The scheduled meeting between Stormy Daniels and federal prosecutors is canceled because the press found out, wrote her attorney Michael Avenatti. He voiced frustration at authorities’ sudden change in behavior Sunday night.
ever bring any serious criminal charges against Cohen et al., let alone handle a trial, in such a high profile matter? We have bent over backwards to accommodate them. This is unheard of. We remain willing to cooperate but something isn’t right…
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) June 25, 2018
Avenatti wrote that the meeting had been scheduled for weeks.
“We have bent over backwards to accommodate them,” he wrote. “This is unheard of. We remain willing to cooperate but something isn’t right…”
Department of Justice attorneys in the Cohen case did not immediately respond to a Law&Crime request for comment Sunday night.
Daniels was scheduled to meet prosecutors in the Southern District of New York on Monday to discuss a potential grand jury appearance regarding the $130,000 payment she received from lawyer Michael Cohen, The Washington Post reported Sunday afternoon. She and Avenatti were cooperating with prosecutors and handing over documents in response to a subpoena, a source said. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney declined to comment in that article.
Avenatti is representing Daniels (real name Stephanie Clifford) in her lawsuit against President Donald Trump and Cohen. They argue an October 2016 NDA over Clifford’s alleged affair with the POTUS is void because Trump never signed it. Daniels also filed a federal defamation lawsuit again the president in April.
Cohen admitted to handling the payment, but never said what it was for. Legal experts suggested that the incident left this attorney open to prosecution for possible campaign finance violations. Indeed, prosecutors with the Southern District of New York are reportedly eyeing him for that and other charges, including bank fraud, and illegal lobbying. Federal investigators executed a search warrant on Cohen’s home, office, and hotel room in April. No charges have been filed.
Note: The article has been adjusted for clarity.
[Image via Drew Angerer/Getty Images]
