In a pair of fiery statements from the courthouse steps Monday, porn star Stormy Daniels and her attorney, Michael Avenatti, insisted that they will never give up their legal push alleging that President Donald Trump’s “fixer” Michael Cohen defamed the adult film star, who alleges a sexual encounter with Trump.
The Justice Department said last week that Trump’s personal attorney is under criminal investigation relating to his business dealings and has been for months. In a raid on Cohen’s home and office last week, federal investigators were seeking documents including records related to a hush agreement with Daniels.
“(Cohen) is radioactive. Anyone that had any contact with this man in the last 20 years should be very concerned about what secrets of theirs are within these documents,” Avenatti said.
Daniels, who had an alleged sexual encounter with Trump more than a decade ago, filed a lawsuit against him over a nondisclosure agreement that was coordinated by Cohen.
“So for years, Mr. Cohen has acted like he is above the law. He has considered himself and openly referred to himself as Mr. Trump’s fixer,” Daniels told reporters. “He has played by a different set of rules, or should we say no rules at all.”
She continued: “He has never thought that the little man, or especially women, and even more, women like me, mattered. That ends now.”
“My attorney and I are committed to making sure that everyone finds out the truth and facts of what happened, and I give my word that we will not rest until that happens,” Daniels said Monday outside the courthouse.
Cohen said he paid Daniels $130,000 of his own money through a private LLC in exchange for her silence about the alleged sexual encounter, but Daniels argued the hush agreement was void because Trump never signed it himself.
On Monday, Cohen’s attorneys said he also represented Fox News host Sean Hannity, which Avenatti said proved his point.
“What we witnessed earlier in the hearing with the disclosure relating to Sean Hannity proved my point exactly,” he said.
