The newly indicted ex-president, Donald Trump, has slapped his former attorney and “fixer” — Michael Cohen — with a $500 million lawsuit for breaching his attorney-client relationship, as well for other major allegations.
The 30-page lawsuit, filed by Trump’s legal team on Wednesday, claims that Cohen — via two books, his podcast series, and many media appearances — has incurred wealth and fame by maliciously targeting the former president. Though the lawsuit demands a trial and states that the damages faced by Trump will be calculated during the procedure, the complaint states the amount is “expected to substantially exceed” $500 million. Cohen has also been accused of misrepresenting the cost of a business expense and earning $74,000 more than he was supposed to get from the Trump Organization.
“This is an action arising from [Cohen’s] multiple breaches of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, conversion and breaches of contract by virtue of [Cohen’s] past service as [Trump’s] employee and attorney,” the lawsuit adds.
The suit also blames Cohen for ignoring the “cease and desist” orders and for increasing “the frequency and hostility of the illicit acts.” It further stresses that Cohen “appears to have become emboldened and repeatedly continues to make wrongful and false statements” about Trump. As per the complaint, the lawyer harbored “malicious intent” against Trump and breached the terms of the confidentiality agreement he signed by revealing “Plaintiff’s confidences and spreading falsehoods about Plaintiff” to fulfill his own selfish agenda.
Cohen has long since turned against Trump and is a key witness in the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation against the latter after he admitted that he paid $130,000 out of his own pocket to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential elections to buy her silence about her alleged affair with the Home Alone 2 star. He has testified that Trump had ordered him to make the transaction and also claimed that the Trump Organization never reimbursed him for the payment he made.
