Share
News

Lawyers Want Porn Star To Pay Trump $340K in Legal Fees

Share

Lawyers for President Trump want porn actress Stormy Daniels to pay them $340,000 in legal bills they claim they earned successfully defending Trump against her frivolous defamation claim.

The attorneys are due in a Los Angeles federal courtroom Monday to make their case that they rang up big bills because of gamesmanship and aggressive tactics by attorney Michael Avenatti, who represents Daniels.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, alleges she had a one-night affair with Trump in 2006.

She sued him earlier this year seeking to break a non-disclosure agreement she signed days before the 2016 election about the tryst as part $130,000 hush money settlement.

Trump has denied the affair.

Despite the deal to stay quiet, Daniels spoke out publicly and alleged that five years after the affair she was threatened to keep quiet by a man she did not recognize in a Las Vegas parking lot.

She also released a composite sketch of the mystery man.

She sued Trump for defamation after he responded to the allegation by tweeting: “A sketch years later about a nonexistent man. A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)!”

U.S. District Court Judge S. James Otero ruled in October that Trump’s statement was “rhetorical hyperbole” against a political adversary and was protected speech under the First Amendment.

Do you think it's appropriate for Daniels to pay the lawyers' fees?

Trump is entitled to legal fees, Otero said.

Trump’s team of lawyers have accounted for more than 500 hours of work — at rates as high as $840 an hour.

Avenatti, who has positioned himself as a Trump foe and is considering a run for president in 2020, said the fees are “staggering and grossly inflated” and should not exceed $25,000.

Trump’s lead attorney said the fees and unspecified monetary sanctions were earned because of the extraordinary nature of the case.

“This action is virtually unprecedented in American legal history,” attorney Charles Harder wrote.

Related:
Judge Orders Trump to Change His Behavior During Stormy Daniels' Testimony: 'I Won't Tolerate That'

Daniels “not only brought a meritless claim for defamation against the sitting president of the United States, but she also has engaged, along with her attorney, in massive national publicity.”

Harder noted she appeared on national TV, penned a book and went on a live strip club tour dubbed “Make America H—y Again” — a riff on Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.

The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , , , , , , , , , ,
Share
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
Location
New York City




Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.

Conversation