Trump Sues Ex-Lawyer Michael Cohen

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Facts

  • Former US Pres. Donald Trump on Wednesday sued his former lawyer Michael Cohen for at least $500M, accusing him of failing to adhere to attorney-client privilege.1
  • This comes after Cohen testified before a Manhattan grand jury that indicted Trump, who pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a payment made through Cohen to adult film actress Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 presidential election.2
  • The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Florida, accuses Cohen of “multiple breaches of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, conversion and breaches of contract” by allegedly spreading falsehoods about Trump “with malicious intent” in two books, a podcast, and numerous media appearances.3
  • Cohen was Trump’s lawyer for over a decade and served as vice president of the Trump Organization. In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to fraud and campaign finance violations related to the Daniels payment and was sentenced to three years in prison.4
  • Lanny Davis, a lawyer and spokesperson for Cohen, denied the accusations and said the former Trump lawyer would continue to cooperate with prosecutors.2

Sources: 1Reuters, 2Al Jazeera, 3FOX News and 4BBC News.

Narratives

  • Democratic narrative, as provided by New York Times. As speculated by Davis, this lawsuit is right out of Trump’s long-used playbook. The former president’s decades of dealing with criminal and civil investigations have taught him how to weaponize the legal system to silence, or at least discredit, his critics and those liable to expose him. Recent attempts to use this play, however, have backfired, and it doesn’t look like this will deter Cohen.
  • Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by Townhall. Before and after he served time for his felonious actions around the Daniels payment, Cohen capitalized on his relationship with Trump to enrich himself while breaching his contract. This suit has nothing to do with Trump’s fraudulent arraignment and everything to do with a bitter employee. If Cohen believes he has a right to continue besmirching the former president, he should have no problem answering for it in court.

Predictions