Lawyer for Stormy Daniels denies that payment from Cohen was 'hush money'

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Keith Davidson, lawyer for adult film actress Stormy Daniels, said in court Thursday that the $130,000 payment to Daniels was not “hush money,” but a “consideration” payment.

Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Johsua Steinglass pressed Davidson on the witness stand about Daniels’ statement in January 2018, which Davidson prepared for his client, that denied any relationship with Trump and said that her only interaction with Trump was “a few public appearances and nothing more.”

“Rumors that I have received hush money from Donald Trump are completely false,” the statement says.“I don’t believe that Stormy ever alleged that any interaction with Trump was ‘romantic,‘” Davidson testified Thursday. But it is his understanding that Daniels had a sexual encounter with Trump.

He also said the payment “wasn’t a payoff.”“It wasn’t a payoff. And it wasn’t hush money. It was consideration,” Davidson said. Davidson added that he would never use “hush money” to describe the money exchange.

He would only refer to it as “consideration.” “Consideration” is a contractual legal term for what someone gives in return for the promise to abide by a contract; in this case, money. The payment was labeled "legal fees" in Trump's accounting, which prosecutors allege amounted to fraud.

Steinglass asked about the truthfulness of the Daniels’ statement. Davidson replied, “I think it’s technically true.”

He continues that he doesn’t believe anyone alleged of a relationship between Daniels and Trump -- it was an interaction.Davidson said he believes a “relationship” to be an ongoing occurrence.