Michael Cohen, a longtime attorney and confidant of President Donald Trump, joked about the ongoing litigation he and the President have with Stormy Daniels, suggesting he might use winnings from the case to take a long trip.
“The more I’m thinking about it, I might even take an extended vacation on her dime,” he said in a profile that Vanity Fair published Monday.
The article prompted a retort from Michael Avenatti, a lawyer for Stormy Daniels, on Twitter.
He tweeted, “Mr. Cohen should ensure he makes REFUNDABLE reservations for that extended vacation he is planning on my client’s dime…..”
Daniels has taken Cohen and Trump to court in an attempt to end a nondisclosure agreement that is alleged to be compelling her silence about an affair between Trump and her over a decade ago. Cohen and the White House have denied the affair.
Attorneys for Trump and Cohen’s company moved last week to take the lawsuit to federal court and claim that Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, owes more than $20 million for violating the nondisclosure agreement.
Avenatti told CNN last week that Daniels “was physically threatened to stay silent about what she knew about Donald Trump,” and said his client would provide further details in an unaired “60 Minutes” interview.
Cohen told Vanity Fair that he did not threaten Daniels and had never even spoken to her, instead interacting with her through a previous attorney.
“I can only speak for myself,” he said when asked about the alleged threat. “I reiterate: I have never threatened her in any way, and I am unaware of anyone else doing so.”
Avenatti told CNN in response that “there is little question at this point that Mr. Cohen’s credibility is highly suspect.”
Cohen admitted last month to facilitating a payment to Clifford in 2016, and news of the payment led earlier this year to legal complaints alleging it may have violated campaign finance laws.
Cohen previously asserted his action was legal, and in the Vanity Fair article, he is quoted as saying his decision was not related to Trump’s campaign.
“People are mistaking this for a thing about the campaign,” Cohen said. “What I did defensively for my personal client, and my friend, is what attorneys do for their high-profile clients. I would have done it in 2006. I would have done it in 2011. I truly care about him and the family – more than just as an employee and an attorney.”
CNN’s Sara Sidner contributed to this report.
