Former US president Donald Trump is suing his former lawyer Michael Cohen for greater than $US500 million ($A747 million), in keeping with a submitting in federal court docket in Florida.
The lawsuit comes after Cohen, as soon as Trump’s loyal “fixer,” testified earlier than a Manhattan grand jury that later indicted Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying enterprise data, marking the primary time in US historical past {that a} former president has been charged with a criminal offense.
Trump, who’s in search of the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, pleaded not responsible in that case on April 4.
Cohen is poised to be a star witness in any eventual trial within the case, which facilities round a hush cash cost he made earlier than the 2016 election to a porn star who says she slept with Trump.
The lawsuit accuses Cohen of violating his attorney-client relationship with Trump by revealing his “confidences” and “spreading falsehoods” in books, podcasts and media appearances.
It says Cohen wrongfully referred to as Trump “racist” in his 2020 guide Disloyal and fabricated conversations with Trump.
“The timing of Disloyal’s launch, simply previous to the November 3, 2020 Presidential Election, means that Defendant supposed to improperly disclose Plaintiff’s confidences when it might be most profitable to take action – and whereas Disloyal would be sure you have essentially the most damaging reputational impact ,” the lawsuit stated.
Trump misplaced the election to Democrat Joe Biden.
Cohen didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Cohen was a high government at Trump’s actual property firm after which labored as his private lawyer when Trump assumed workplace in 2017.
Whereas Cohen stated that yr that he would “do something” to guard Trump, his stance had modified dramatically by 2019 when he testified earlier than a US congressional committee.
“I’m ashamed as a result of I do know what Mr. Trump is,” Cohen instructed the panel.
“He’s a racist. He’s a con man. He’s a cheat.”
Cohen in 2018 pleaded responsible to violating federal election legislation by means of the $US130,000 cost to the porn star, Stormy Daniels.
He was sentenced to a few years in jail for that and different crimes, together with dishonest on his private taxes and mendacity beneath oath to Congress about when the Trump Group stopped engaged on a proposed constructing venture in Russia.
Trump denies the affair with Daniels.
He’s accused by Manhattan District Lawyer Alvin Bragg of falsifying Trump Group data to hide that he reimbursed Cohen for the cost to Daniels.
