The outspoken attorney for porn actress Stormy Daniels is pushing back against efforts to keep him and his client silent about their lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen.
But if the gag order is enacted, he wants it to also cover Trump and his cable news mouthpiece and attorney Rudy Giuliani.
In a new filing on Monday, flagged by Politico, Daniels attorney Michael Avenatti cited a list of denigrating comments Giuliani has made about Daniels in recent weeks, including saying that he doesn’t “respect a porn star the way I respect a career woman or a woman of substance.”
“The order must go both ways by extending to all parties … and all counsel,” Avenatti wrote in the new filing Monday. “Any other gag order imposed in the case would be manifestly one-sided and unjust, especially in light of the insults and attacks made against (Daniels).”
Cohen’s attorney has been pursuing a gag order in connection with Daniels’ lawsuit against Cohen that attempts to negate a $130,000 hush payment and non-disclosure agreement he negotiated with her before the 2016 election. The agreement was designed to keep her quiet about an alleged affair she had with Trump a decade ago.
Avenatti has been engaged in a media campaign ever since he started representing Daniels, making near-daily media appearances to advocate for his client while inflaming critical coverage of Cohen.
In April, Cohen’s house, hotel and office were raided by the FBI and documents related to his financial dealings were seized, including those related to the $130,000 payment he made to Daniels.
