Former President Donald Trump has sued his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, citing “vast reputational harm” for talking publicly about the hush-money payments at the heart of the criminal case against him. The lawsuit, filed in Miami, accuses Cohen of breaking a confidentiality agreement, violating ethical standards for lawyers, and spreading falsehoods about Trump with malicious intent. Trump is seeking more than half a billion dollars from Cohen.
The suit specifically targets Cohen’s grand jury testimony, claiming that he sought to profit from his role by publishing two books, a podcast series, and making media appearances. Cohen’s spokesman, attorney Lanny Davis, has vowed that the lawsuit will not deter Cohen’s cooperation with prosecutors, accusing Trump of using the legal system as a form of harassment and intimidation.
The lawsuit is the latest example of Trump’s efforts to use the legal system to go after his political enemies, as well as his tendency to turn on once-loyal aides who have fallen out of favor. A judge in Florida has already sanctioned Trump and one of his attorneys for filing a bogus lawsuit against Hillary Clinton and others, and Davis predicts that this lawsuit will also fail.
Michael Cohen (Via Michael Cohen/Twitter)
The criminal case against Trump, brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, accuses him of falsifying 34 business records to hide the true nature of 11 checks paid to Cohen to reward him for work covering up extramarital affairs. Those checks reimbursed Cohen for a 130,000-dollar payment he made on Trump’s behalf to porn actor Stormy Daniels, who had been in negotiations to sell her story of an alleged sexual encounter with Trump. Cohen also played a role in arranging payments to Playboy model Karen McDougal and to a Trump Tower doorman.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges and says the alleged encounters with Daniels and McDougal never happened. The case has been ongoing for several years, with Cohen cooperating with prosecutors and serving as a key witness against Trump. Despite Trump’s efforts to discredit Cohen, the lawsuit is seen by many as an attempt to intimidate and silence him, and is likely to be viewed unfavorably by the court.
