Michael Cohen’s attorney said Thursday that it’s well-known President Donald Trump didn’t know about a hush money deal Cohen arranged with a porn star alleging she’d had an affair with Trump.
“The President is a third-party beneficiary to this agreement,” David Schwartz, who represents Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen, said of the hush money agreement.
“It’s been said all along — this wasn’t new news. Michael Cohen said from the very beginning that he did this on his own and did not tell the President, so the fact that I came out and said that, it’s not new news.”
At question is a nondisclosure agreement signed by Stephanie Clifford, the adult film actress known professionally as Stormy Daniels, and an LLC established by Cohen in October 2016.
In recent months, Clifford and her attorney, Michael Avenatti, have argued the contract isn’t valid because it’s missing Trump’s signature — and for lots of other reasons — while Cohen and Schwartz have said Trump’s signature was optional.
Schwartz said Wednesday: “The President was not aware of the agreement — at least Michael Cohen never told him about the agreement. I can tell you that.”
A California Judge on Thursday said Clifford’s attempt to depose the President was “premature.”
“What I think is really going to happen is the court will kick it down to arbitration,” Schwartz said, despite Clifford and Avenatti’s attempt to drag Trump and Cohen in front of a jury.
