Stormy Daniels' attorney unveils new evidence against "terrible attorney" Cohen on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Stormy Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, presented a receipt for the $130,000 wire transfer that was made to the adult film actress, in an interview with talk-show host Stephen Colbert in The Late Show on May 2. The attorney was discussing the lawsuit filed by Daniels against President Trump.
The adult film actress is in the process of suing Trump for defamation in a federal court in New York. The main issue was a tweet that Trump made in which he brushed aside the composite sketch that Daniels says was of a man who threatened her in 2011 to not talk about the alleged sexual encounter she had with Trump in 2006.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is also suing Trump so that she can be released from a non-disclosure deal that she had agreed to just a few days before the 2016 election in exchange for $130,000. Michael Cohen, Trump's personal lawyer, was the one who transferred the money to Daniels. The president maintains that he has no idea a payment was made even though his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, said in a television interview that he had repaid the money to Cohen.
When Colbert asked Avenatti about the payment, the lawyer said: "It’s absurd to suggest that an attorney would advance $130,000 for somebody from a personal home equity loan, never tell them about it — not just anyone, but a billionaire running for president — never seek reimbursement … it's just absurd. No one believes that."
Colbert then asked Avenatti if Cohen was just a bad attorney to which he replied: "I agree he’s a terrible attorney, but he’s not that stupid."
Avenatti revealed a crucial piece of evidence on the talk show which was an incoming wire receipt from Daniels' former lawyer which showed where the bribe money had come from. "The payment originated at a First Republic bank in San Francisco instead of the bank's New York branch. That showed that California attorney general Xavier Becerra could have jurisdiction if there were any criminal wrongdoing in the case. If California were to bring charges, Trump could not pardon Michael Cohen from those charges."
Colbert then added: "That could take his Get of Jail Free card." The lawyer finally said that even if the president was to pardon Cohen it would not be enough to protect him from state charges in New York and California.