Stormy Daniels wants to return $130,000 to end her silence on Trump
Adult film star Stormy Daniels, who says President Trump's lawyer paid her $130,000 in 2016 to stay quiet about an alleged affair with Trump, is offering to return the money so that she can speak freely about the president.
NBC News reported Monday that the actress, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, wants to release more information about the alleged relationship, which she says began in 2006 and lasted for several months. By returning the money, she wants clearance to release text messages, photos, and videos that would provide evidence of the affair. Trump has steadfastly denied the tryst.
Daniels' attorney, Michael Avenatti, sent a letter to Trump's longtime personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, offering to return the money by Friday, reports NBC News. In exchange Daniels seeks the right to "speak openly and freely about her prior relationship with the president" without fear of retribution.
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Avenatti told NBC News that Americans should be allowed to judge for themselves who is telling the truth between Daniels and Trump. Daniels filed a lawsuit last week that claimed the nondisclosure deal she struck with the president is invalid because Trump himself never signed the agreement. Trump says he had no knowledge of the transaction between Cohen and Daniels.
The letter submitted to Trump's team Monday says that the offer of reimbursement is open until noon Tuesday. The letter also asks that Cohen not make any effort to block the broadcast of a 60 Minutes interview that Daniels taped last week, reports The New York Times. Avenatti says the offer is made in good faith and is not meant as a publicity stunt.
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