President Donald Trump spent $27,075 of taxpayer money to track news on adult film star Stormy Daniels after she sued him for an alleged affair. TMZ reports that it obtained Federal Procurement documents that reveal he monitored Daniels’ actions on the taxpayers’ dime.
According to the report, the Executive Office of the President authorized a payment of $27,075 to a company called TVEyes on March 7. The company monitors media stories on TV, radio, and in print by using relevant keywords. The justification for using the service was deemed as “SUPPORT – MANAGEMENT: PUBLIC RELATIONS.”
Records don’t indicate what headline was being tracked, TMZ imparts. What’s known is that the day before payment was authorized, Stormy sued to have a non-disclosure agreement she signed back in November 2016 invalidated. Her lawsuit brought humiliating allegations against Donald Trump, and a flood of scandalous reports followed.
TMZ notes that it’s not the first time Trump has relied on TVEyes to monitor media reports. The last known payment was for $9,504 in February 2017 when then Chief of Staff Reince Priebus allegedly attempted to interfere with the FBI’s Russian investigation. Records show that the $27,075 Trump used to watch reports on Stormy Daniels is the largest sum the Executive Office has paid TVEyes to date since the organization began getting contracts.
Donald Trump Spent $27k In Taxpayer Money Tracking Media Stories after Stormy Daniels Sued Him https://t.co/AMMO2o3wx6
— TMZ (@TMZ) April 1, 2018
Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, alleged to have had an affair with Donald Trump back in 2006. The fling supposedly occurred after Trump’s wife, Melania Trump, gave birth to their son, Barron.
Daniels interviewed with Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes last weekend detailing the allegations. She said she was threatened to keep quiet about the affair and was paid $130,000 in “hush” money before the 2016 election. She sued to have the NDA thrown out because Trump never signed the document.
Stormy Daniels lawyer rejects settling with Trump: This isn’t about the money, it’s about the truth https://t.co/e7r3uUDvhy pic.twitter.com/OsFRtVzNbH
— The Hill (@thehill) March 30, 2018
Stormy denied the affair at first because she felt threatened, telling Anderson Cooper that she was made to believe she had no choice and that “they” would make her “life a living hell.” She wasn’t sure who “they” were, but thought it was Trump’s attorney, Michael Cohen.
CNN reports that Stormy Daniels has also sued Michael Cohen for defamation. Her lawsuit states that Cohen tried to make her out to be a liar and made false statements after she spoke of the alleged affair with Donald Trump.
