Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email
Please enter a valid email address
Please enter a valid email address
SIGN UP
I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice
Thanks for signing up to the
Inside Washington email
{{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}
Donald Trump has reached a settlement with his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen over claims the former president’s company broke an agreement to pay the attorney’s legal bills, leaving him owing an estimated $1.3m.
Lawyers for Mr Cohen and the Trump Organization announced they’d agreed on terms of a settlement, whose details were not immediately public, in a New York court on Friday, the Associated Press reports.
The deal, which hasn’t been finalised, comes as Mr Cohen’s suit was about to go to trial in state court next week.
Michael Cohen
" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2023/07/21/17/Trump_Michael_Cohen_94945.jpg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2023/07/21/17/Trump_Michael_Cohen_94945.jpg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2023/07/21/17/Trump_Michael_Cohen_94945.jpg" data-gallery-length="2" class="i-amphtml-fill-content i-amphtml-replaced-content">
Michael Cohen
(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
The 2019 lawsuit had accused the Trump Organization of failing to honour the terms of an agreement to foot the lawyer’s large legal bills during a series of high-profile investigations in 2017 and 2018, including special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Donald Trump’s potential ties with Russia. Mr Cohen alleged that the Trump Organization stopped paying his bills when he began cooperating with investigators.
The Trump Organization, for its part, argued it carried out the obligations it had to Mr Cohen, and said some of the lawyer’s legal costs were related to personal matters outside of his employment with the Trump company.
Recommended All the lawsuits and criminal charges involving Trump and where they stand Potential jurors share strong feelings about Trump ahead of trial over Michael Cohen’s legal fees DeSantis suggests indicting Donald Trump for Jan 6 would be ‘criminalising political differences’
The settlement is the latest chapter in a long and twisting relationship between the two men. Mr Cohen, once a staunch ally of Mr Trump, is now one of his most vocal critics, and may offer testimony that seals a series of felony convictions against the former president.
In April, Mr Trump sued Mr Cohen in Florida federal court, seeking $500m in damages, claiming his former fixer broke a confidentiality agreement and unjustly enriched himself by “spreading falsehoods” about the former president after the two suffered a rift.
Mr Cohen has authored two books and hosted a podcast in recent years, all of which have been heavily critical of Mr Trump.
Promoted stories
Morning-Kick-Blog
“I’m 83 years old and I’ve never felt better” Chuck Norris Reveals Secret To Healthy AgingMorning-Kick-Blog
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
He is also a central witness in Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg’s felony case against Mr Trump over hush money payments.
During the 2016 election, Mr Cohen faciliated a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to silence her claims of having an affair with Mr Trump.
In 2018, Mr Cohen began a three-year prison sentence, after pleading guilty to campaign fiance charges related to the hush money payments, as well as admitting to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump Tower project in Russia.
Recommended What charges does Donald Trump face in the classified documents case? Jason Aldean trolled with awkward old photo of Trump kissing wife Judge sets May 2024 date for Trump classified documents trial
In 2021, Mr Cohen sued Mr Trump and former Attorney General William Barr, alleging they and others retaliated against him by returning him to prison from home confinement as revenge for his plans to write a tell-all memoir.
The suit was dismissed in November 2022, though a federal judge admitted he was frustrated with Supreme Court precedent in the case that foreclosed individuals like Mr Cohen from challenging “the use of executive power to lock up the President’s political enemies for speaking critically of him.”
More about Donald Trump Michael Cohen New York
Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments
1/ 2Trump and Michael Cohen reach settlement over $1.3m in legal bills
Trump and Michael Cohen reach settlement over $1.3m in legal bills
Michael Cohen
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Trump and Michael Cohen reach settlement over $1.3m in legal bills
Donald Trump and Michael Cohen
AP
Promoted stories
Healthy Guru
Dermatologist: If You Have Toenail Fungal Infection Try This Tonight (It's Genius!)Healthy Guru| Sponsored Sponsored
Undo
Chaikin Analytics
“August 23 will change everything,” says Wall Street legendChaikin Analytics| Sponsored Sponsored
Undo
Gundry MD
Heart Surgeon Begs Americans: “Stop Doing This To Your Avocados”The top 3 common foods that you would have never guessed were the cause of your fatigue.Gundry MD| Sponsored Sponsored
Learn More
Undo
？ Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Subscribe
Already subscribed? Log in