Michael Cohen Is Pleading the Fifth in the Stormy Daniels Lawsuit

By Paul Blest, Splinter

26 April 18

 

onald Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, said in a federal court filing on Wednesday that he would assert his privilege not to self-incriminate by pleading the Fifth Amendment in the Stormy Daniels lawsuit.

“I will assert my 5th Amendment rights in connection with all proceedings in this case due to the ongoing criminal investigation by the F.B.I. and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.” Cohen said in the filing, according to the New York Times.

Daniels is suing both Trump in order to invalidate an agreement in which Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 to stay quiet about her alleged affair with Trump. Daniels and here lawyer claims that the agreement is unenforceable because Trump never signed it.

Stormy Daniels’ lawyer, Michael Avenatti, called Cohen pleading the fifth a “stunning development” on Twitter:

This is a stunning development. Never before in our nation’s history has the attorney for the sitting President invoked the 5th Amend in connection with issues surrounding the President. It is esp. stunning seeing as MC served as the “fixer” for Mr. Trump for over 10 yrs. #basta

— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) April 25, 2018

Trump has taken the Fifth Amendment before himself, but discovered a newfound grudge against it after a former Clinton staffer who helped set up her private email server pled the Fifth in 2016.

“The mob takes the Fifth,” Trump said at one September campaign rally in Iowa. “If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?” Good question!