Donald Trump sues his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen for over US$500 million
- Cohen, the ex-president’s one-time fixer, is a key witness in the criminal case Trump is facing over hush-money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels
- The lawsuit offers a preview of arguments that are sure to be featured in Trump’s defence
Former US president Donald Trump sued the key witness in his criminal case on Wednesday, accusing one-time lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen of “vast reputational harm” for talking publicly about the hush-money payments at the heart of the case.
The lawsuit, filed in Miami, offered a preview of arguments that are sure to be featured in Trump’s defence against charges that he falsified internal business records to disguise payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of extramarital sexual encounters.
The suit accused Cohen of breaking a confidentiality agreement he signed as a condition of his employment, violating ethical standards for lawyers and “spreading falsehoods” about Trump “with malicious intent and to wholly self-serving ends”. It seeks over a half-billion dollars from Cohen.
Trump is not specifically suing Cohen over his grand jury testimony in the criminal case, but he cites it in support of an argument that his ex-lawyer sought to profit from his role through the publication of two books, a podcast series and media appearances.
Cohen’s spokesman, lawyer Lanny Davis, said the lawsuit will not deter Cohen’s cooperation with prosecutors.