After reportedly being paid $130,000 in a nondisclosure agreement calling for her silence about her relationship with President Donald Trump, adult film star Stormy Daniels is now offering to give back the amount so she can speak freely about her time with the president. NBC News reports that Daniels offered to pay back the sum in a letter to Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen on Monday.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, made headlines last week for filing a lawsuit claiming that her nondisclosure agreement was invalid because Trump never signed it. Prior to the 2016 presidential election, she signed an agreement that paid her $130,000 to remain silent about her “intimate relationship” with Trump that lasted from 2006 to 2007. According to the New York Times, Daniels’ lawyer Michael Avenatti wrote that Daniels would wire the money into one of Trump’s accounts by Friday. Avenatti gave Trump a deadline of noon on Tuesday for Trump’s lawyer Cohen to reply to Daniels’ offer.
NEW: Lawyer for Stormy Daniels sends letter to Trump attorney Michael Cohen offering to return $130,000 to void non-disclosure agreement. pic.twitter.com/gBeLvNA8hg
— ABC News (@ABC) March 12, 2018
Once Daniels pays the $130,000, her agreement to stay silent on the affair would be “deemed null and void.” She could then publicly share information about her relationship with the president, including text messages, photos, and videos, “without fear of retribution and/or legal liability for damages.”
The original amount of money allegedly came from Cohen’s own personal funds. Daniels’ offer puts Trump and his lawyer in an interesting position, as rejecting the money could suggest that they have a legitimate reason to keep Daniels silent.