Judge tosses Stormy Daniels' hush-money suit against Trump


A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit brought by adult film star Stormy Daniels against President Trump.
Daniels filed the suit in March 2018 in an attempt to end the $130,000 hush-money agreement she signed ahead of the 2016 presidential election, a deal which kept her from publicly discussing a sexual encounter she says she had with Trump. Wanting to get the suit dismissed, Trump and his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, both agreed not to penalize Daniels for breaching the nondisclosure agreement.
Because of this, U.S. District Judge James Otero in Los Angeles said the suit should be sent back to California Superior Court, ruling that it "lacks subject matter jurisdiction." This may entitle Daniels to legal fees, but the litigation is basically finished.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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