“The payment to Ms. Clifford was lawful, and was not a campaign contribution or a campaign expenditure by anyone,” said Trump's long-time personal attorney Michael Cohen.
ADVERTISEMENTUS President Donald Trump's personal lawyer has said he paid $130,000 (€105,105) of his own money to pornographic actress Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had sex with Trump in 2006.
Lawyer Michael Cohen did not specify the reasons for his transaction to Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, in a statement issued Tuesday in the New York Times.
“Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly,” he said.
“The payment to Ms. Clifford was lawful, and was not a campaign contribution or a campaign expenditure by anyone.”
Cohen refused to answer any follow-up questions, including whether Trump had been aware that the payment was made, why he made the payment or whether he had made similar payments to other people over the years, according to the New York Times.
The Wall Street Journal reported in January that the lawyer had arranged a payment to Daniels in return for her silence about an affair with Trump.
Cohen said on Thursday that he had informed the Federal Election Commission (FEC) — an independent regulatory agency enforcing US campaign finance law — that he made the transaction himself.
This came following claims filed by watchdog Common Cause alleging the payment could be seen as an in-kind contribution to the Trump campaign.
The group said it did not know the source of the money but insisted it could still be considered a campaign contribution as it was intended to affect the outcome of the election.
“The allegations in the complaint are factually unsupported and without legal merit, and my counsel has submitted a response to the FEC,” said Cohen.
Trump has denied the affair.
US tabloid In Touch interviewed Daniels in 2011, and reported she spoke about the 2006 affair and gave details. Daniels in January this year issued a statement denying reports that an affair occurred.
Cohen said he was not reimbursed by Trump for the payment to Daniels, adding that the payment was legal.
In a statement, the White House denied any sexual encounter between Trump and Daniels.
"This is old recycled news, which was published and vehemently denied before the election," it said.