Former President Donald Trump sued his ex-attorney Michael Cohen for greater than $500 million on Wednesday, saying he breached their contractual relationship and helped to unfold falsehoods about Mr. Trump in a prison prosecution in New York.
Mr. Trump’s attorneys argued of their federal court docket submitting within the Southern District of Florida that Cohen printed his first ebook, “Disloyal,” simply earlier than the 2020 election in an try to realize financially from the timing.
They additionally argue he went on to publish one other ebook and launch a podcast, targeted on his earlier relationship with Mr. Trump to revenue from it, typically internet hosting company resembling former porn actress Stormy Daniels on his broadcast. Ms. Daniels alleges she had an affair with Mr. Trump, and the prison case is centered on hush-money funds via Cohen to her.
The lawsuit additionally asserts that the ex-president ought to obtain monetary royalties from Cohen’s work for disclosing inside details about their enterprise dealings.
“Defendant breached his fiduciary duties owed to Plaintiff by virtue of their attorney-client relationship by both revealing Plaintiff’s confidences, and spreading falsehoods about Plaintiff, likely to be embarrassing or detrimental, and partook in other misconduct in violation of New York Rules of Professional Conduct,” the 34-page grievance learn.
A lawyer who has represented Cohen in different litigation didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark concerning the new lawsuit.
Cohen had labored for Mr. Trump as his private legal professional starting in 1996. After Mr. Trump turned president, Cohen went on to do different authorized and consulting work, incomes about $500,000 a yr, in keeping with the lawsuit.
Cohen paid $130,000 in 2016 to Ms. Daniels as hush cash to maintain her from coming ahead publicly about her affair with the billionaire, in order to not have his spouse, Melania, study of it.
Mr. Trump denies the affair and likewise that the cash was paid for his political profit and aspirations.
Cohen, although, went to jail in 2019 after pleading responsible to fees associated to tax fraud, mendacity to federal officers in relation to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference within the 2016 election, and a marketing campaign finance violation.
The marketing campaign finance violation, tied to the cost to Ms. Daniels, can also be a part of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case towards the previous president, whom he indicted final month on 34 fees for falsifying enterprise information.
Cohen was disbarred from practising regulation in 2019 and was finally launched from jail in 2021.
He confronted a three-year jail sentence, however spent most of it in dwelling confinement because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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