Stormy Daniels

In October 2011, reports surfaced about an alleged affair between Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels in 2006. The reports were first published by the blog The Dirty and the magazine Life & Style.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Michael Cohen arranged a payment of US$130,000 to Stormy Daniels to prevent her from disclosing an alleged affair with Donald Trump in 2006, just before the 2016 US presidential election.

On January 14, 2018, Michael Cohen acknowledged that he paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 out of his own money. He denied the existence of an affair on behalf of Trump.

CNN reported that Fox News had an unpublished article by Diana Falzone about Stormy Daniels and Trump from October 2016. The article included allegations of a sexual relationship.

Mother Jones reported that Stormy Daniels considered running for senator in Louisiana in 2009. She identified Trump as a potential campaign donor and discussed details of a sexual relationship with him.

Michael Cohen admitted to using his own money to pay $130,000 to Stormy Daniels without being reimbursed by the Trump Organization or campaign. He did not confirm if President Trump personally reimbursed him.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Michael Cohen missed two deadlines to pay Stormy Daniels due to not being able to reach Donald Trump during the final days of the presidential campaign. Cohen expressed frustration over not being reimbursed for the payment after Trump's election.

Stormy Daniels filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump in California Superior Court, claiming that the non-disclosure agreement was invalid as Trump never signed it. The lawsuit sought a judgment declaring no agreement was formed and requested costs and relief from the court.

NBC News reported that Michael Cohen initiated a private arbitration case against Stormy Daniels, obtaining a restraining order preventing her from disclosing confidential information related to the NDA agreement. Daniels's lawyers disputed the order's validity.

Documents revealed that Jill Martin, assistant general counsel for The Trump Organization, signed legal papers related to the restraining order against Stormy Daniels.

Stormy Daniels's lawyer, Michael Avenatti, claimed on CNN and MSNBC that Daniels had been threatened with physical harm if she did not remain silent about her alleged affair with Trump. Cohen requested Daniels's suit to be moved to federal court, asserting potential damages of up to $20 million.

Stormy Daniels's involvement with Trump was featured on 60 Minutes, where she discussed spanking Trump with a magazine, their alleged encounter, and threats she received. The segment included interviews with Anderson Cooper, Michael Avenatti, and Trevor Potter.

In a March 25, 2018, interview with 60 Minutes, Stormy Daniels revealed details of her alleged sexual encounter with Trump, including threats and pressure to sign the NDA.

On April 5, 2018, Trump stated that he was unaware of the $130,000 payment made by his lawyer, Michael Cohen, to Stormy Daniels on Air Force One. He claimed to have no knowledge of the reasons behind the payment or its funding source.

FBI agents raided Michael Cohen's office on April 9, 2018, seizing emails, tax documents, and business records related to various matters, including payments to Stormy Daniels. The raid was conducted as part of an investigation by the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, likely stemming from information uncovered in Mueller's probe.

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels and her lawyer Michael Avenatti held a news conference outside federal court in New York. They discussed the legal case involving Daniels and the alleged cheating of book proceeds by her lawyer.

In an interview on Fox & Friends on April 26, 2018, Trump acknowledged that Michael Cohen represented him in the 'crazy Stormy Daniels deal'. This marked Trump's first public admission of any connection to the Stormy Daniels case.

On April 27, 2018, a judge halted Stormy Daniels' lawsuit for at least 90 days while Michael Cohen's criminal investigation unfolded in New York. Cohen invoked his Fifth Amendment right, delaying the civil case.

On April 30, 2018, Stormy Daniels filed a lawsuit against Trump, citing his defamatory statements. The legal action was prompted by Trump's remarks mocking a police sketch related to the alleged threat against Daniels.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, while representing Trump, disclosed on Fox News that Trump reimbursed Michael Cohen $130,000 for the payment made to Stormy Daniels. Giuliani mentioned that the money was funneled through a law firm and then repaid by the president, asserting that it was not campaign funds.

On May 3, 2018, Trump tweeted about a non-disclosure agreement between Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels. He clarified that Cohen was reimbursed through retainer payments and denied campaign involvement in the transaction.

Trump refuted Rudy Giuliani's statements on May 4, 2018, claiming Giuliani was not fully informed and needed time to 'get his facts straight'. Giuliani later clarified that the payment aimed to resolve false allegations against the President.

On May 5, 2018, Stormy Daniels made a guest appearance on Saturday Night Live, parodying herself in a sketch alongside Alec Baldwin as Trump. The skit humorously referenced climate change and alluded to the ongoing controversy.

Daniels's lawyer, Avenatti, filed a motion to allow Daniels's lawsuit to proceed, citing recent statements by Trump and Giuliani. The motion aimed to challenge Cohen's Fifth Amendment rights.

Daniels sued Cohen and her former lawyer, Keith Davidson, alleging Cohen encouraged Davidson to breach attorney-client privilege. The lawsuit also implicates Trump in efforts to deny the affair publicly.

Daniels's motion to reconsider was denied, prompting Avenatti to announce an upcoming appeal.

Undercover vice cops arrested Stormy Daniels in a sting operation in Columbus, Ohio, alleging that she 'touched' three undercover officers in the club where she performed, which is against Ohio law. Daniels was booked into the county jail but charges were dismissed less than 12 hours later.

Stormy Daniels announced a book titled 'Full Disclosure' about her life, promising to include details of her encounter with Donald Trump, adding to the controversies surrounding their relationship.

Federal judge S. James Otero dismissed Stormy Daniels's defamation lawsuit against President Trump and ruled that Trump was entitled to receive attorney's fees from Daniels. Daniels's attorney Michael Avenatti appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

The Wall Street Journal reported that federal prosecutors had evidence of Trump's 'central role' in payments to both Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal that violated campaign-finance laws.

Federal prosecutors implicated Trump in directing Michael Cohen to commit campaign finance law felonies. Trump tweeted that the memorandum 'totally clears the president.'

The judge who threw out Stormy Daniels' defamation case orders her to pay $293,052 to cover Trump's legal fees. Daniels would later appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case three years later.

Michael Cohen was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for paying $130,000 hush money to Stormy Daniels during Trump's election campaign, characterized as an 'excessive campaign contribution.'

The federal investigation into the hush payments, including those to Stormy Daniels, was announced as closed.

The House Judiciary Committee prepared to investigate Trump's alleged involvement in the 2016 hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal.

Michael Cohen entered into a proffer agreement with the Manhattan prosecutor to provide information on the hush-money payments matter.

Stormy Daniels lost her appeal in the defamation lawsuit against Trump.

A California judge ordered Trump to pay Stormy Daniels's legal fees as the prevailing party due to his agreement not to enforce the NDA.

The Supreme Court declined to take up the defamation case, finalizing Stormy Daniels's loss.

The FEC dropped an inquiry into whether the payment to Stormy Daniels violated campaign finance law during the 2016 election, splitting 2–2 along party lines on taking action.

On February 4, 2022, Michael Avenatti, the attorney of Stormy Daniels, was convicted by a jury for cheating her out of nearly $300,000 that she was supposed to receive for writing a book about an alleged affair with former president Donald Trump.