U.S.

Trump's Personal Lawyer Admits He Paid Adult Film Star $130,000

Michael Cohen says he paid Stephanie Clifford $130,000 out of his own pocket.

Trump's Personal Lawyer Admits He Paid Adult Film Star $130,000
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President Donald Trump's personal lawyer says he paid an adult film star $130,000 out of his own pocket. 

Stephanie Clifford, better known by her stage name Stormy Daniels, allegedly had an affair with Trump in 2006. In January, The Wall Street Journal reported Trump's attorney Michael Cohen arranged the payment for Clifford as hush money in 2016.

In a statement Tuesday, Cohen called the payment a "private transaction" and said, "Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly." 

This is the first time Cohen admitted to paying Daniels. Trump and Clifford both deny the affair, but Cohen told CNN, "Just because something isn't true doesn't mean that it can't cause you harm or damage."

Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.