Things are getting a little “Stormy” for President Donald Trump.
Back in March, we reported that adult film star Stormy Daniels had made several appearances claiming that she had had an extramarital affair with Trump that lasted from 2006 to 2007. At the time, she hadn’t been able to give many details as she believed herself to be under an NDA that she was asked to sign just prior to the 2016 election.
Then, more details emerged that Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, had given Daniels a payment of $130,000 for reasons he would not disclose. However, in a lawsuit against Trump after discovering that he himself had not signed the NDA, making it null and void, Daniels states that it was in exchange for her silence regarding their relationship as well as any other sexual encounters she may know about.
Without the NDA being signed by Trump, Daniels has gone on a media tour detailing her relationship with the businessman as well as disclosing information that would have been protected by the document such as Cohen’s bank records.
Daniels’ lawyer, Michael Avenatti, is now claiming that “Cohen received $500,000 from a company controlled by a Russian oligarch, deposited into an account for a company also used to pay off the adult film actress,” per NBC News.
After significant investigation, we have discovered that Mr. Trump’s atty Mr. Cohen received approximately $500,000 in the mos. after the election from a company controlled by a Russian Oligarc with close ties to Mr. Putin. These monies may have reimbursed the $130k payment.
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 8, 2018
His company, Essential Consultants, received the payment from Columbus Nova, a US based affiliate of Russian businessman Viktor Vekselberg, between October 2016 and August 2017.
While nothing has been substantiated, The Washington Post makes an excellent point about the “optics” of the situation. As Robert Mueller has been searching for links between the current administration and Russia, “disclosures like the one made Tuesday by Daniels’ lawyer could weaken the president’s claim to have ‘nothing to do with Russia.'”
Cohen maintains that these claims are false, as does Columbus Nova. The company claims to be run entirely by Americans and has no involvement with Vekselberg.
Regardless of the validity of the documents or the findings, Stormy Daniels seems hellbent on making sure her voice is heard.