Donald Trump ‘not thinking about Melania’ when he paid off Stormy Daniels, says ex-lawyer Michael Cohen

The court also hears a recording of Mr Trump and Mr Cohen discussing hush money said to have been paid to a former Playboy model.

The former president was in court for the evidence from his former ‘fixer’. Pic: Reuters

Donald Trump “wasn’t thinking about (his wife) Melania” when he paid off a former porn star, his former lawyer has testified.

Michael Cohen told a court Mr Trump personally approved $130,000 in hush money to Stormy Daniels over an alleged 2006 sexual encounter.

The payout isn’t illegal, but Mr Trump is accused of falsifying records to hide it – a claim he denies.

On Monday, his trial in New York heard from Mr Cohen, once a lawyer and self-described “fixer” for the ex-president.

Mr Trump’s lawyers have painted the hush money as an attempt to protect his wife from rumours and upset.

However, Mr Cohen said his boss was purely concerned with keeping the claims quiet as he ran for the presidency.

“He wasn’t thinking about Melania. This was all about the campaign,” he said, prompting Mr Trump to shake his head in response.

Mr Cohen told the court he’d heard Stormy Daniels was considering selling her story and he told his boss swift action was required.

Mr Trump denies the affair and his lawyers say Mr Cohen acted on his own – a claim he denied in court.

He told jurors in Manhattan that “everything required Mr Trump’s sign-off” and he was ordered to “just do it”.

Mr Cohen said he stumped up the $130,000 himself after Mr Trump told him he would pay him back.

He said he set up a shell company – listed as a “real estate consulting company” – to make the payment.

Prosecutors say Mr Trump later paid the money back and covered it up by recording it as a legal retainer fee.

He faces 34 counts of falsifying business records over the claims.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/donald-trump-not-thinking-about-melania-when-he-paid-off-stormy-daniels-says-ex-lawyer-michael-cohen-13135478

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