Washington - President Donald Trump's
personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, demanded Stormy Daniels "cease
and desist" after the adult-film star said in a "60 Minutes" TV
interview that she was threatened with violence to stay silent
about an alleged affair with Trump.
"Mr. Cohen had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with any
such person or incident, and does not even believe that any such
person exists, or that such incident ever occurred," said the
letter sent by Cohen's attorney, Brent Blakely, to the lawyer
representing Daniels, Michael Avenatti, late on Sunday, shortly
after the interview aired on CBS. A copy of the letter was
viewed by Reuters on Monday.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, had implied
Cohen was behind the threat of harm if she did not "leave Trump
alone," which was made by a stranger in a Las Vegas parking lot
in 2011.
The letter also demanded "that you immediately retract and
apologize to Mr. Cohen through the national media for your
defamatory statements on '60 Minutes,' and make clear that you
have no facts or evidence whatsoever to support your allegations
that my client had anything whatsoever to do with this alleged
thug."
Daniels sued Trump on March 6, saying he never signed an
agreement for her to keep quiet about an "intimate" relationship
between them in 2006.
White House aides did not respond immediately to requests
for comment after the interview aired.
Daniels attorney Avenatti on Monday morning spoke with major
news broadcasts.
Stormy Daniels is interviewed by Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes. Picture: Reuters
In an interview with NBC, he said the man who threatened
Daniels while she was with her infant daughter was not Cohen but
that "it had to be someone that is related to Mr. Trump or Mr.
Cohen."
Asked about the cease-and-desist letter on CNN, Avenatti
said Cohen "needs to stop hiding behind pieces of paper and come
clean with the American public."
Daniels' appearance followed an interview aired last week on
CNN with former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who described a
10-month-long affair with Trump starting in 2006. Trump would
have been married to his wife, Melania, during both alleged
relationships.
The White House and Cohen have both denied Trump had an
affair with Daniels. The White House has said Trump denies
having an affair with McDougal.
Cohen said he paid Daniels $130,000 of his own money during
the 2016 presidential campaign, but has not explained why or if
Trump was aware of the payment. In filings with the Justice
Department and Federal Election Commission watchdog groups have
said the payment amount may have exceeded campaign-contribution
limits and violated U.S. law.