US President Donald Trump confirmed today that he reimbursed his personal lawyer the USD 130,000 he had given to adult film star Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 election to buy her silence over an alleged affair with the then presidential candidate.
Trump's confirmation came hours after his new legal aide and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani revealed that the president had personally repaid Michael Cohen the USD 130,000 that was used to buy Daniels's silence through a non-disclosure agreement.
In an early morning tweet, Trump, 71, said his personal attorney, Cohen, was paid via a monthly retainer and that the hush agreement into which Cohen entered with Daniels had "nothing to do with the campaign."
He added, "Prior to its violation by Ms. Clifford and her attorney, this was a private agreement. Money from the campaign, or campaign contributions, played no role in this transaction."
Speaking on Fox News yesterday, Giuliani said the reimbursement to Cohen was "not campaign money" and that the payment was "perfectly legal."
Giuliani said that Trump repaid Cohen "over several months" by putting him on a "retainer of USD 35,000 when he was doing no work for the president."
Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, told CNBC: "This is exactly what we predicted would ultimately be shown. Every American, regardless of their politics, should be outraged."
Asked if Giuliani's admission is evidence of a campaign finance violation, Avenatti simply said, "Yes."