The Stormy Daniels Saga: How Trump’s Legal Troubles Escalated
Former President Donald Trump was indicted in New York City and is facing criminal charges related to hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 U.S. election. This development marked a prominent escalation in the legal challenges facing Trump, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the matter. The allegations originate from a purported sexual encounter between Trump and Daniels in 2006, a claim Trump ferociously denies. The payment made to Daniels, totaling $130,000, was characterized by Trump as a means to prevent false and extortionist allegations from Daniels rather than a confession of guilt, as per US News & World Report . But what actually went down between the two? Here’s what the adult film star has said.
1. Who is Stormy Daniels?
Stormy Daniels, born Stephanie Clifford, hails from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She has been a prominent figure in the adult film industry for over two decades, both as an actress and director. According to The Guardian , she was brought up by a ‘neglectful mother.’ She has had an inclination towards horses since childhood. Daniels worked in strip clubs to support herself starting in high school. Later, she began appearing in and directing adult films using a pseudonym. She is currently 44 years old.
2. Stormy Daniels’ Encounter With Donald Trump
Daniel claims that she met Trump in July 2006 at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe. According to her account, Trump invited her to dinner at his hotel suite, where they engaged in conversation. Daniel claims that Trump complimented her smartness and beauty. She further alleged that they indulged in consensual sexual activity during this encounter. She revealed to CBS’ 60 Minutes , “And I was like, ‘Someone should take that magazine and spank you with it.’ So he turned around and pulled his pants down a little – you know had underwear on and stuff – and I just gave him a couple swats.” She further claimed that Trump asked if she was interested in appearing on his TV show, Celebrity Apprentice: “He was like, ‘Wow, you – you are special. You remind me of my daughter.’ You know, he was like, ‘You’re smart and beautiful, and a woman to be reckoned with, and I like you. I like you.’ I realized exactly what I’d gotten myself into. And I was like, Ugh, here we go. And I just felt like maybe … I had it coming for making a bad decision for going to someone’s room alone.”
3. The Non-Disclosure Agreement
In the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, Daniels signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in exchange for a $130,000 payment facilitated by Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. The agreement prohibited Daniels from publicly discussing her relationship with Trump. While Trump did not sign the NDA, Daniels’ former lawyer, Keith Davidson, and Cohen executed the agreement on their behalf. In 2018, Cohen claimed that he paid her using his own money and was not instructed by Trump. Daniels then sued the now-former President and his lawyer, seeking to have the agreement invalidated.
4. The Defamation Lawsuit
Then, in 2018, following Trump’s denial of the alleged encounter with Daniels and his dismissal of her claims as a ‘con job’ on Twitter, Daniels filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump. However, a federal judge ruled in favor of Trump, citing First Amendment protections for free speech. The case then went to the US Supreme Court, which decided against reviewing the matter. Daniels then claimed that an unknown man approached her and her infant daughter in a Las Vegas parking lot and threatened her after she agreed to talk about her relationship with Trump on a public platform.
5. Trump’s Rebuttal
Trump admitted to reimbursing his lawyer for a $130,000 payment made on the eve of the 2016 election to Daniels as part of a settlement. Trump revealed, “Mr. Cohen, an attorney, received a monthly retainer, not from the campaign and having nothing to do with the campaign, from which he entered into, through reimbursement, a private contract between two parties, known as a non-disclosure agreement, or NDA. These agreements are very common among celebrities and people of wealth. In this case it is in full force and effect and will be used in Arbitration for damages against Ms. Clifford (Daniels). The agreement was used to stop the false and extortionist accusations made by her about an affair, despite already having signed a detailed letter admitting that there was no affair. 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.”
After a great period of silence, Trump again discussed his actions in 2023 and shared, “With respect to the “Stormy” nonsense, it is VERY OLD & happened a long time ago, long past the very publicly known & accepted deadline of the Statute of Limitations.” Later in March 2023, he slammed all the prominent investigations he is part of. He asserted, “These four horrible, radical left Democrat investigations of your all-time favorite President, me, is just a continuation of the most disgusting witch hunt in the history of our country. Whether it’s the Mar-a-Lago raid, or the ‘Unselect Committee’ hoax, the perfect Georgia phone call—it was absolutely perfect—or the Stormy ‘horse face’ Daniels extortion plot, they’re all sick, and it’s fake news. Our enemies are desperate to stop us because they know that we are the only ones who can stop them and they know it very strongly.”