This was published 1 year ago
Trump sues ex-lawyer Michael Cohen for $745 million
By Luc Cohen
Washington: Donald Trump is suing his ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, seeking at least $US500 million ($745 million) in damages as he increases attacks on his onetime loyal “fixer”, who gave evidence before the Manhattan grand jury that indicted the former US president.
In a complaint filed in federal court in Miami, Trump accused Cohen of failing to keep confidential attorney-client communications private and profiting by “spreading falsehoods” about him in books and podcasts.
Donald Trump and former fixer Michael Cohen, who is now a full-time critic of the former president.Credit: AP
Lanny Davis, a lawyer for Cohen, called Trump’s lawsuit “frivolous”. Trump has, over the years, often filed suits against various adversaries.
“Mr Trump is once again using and abusing the judicial system as a form of harassment and intimidation against Michael Cohen,” Davis said.
The lawsuit comes as Cohen, who once said he would “do anything” to protect Trump, appears poised to become a star witness against him at a possible criminal trial in New York on the charges unsealed last week.
Trump, who is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records. The indictment marked the first time a former US president was charged with a crime.
Prosecutors led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, have said Trump covered up his reimbursement of Cohen for $US130,000 in hush money paid before the 2016 election to porn star Stormy Daniels, who has said she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Trump denies any such relationship occurred.
Trump’s lawsuit said Cohen wrongfully called Trump “racist” in the disbarred lawyer’s 2020 book, Disloyal, and fabricated conversations between them from when he served as his attorney.
“The timing of Disloyal’s release, just prior to the November 3, 2020 presidential election, suggests that [Cohen] intended to improperly disclose [Trump’s] confidences when it would be most lucrative to do so – and while Disloyal would be sure to have the most damaging reputational effect,” the lawsuit said.
Reuters
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