Stormy Daniels, the adult film star who received $130,000 in 2016 in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Donald Trump, is expected to be called to the stand to testify in the former president’s trial on Tuesday.
Susan Necheles, a lawyer for Trump, said in court that the defense team was informed that Daniels would be the day’s second witness. Two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News that Daniels is in New York and anticipates being called. Clark Brewster, Daniels’ attorney, told the Associated Press Tuesday morning that she is “likely” to testify.
The 2016 payment to Daniels was made by Michael Cohen, Trump’s personal attorney at the time, just days before the 2016 election. He subsequently received monthly payments of $35,000 for a year, which prosecutors have said were reimbursements for the “hush money” payment to Daniels.
Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records stemming from those reimbursements to Cohen. Trump’s defense attorneys have argued the money was to cover Cohen’s fees as the president’s personal lawyer. Trump has also denied having sex with Daniels.
Daniels’ turn on the stand would come one day after two Trump Organization bookkeepers testified about their roles in arranging the payments to Cohen.
