Topline
Former President Donald Trump sued his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen for $500 million on Wednesday, claiming the Trump loyalist-turned-critic breached their attorney-client relationship, as Trump faces criminal charges in New York following a long-running investigation into a hush money payment—a probe Cohen has cooperated with.
Trump has sued Michael Cohen, his former personal attorney, for alleged breaches of confidentiality.
Key Facts
Trump’s legal team filed a more than 30-page federal lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida on Wednesday.
It alleges Cohen breached confidentiality agreements and spread “falsehoods” about Trump through public statements, the publication of two books and a podcast series, all while allegedly ignoring cease and desist orders.
It also claims Cohen has increased the intensity of his comments about Trump in recent months, which the lawsuit says is likely due to Trump’s ongoing legal battle.
Forbes has reached out to Cohen’s attorney for comment.
Key Background
Cohen served as Trump’s attorney and self-described fixer from 2006 to 2018, once claiming he would “take a bullet” for the former president. In 2018, he was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to federal tax evasion and campaign-finance violations, partly due to a 2016 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged affair with Trump. In 2019, he agreed to testify publicly before the House Oversight Committee, during which he characterized Trump as a “racist” and a “cheat.”
Further Reading
Trump sues former attorney Michael Cohen for $500 million (Fox)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/katherinehamilton/2023/04/12/trump-sues-ex-attorney-michael-cohen-for-500-million-as-ny-criminal-charges-loom/