Trump is suing ex-lawyer Cohen
Ex-US President Trump is taking action against his former lawyer Cohen. He accuses him of violating attorney-client privilege and insists on $ 500 million in damages.
Cohen is a key witness in a trial against Trump.
Amid legal turmoil, former US President Donald Trump has sued his former attorney Michael Cohen. In a civil lawsuit filed in a Florida district court, Trump alleges that Cohen violated his legal duties to him.
Cohen, for example, did not keep the non-disclosure agreement with his client because he passed on confidential information and spread untruths. This was done “with malicious intent”. Trump is demanding $500 million in compensation from Cohen. A statement from his ex-lawyer was initially not available.
Cohen’s confession leads to indictment
Cohen is the key witness in an indictment against Trump in New York. Cohen, now 56, confessed to paying porn actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 in hush money just before the 2016 presidential election to prevent her from speaking out about her alleged affair with Trump during the campaign.
The hush money payment itself is not illegal. However, the repayment of the money to Cohen by Trump’s real estate empire was incorrectly booked as legal fees in numerous tranches. Cohen was ultimately sentenced to three years in prison. He also pleaded guilty to lying to Congress.
Cohen repeated his testimony before a grand jury in New York that voted in late March to indict Trump as the first ex-president in US history. The Republican pleaded not guilty in early April. He is involved in several other court cases.
Central figure in many affairs
For more than a decade, Cohen worked for Trump and was a central figure in several affairs involving the Republican. The lawyer was often described as Trump’s “cleaner” – until the breakup between the two occurred.
Trump’s lawyers have repeatedly questioned Cohen’s credibility. They argue he has already been convicted of cheating and lying. If the ex-president goes to trial, it is to be expected that his defense attorneys will try to paint Cohen as a witness who cannot be trusted and who only wants revenge.
