President Trump defends Michael Cohen payments to Stormy Daniels

Hours after new legal adviser Rudy Giuliani acknowledged that President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer had paid porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 just before the 2016 elections, and that Mr. Trump had repaid that money to Michael Cohen, the President took to Twitter on Thursday morning to defend the legal arrangement through his attorney, and to reject assertions that there had been any type of campaign law violations.

“Mr. Cohen, an attorney, received a monthly retainer,” the President said in a series of tweets, adding that the money was “not from the campaign.”

Mr. Trump also took another jab at Daniels, who has already sued over the non-disclosure agreement involving her and Mr. Trump, an ongoing case in which the President’s lawyer, Cohen, has taken the Fifth Amendment.

“The agreement was used to stop the false and extortionist accusations made by her about an affair…despite already having signed a detailed letter admitting that there was no affair,” the President wrote.

After making the news last night about the $130,000 payment, Giuliani was back on “Fox and Friends” on Thursday morning, as the former New York mayor said the President had not known about the details of the $130,000 payment until “maybe ten days ago.”

Mr. Trump had told reporters on April 5 aboard Air Force One that he did not know anything about money being paid to Daniels, who alleges that she had an affair with Mr. Trump in 2006.

In his interviews last night and this morning, Giuliani both defended the President’s legal arrangement, and attacked Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe.

“The basis of the case is dead,” Giuliani said of the Russia investigation. “(Attorney General Jeff) Sessions should step in and close it.”

Giuliani again repeatedly went after former FBI Director James Comey, labeling his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation “disgraceful,” and charging that Comey’s main goal in leaking memos about conversations with the President was to create a Special Counsel investigation.

Meanwhile, Democrats argued it all amounted to criminal actions.

“This is outrageous,” said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA). “Rudy Giuliani seems to confirm @realDonaldTrump is guilty of campaign finance law violation in attempt to hide the facts from the American people.”

WFTV