorney
Alvin Bragg Alvin Leonard Bragg Jr. (born October 21, 1973) is an American politician and lawyer from the state of New York who is serving as the New York County District Attorney. In 2021, he became the first African-American and first person of color elect ...
's office "has moved to jump-start its criminal investigation into Donald J. Trump s reported "hush-money payment to a porn star who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump."Manhattan Prosecutors Move to Jump-Start Criminal Inquiry Into Trump
/ref>


See also

* * 2017–18 United States political sexual scandals


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Daniels, Stormy, Trump, Donald, scandal 2018 controversies in the United States 2018 in American politics 2018 scandals Adultery Campaign finance in the United States Donald Trump controversies Donald Trump litigation Federal political sex scandals in the United States Presidential scandals in the United States Trump administration controversies