Longtime Trump attorney Michael Cohen said Wednesday that a document released by Stormy Daniels’ attorney Michael Avenatti purporting to show payments Cohen received from various entities contains numerous inaccuracies. Cohen’s legal team slammed the document in a court filing opposing Avenatti’s motion to appear in the legal dispute over search warrants that were the basis for the raid on Cohen’s home and office last month.
Federal investigators have been probing Cohen’s personal business dealings, and raided his home and office in April. In a separate case, Daniels, whose given name is Stephanie Clifford, has sued Cohen and Mr. Trump, claiming a nondisclosure agreement she signed is invalid because it lacks Mr. Trump’s signature.
In the letter to U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood Wednesday, Cohen’s lawyers claimed Avenatti has published “numerous incorrect statements regarding Mr. Cohen” while his motion to appear pends before the court. Cohen’s lawyers also cite three allegations of transactions from Singapore, Hungary and Taiwan that they claim are incorrect. In one instance, they claim Avenatti identified a different “Michael Cohen” who was involved in a transaction.
“Mr. Avenatti is apparently in possession of and has published information from some of Mr. Cohen’s actual bank records, and Mr. Cohen is concerned that Mr. Avenatti has no lawful basis to possess those materials; and Mr. Avenatti has made numerous incorrect statements to the public in an apparent attempt to prejudice and discredit Mr. Cohen on this matter for which he seeks admission,” the lawyers wrote.
Late Tuesday, Avenatti released a document claiming Cohen received payments from a firm with ties to a Russian oligarch, as well as two other major companies — AT&T and Novartis. Novartis confirmed it paid Cohen $1.2 million for his advice last year. AT&T acknowledged hiring Cohen in a statement Wednesday and said it had cooperated with investigators from special counsel Robert Mueller. CBS News has reviewed financial documents that appear to support Avenatti’s account of the transactions.
Rudy Giuliani, Mr. Trump’s attorney, told CBS News that Avenatti documents include “no allegations against the president” and “no clear allegations of a crime.” Giuliani said it was his “impression” that Mr. Trump was unaware of Cohen’s offer to companies to provide access to administration officials.
Cohen has not responded to CBS News’ previous requests for comment.
© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
