A new report from the Wall Street Journal reveals that President Donald Trump personally directed an effort earlier this year to keep adult film star Stormy Daniels quiet before she could go public with her story about their affair.
According to the Journal, Trump began as early as this past February to coordinate with former “fixer” Michael Cohen to file restraining order against Daniels as a way to enforce the nondisclosure agreement that she signed in exchange for hush money back in 2016.
“Mr. Trump told Mr. Cohen to coordinate the legal response with Eric Trump, one of the president’s sons, and another outside lawyer who had represented Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization in other matters,” the Journal reported. “Eric Trump, who is running the company with his brother in Mr. Trump’s absence, then tasked a Trump Organization staff attorney in California with signing off on the arbitration paperwork.”
The revelations about Trump’s involvement, as well as the Trump Organization’s role in pursuing an arbitration hearing, directly contradict statements made earlier this year by both the Trump White House and the Trump Organization.
Cohen this past summer pleaded guilty to making an illegal campaign contribution via his hush money payments to Daniels — and he said that he was ordered to do so by Trump himself.