Former US President Donald Trump has sued his former attorney Michael Cohen for more than half a billion dollars. As court documents from Florida show, Cohen is accused of violating his mandate with Trump: He disclosed confidential information and spread untruths. A statement from Cohen was not immediately available.
Cohen is a key witness in the case of hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels, in which Trump became the first former president in US history to be impeached. He is accused of falsifying business documents in 34 cases. The New York public prosecutor’s office accuses him of using his behavior to hide harmful information and illegal activities before and after the 2016 presidential election.
Trump and others have systematically tried to identify negative information about him, suppress it with money and thus increase his chances in the 2016 presidential election. The Republican went to great lengths to cover it all up, making dozens of false entries in business records. Attempts to violate electoral laws are among the criminal activities he has tried to cover up. Under New York law, it is a criminal offense to conspire to advance a candidate in an election by illegal means.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, says he had sex with Trump in 2006, which he denies. According to the 44-year-old, the two met and slept together at a golf tournament weekend on Lake Tahoe in the summer of 2006 – just a few months after Trump’s wife Melania gave birth to their son Barron. Daniels says the two stayed in touch for months afterwards. Trump dismisses all of this as “false and blackmailing allegations”.
Cohen has cooperated with investigators, saying he was ordered by Trump to pay hush money to Daniels and a second wife, a former Playboy model. He pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations in 2018 and was sentenced to three years in prison. Trump initially stated that he did not know anything about the payment to Daniels. He later admitted to compensating Cohen for it.
The lawyer worked for Trump for more than a decade and was a central figure in several affairs involving the Republican. He was often described as Trump’s “cleaner” – until the breakup between the two came. 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.