Judge rejects Cohen’s request for gag order against Stormy Daniels’s lawyer
A judge has rejected Michael Cohen’s request for an emergency gag order against adult-film star Stormy Daniels’s lawyer.
Cohen, President Trump’s longtime lawyer, filed a request Thursday seeking to block Michael Avenatti from speaking to the press about Daniels’s defamation lawsuit against Cohen and President Trump.
Reuters reported Friday that a judge refused to grant Cohen’s request.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is suing Cohen and Trump for defamation and to void a nondisclosure agreement blocking her from speaking publicly about her alleged 2006 affair with Trump.
Daniels was paid $130,000 by Cohen weeks before the 2016 presidential election to stay silent about the allegations. Cohen has recognized the payment and Trump has since acknowledged that he reimbursed Cohen for the payment through a monthly retainer.
Avenatti has made frequent appearances on talk shows and news networks in recent months to talk about the case.
In the request for a restraining order, Cohen’s lawyer argued that Avenatti’s media appearances could jeopardize his ability to get a fair trial.
“Mr. Avenatti’s publicity tour, wherein he routinely denigrates Mr. Cohen with claims of alleged criminal conduct, is contrary to the California Rules of Professional Conduct, likely to result in Mr. Cohen being deprived of his right to a fair trial, and threatens to turn what should be a solemn Federal Court proceeding into a media circus,” the filing reads.
Avenatti pushed back, calling the motion for a gag order “unethical” and “a complete joke.”
Trump said Friday morning that Cohen was no longer his lawyer. Cohen is also under criminal investigation in New York for alleged bank fraud and campaign finance violations.
Federal prosecutors are also probing whether Cohen acted as a secret lobbyist during previous business deals, The Was Street Journal reported Thursday.
Updated at 1:37 p.m.
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