President Donald Trump could soon find himself testifying under oath about the $130,000 payment that Stormy Daniels received, that’s if Stormy’s lawyer, Michael Avenatti, gets his way. Stormy’s attorney filed a motion in California federal court that seeks to get President Trump and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, under a deposition to spill the beans about what they actually know about the “hush agreement” payment, according to CBS News.
Stormy’s lawyer asked a federal judge to depose both Trump and his attorney to get them on record about the $130,000 payment that was made to Daniels more than one week prior to the 2016 presidential election. Avenatti filed the motion in Los Angeles, which seeks to have Trump speak under oath for no more than two hours, along with Cohen, the man who admitted he paid Stormy $130,000 – but claimed that he took the funds out of his home’s equity line of credit without Trump knowing about the transaction.
Such a successful deposition would mean that President Trump would be forced to testify about information that could reveal if campaign finance laws were broken by Trump, Cohen, or Trump’s campaign camp. Avenatti wants the court to determine if the $130,000 payment was used as a means to positively influence the presidential campaign in Trump’s favor.
Stormy Daniels’ lawyer Michael Avenatti files motion in California federal court, seeking to depose President Trump and his lawyer, Michael Cohen https://t.co/HgF7FL73bK
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 28, 2018
Lawyers for Trump and Cohen have yet to comment on the new developments in the ongoing legal battle with Stormy, although David Schwartz, Cohen’s spokesperson, noted beforehand that Avenatti likely wished to depose Trump, calling the case “illogical” and “a frivolous action” that he didn’t believe would happen.
Meanwhile, Trump and Cohen want Stormy’s case sent to private arbitration that would take place behind closed doors. Judge Otero must decide if the “hush agreement” is valid without Trump’s signature or if an expedited jury trial to determine the validity of the agreement is needed.
There is a court hearing scheduled for April 30, at 10 a.m., and Stormy’s lawyer wants the judge to conduct the depositions in 21 days after ruling on the validity of the agreement. A jury trial is requested to begin in 90 days.
Trump has denied having an adulterous affair with the 39-year-old Stormy, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
