Last Updated Jul 12, 2018 4:11 AM EDT
Stormy Daniels, the porn star at the center of a political storm involving President Trump, has been arrested, her lawyer says. Michael Avenatti, who’s become a frequent guest on cable TV networks since becoming Daniels’ attorney, tweeted about the arrest early Thursday:
Franklin County Municipal Court documents show Daniels was arrested by Columbus police and is scheduled for arraignment Friday morning. She’s charged with charged with three counts of “Illegally Operating Sexually Oriented Business – Employee Knowingly Touch Any Patron.”
The club, called Sirens Adult Entertainment Club, wouldn’t comment when reached by CBS News.
CBS Columbus affiliate WBNS-TV got video of an apparently handcuffed Daniels being led into a holding facility:
An Ohio law known as the Community Defense Act bars any non-family members from touching a nude or semi-nude dancer, according to The Associated Press.
Avenatti told the AP the arrest was “a set up.” He told WBNS he has “reason to believe it was politically motivated. There’s no question these officers were undercover at that strip club. They knew my client would be performing there and I find this to be a complete waste of resources.”
The station cites an arrest report as saying Daniels began dancing around 11:30 Wednesday night. During her performance, officers in the club said they witnessed Daniels using her bare breasts to smack patrons. The officers also said they observed Daniels fondling the breasts of female patrons.
Stormy Daniels in Las Vegas on Jan. 27, 2018
Getty
The report says that when the officers approached the stage, Daniels held the face of the female officer between her breasts. It also says she did the same to a male officer. The report adds that Daniels fondled the buttocks and breasts of another officer. At that point, court documents state that a fourth officer exited the club to request assistance to make an arrest.
Daniels, 39, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, says she had sex with Mr. Trump in 2006. He was married to Melania Trump at the time and has denied Daniel’s claim.
Daniels is suing the president and his former longtime personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, and trying to invalidate a nondisclosure agreement she signed days before the 2016 presidential election.
Cohen allegedly paid Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about her sexual encounter with Mr. Trump. The payment might have violated campaign finance laws.
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