GRILLING

Stormy Daniels’ Lawyer Seeks to Depose Donald Trump

Would force president to face two hours of questioning under oath.

The lawyer for adult-film star Stormy Daniels has asked a federal judge for permission to depose President Trump and force him to face questioning under oath about what he knew about the agreement to pay Daniels “hush money” to keep quiet about their alleged affair. In a motion filed in federal court late Tuesday in Los Angeles, Daniels lawyer Michael J. Avenatti requested a deposition “of no greater than two hours” for Trump, and the same for the president's lawyer and confidant Michael Cohen. If successful, Avenatti’s motion would set up an extraordinary scenario that would force the president to explain, under oath, exactly what he was told about a secrecy agreement involving a $130,000 payment to Daniels. The testimony could help determine whether campaign-finance laws were broken by the president, Cohen, or the Trump campaign. Responding to the request, Cohen spokesman David Schwartz described it as “a reckless use of the legal system in order to continue to inflate Michael Avenatti’s deflated ego and keep himself relevant.”