Cohen: Trump Told Me to Lie About Stormy Daniels Hush-Money Payments

President Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen told Rep. Katie Hill (D-CA) that Trump instructed him to lie to a reporter about Trump’s knowledge and involvement in reimbursing him for hush-money payments he made to two women who claimed to have had affairs with the president. “Did the president call you while you were having the meeting with the reporter?” Hill asked, referring to a February 2018 Vanity Fair report by Emily Jane Fox. Cohen replied, “Yes.” Hill continued, asking whether Trump called Cohen to “coordinate public messaging about the payment to Ms. Clifford in or around Feb. 2018?” Cohen confirmed that Trump did make that call. “What did the president ask or suggest you say about the payments or reimbursements?” Hill asked. “He was not knowledgeable of these reimbursements and not knowledgeable of my actions,” Cohen said, adding that he received “11 checks” that year from Trump’s “personal account” or from the “Donald J. Trump account.” Adult-film star Stormy Daniels received hush-money payments from Cohen in exchange for her silence on her alleged one-night stand with Trump.