Attorney for porn star seeks to depose Trump on payment

Stormy Daniels appears during an autograph signing.
Stormy Daniels's attorney is seeking to depose President Trump and Trump attorney Michael Cohen about a $130,000 payment made to the adult film star days before the 2016 presidential election.
Ethan Miller | Getty Images 2012

An attorney for an adult film star claiming a sexual encounter with President Trump filed a motion Wednesday seeking to depose the president and his attorney.

Michael Avenatti filed the papers in federal court in California. In the documents, he seeks to depose Trump and Trump attorney Michael Cohen about a $130,000 payment made to Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 presidential election.

Avenatti wants to question each for "no more than two hours." In the filing, he says the depositions are needed to establish if Trump knew about the payment and if he consented to it.

Cohen has said he paid the $130,000 out of his own pocket, while asserting Trump never had sex with the porn actress.

It's rare for a president to be deposed: It happened most recently to President Bill Clinton in 1998 during the Paula Jones sexual harassment suit.

A hearing on Avenatti's motion is set for April 30.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.