REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, obtained a secret restraining order from a private arbitrator in an effort to bar Stormy Daniels from discussing her relationship with the president, according to documents acquired by NBC News. The temporary order prevents the adult-film star from discussing information in the non-disclosure agreement she signed in October 2016—and Cohen reportedly warned Daniels that she’ll face penalties if she doesn’t comply with it. The order was referenced in a lawsuit Daniels filed Tuesday, accusing Cohen of attempting to “intimidate” her with a “bogus arbitration proceeding.” On Feb. 28, the day the restraining order was issued, Cohen emailed it to Daniels’ former attorney Keith Davidson, saying that the “document itself is to remain confidential and not to be disclosed to anyone as per the terms of the judge’s order.” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also stated on Wednesday afternoon that the “case had already been won in arbitration”—but it is unclear what she was referring to as Trump is not listed as a party in the restraining order. Michael Avenatti told NBC News that Michael Cohen’s lawyer, Lawrence Rosen, has made further efforts on Wednesday to warn Daniels that she is “subject to damages” if she talks about the affair.