Former US President Donald Trump is suing his former attorney Michael Cohen amid legal turmoil. In a civil lawsuit filed in the US state of Florida on Wednesday, Trump accuses Cohen, among other things, of breaching his legal duties towards him, several US media reported on Wednesday. Cohen, for example, did not keep the non-disclosure agreement with his client because he passed on confidential information and spread untruths. This was done “with malicious intent and for completely selfish purposes”. Trump is demanding $500 million from Cohen in compensation and fines.
Cohen is the key witness in the indictment against Trump in connection with hush money payments last week in New York. Cohen, now 56, has admitted to paying porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep her from speaking out about her alleged affair with Trump during the 2016 election campaign. In the end, Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison, but was allowed to serve part of the sentence in house arrest because of the corona pandemic. He also pleaded guilty to lying to Congress.
The lawyer worked for Trump for more than a decade and was a central figure in several affairs involving the Republican. He was often described as Trump’s “cleaner” – until the breakup between the two came. Trump’s lawyers have repeatedly questioned Cohen’s credibility. They argue he has already been convicted of cheating and lying. If the ex-president goes to trial, it is to be expected that his defense attorneys will try to paint Cohen as a witness who cannot be trusted and who only wants revenge.
