In a surprising turn of events, adult film actress Stormy Daniels has confirmed that she will testify in the trial of former President Donald Trump.
The charges against Trump revolve around allegations of paying hush money to Daniels during the 2016 election campaign.
The porn star claims she was paid $130,000 to remain silent about her alleged sexual encounter with Trump while his wife Melania was pregnant with their son Barron, who is now 17 years old.
The charges mark the first criminal accusations against the former president and are connected to reimbursements made through a limited liability company (LLC) to Trump’s former attorney and ‘fixer,’ Michael Cohen.
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Trump insists that the payments were legitimate expenses and not an illegal attempt to conceal any wrongdoing. However, Daniels, now 44, has expressed her readiness to testify in court.
In an episode of her podcast, Beyond the Norm, Daniels shared, ‘Obviously, things have been next-level crazy, since I am set to testify in, at this point in time, March — obviously, that can change any moment — in the hush money case.’
Trump, facing 34 felony falsification of business records counts from a Manhattan grand jury, has become the first former president to confront criminal charges.
Beyond the state charges, Trump is also dealing with federal charges in Florida, Georgia, and Washington DC. Daniels alleges that she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.
The encounter allegedly took place in Trump’s hotel suite after a dinner invitation.
During an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes in 2018, Daniels revealed details of the encounter, stating that Trump showed her a golf magazine featuring his picture on the cover.
After a playful exchange, Trump allegedly pulled his pants down slightly, and Daniels gave him a couple of swats with the magazine.
Daniels recalled Trump’s comments during the encounter, saying, ‘He was like, ‘Wow, you – you are special. You remind me of my daughter.”
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She described feeling uncomfortable but continued, acknowledging consensual sex took place. Daniels claimed Trump made subsequent calls, inviting her to a meeting in July 2007 to discuss her potential appearance on his TV show Celebrity Apprentice.
Despite declining a further sexual encounter at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Daniels recounted Trump’s call a month later, informing her that he couldn’t secure her a spot on the show.
The legal saga unfolded on October 28, 2016, just days before the presidential election, when Daniels signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in exchange for a $130,000 payment.
The NDA was executed by Keith Davidson, Daniels’ attorney at the time, and Michael Cohen, Trump’s personal lawyer.
Notably, the document included a space for Trump’s signature, but he never signed it. In 2018, after the Wall Street Journal exposed the payment, Cohen publicly admitted to using his own funds for the transaction, maintaining he was not directed by Trump.
As the legal drama unfolds, all eyes are on the impending testimony of Stormy Daniels, which could significantly impact the legal battles surrounding Donald Trump’s presidency.
