Trump Attorneys Portray Adult Film Actress as Trying to Extort Money

NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers tried again Thursday in a New York courtroom to undermine testimony from an adult film actress who says the former president paid her hush money to cover up their sexual affair.

They asked extensively about money Stormy Daniels received after she started making the allegations, as Trump’s criminal trial entered its second week.

Defense attorney Susan Necheles suggested Daniels made a “large part of her livelihood” by selling a story about her alleged 2006 affair with Trump.

The cross-examination apparently was intended to support the defense team’s strategy of proving Trump is a victim of liars who are trying to extort money from a rich and powerful man.

Trump denies extramarital affairs with Daniels or with a second accuser, former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

He is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up payments to the women in exchange for their promises not to tell anyone about their affairs. He allegedly paid Daniels $130,000 and McDougal $150,000.

Trump pleaded not guilty and denies he made the payments.

Daniels sometimes posted on social media about her alleged relations with Trump at a Lake Tahoe, Nevada, hotel.

She later opened an online retail store that sold merchandise and her autographs. The merchandise includes T-shirts, posters, stickers and home decor. 

She posted in a March 2023 tweet after Trump was indicted that “#TeamStormy merch/autograph orders are pouring in, too! Thank you for that as well but allow a few extra days for shipment.”

Publicity from her encounters with Trump helped her win a CNN interview, an $800,000 book deal, a “Make America Horny Again” strip tour and an appearance on a reality TV show.

Necheles referred to Daniels’ career in adult films when she asked, “You have a lot of experience of making phony stories about sex appear to be real?”

Daniels responded, “Wow. That’s not how I would put it.”

She said her adult movies were unrelated to her knowledge of Trump. She admitted that her work experience included having sex on camera and has directed 150 adult films.

Daniels’ was followed on the witness stand by Trump organization bookkeeper Rebecca Manochio as a prosecution witness.

She testified that she saw both invoices and checks signed by Trump in 2017 while he was president. The checks were made payable to Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who has said he passed on part of the money to Daniels and McDougal in exchange for non-disclosure agreements from them.

Emails from Trump’s top business associates that Manochio said she viewed also implied hush money was paid to the women, prosecutors said.

Also testifying was Madeleine Westerhout, a former presidential special assistant, whose desk in the White House for 2-½ years was only feet from the Oval Office. She was known in the media as “the greeter girl” as she coordinated access to the president.

She acknowledged that she sent an email to then-Trump attorney Cohen on Feb. 5, 2017, saying, “We’re confirmed for 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.” The date was about the same time Cohen has said he discussed with Trump the alleged hush money payments.

She also described procedures she followed in sending checks signed by Trump to his associates in the organization.

After the testimony, Judge Juan Merchan denied a motion from defense attorneys to modify the gag order that prohibits Trump from criticizing witnesses or jurors. He also denied their motion for a mistrial.

As he left the courthouse, Trump spoke to reporters, saying, “His ruling was a disgrace.” After more complaints about the trial, he added, “I’m innocent and I’m being held in this court with a corrupt judge.”

You can reach us at [email protected] and follow us on Facebook and Twitter