Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Wednesday that President Trump reimbursed Trump’s lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, for a $130,000 hush money payment Cohen made on the eve of the 2016 election to adult film star Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels. Giuliani made the comments Wednesday evening in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity.
Rudy Giuliani: “That money was not campaign money. Sorry, I’m giving you a fact now that you don’t know. It’s not campaign money. No campaign finance violation. So—”
Sean Hannity: “They funneled it through a law firm.”
Rudy Giuliani: “Funneled through a law firm, and then the president repaid it.”
Sean Hannity: “Oh, I didn’t know. He did.”
Rudy Giuliani: “Yeah.”
Giuliani recently joined President Trump’s legal team and is negotiating with special counsel Robert Mueller over a possible interview with Trump. His Fox News comments directly contradict Trump’s claim last month that he did not know that Cohen had paid Stormy Daniels—or where Cohen had gotten the money for the payment. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders reiterated Trump’s denial in March.
Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders: “Look, the president has addressed these directly and made very well clear that none of these allegations are true. This case has already been won in arbitration. And anything beyond that, I would refer you to the president’s outside counsel.”
Jeff Zelleny: “When did the president address specifically the cash payment that was made in October of 2016?”
Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders: “The president has denied the allegations against him. And again, this case has already been won in arbitration. Anything beyond that, I would refer you to outside counsel.”