Giuliani says Trump repaid $130,000 his lawyer spent to quiet porn star

[May 03, 2018]  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who joined President Donald Trump's legal team last month, said on Wednesday that Trump repaid the $130,000 his lawyer gave to an adult-film star to buy her silence about an alleged affair with the president.

Trump has said he did not know about the payment to Stormy Daniels, who says she had a one-night stand with Trump in 2006. Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, the money in 2016 to keep quiet about the alleged sexual encounter before the presidential election.

In an interview on Fox News, Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor and longtime friend of Trump, said the president knew about the $130,000 payment and reimbursed Cohen.

"They funneled it through a law firm and the president repaid it," Giuliani said.

"He didn't know about the specifics of it, as far as I know, but he did know about the general arrangement that Michael would take care of things like this," Giuliani said.

He said the payment did not violate campaign finance laws because it was not drawn from Trump campaign funds.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

When asked by reporters on April 5 if he knew about the payment to Daniels, Trump responded, "No." Asked why Cohen made the payment, Trump said: "You'll have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney. You'll have to ask Michael."

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani speaks to members of the media as he attends the funeral service for U.S. evangelist Billy Graham at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S., March 2, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Keane

Cohen has said he paid Daniels out of his own pocket and was not reimbursed by Trump.

The White House has denied Trump had sex with Daniels.

Daniels has sued Trump and Cohen to be released from the non-disclosure agreement, saying it was invalid because Trump never signed it. She has also sued Trump for defamation.

(Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

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