One America News Network has retracted an article that claimed Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen had an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels.
Cohen, who is expected to be a key witness in Trump’s hush money trial, had hired Justin Nelson of Susman Godfrey LLP, the lead attorney in the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit and $787.5 million Fox News settlement -Dollar.
On its website, OAN said: “Today it retracted its March 27 article entitled “Whistleblower: Avenatti alleged Cohen-Daniels affair since 2006, Trump extortion plot before 2016” and removed it from all websites and social media . This revocation is part of an agreement reached with Michael Cohen. Mr Avenatti has denied the claims. OAN apologizes to Mr. Cohen for any harm this publication may have caused him.”
Nelson worked with Cohen’s attorney, Danya Perry, to obtain the OAN’s withdrawal and settlement.
“Today’s withdrawal from OAN represents a victory for accountability. This withdrawal is not about money. This is about protecting the truth,” Nelson said in a statement.
In its retraction, OAN said: “The article, citing a source, falsely claimed that Mr. Cohen and Ms. Daniels “had been having an affair since 2006” and that, according to a source, “the entire hush money scheme was concocted by.” [Mr. Cohen] to blackmail the Trump Organization before the 2016 election.’ These statements were false. OAN regrets its publication.” The OAN retraction also includes denials from Avenatti and Daniels.
The retraction also includes a quote from Cohen. “I did not have an affair with Stormy Daniels, nor did I make up the Trump Organization blackmail allegations before the 2016 election. The idea that, just before the election, I would blackmail the man I passionately supported and believed would soon become president to make $130,000 that I didn’t even keep for myself is beyond absurd . It’s just stupid.”
In October 2016, Cohen, who was then representing Trump as his lawyer and so-called “fixer,” paid Daniels $130,000 to silence her claims that she was having an affair with Daniels The Apprentice Host. Trump has rejected this claim.
Today’s murky hush money trial centers on payments Trump and his company subsequently made to Cohen that far exceeded $130,000. Prosecutors allege the payments were falsely listed for legal services when they were actually reimbursements for hush money. Prosecutors allege that these were again illegal campaign donations that were made just weeks before the election. Trump has also rejected these allegations.