According to a knowledgeable insider, the complaint targeting Michael Cohen is completely unrelated to the Manhattan District Attorney’s ongoing case.
Former President Donald Trump is suing his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen for more than $500 million, as alleging a breach of his attorney-client relationship, unjust enrichment, and more.
The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and spans more than 30 pages, as an action arising from [Cohen’s] multiple breaches of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, conversion, and breaches of contract by virtue of [Cohen’s] past service as [Trump’s] employee and attorney.
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According to the lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump’s legal team against Michael Cohen, Cohen allegedly breached his attorney-client relationship by “spreading falsehoods” about Trump, which were likely to cause harm or embarrassment.
The lawsuit also claims that Cohen violated the confidentiality agreement he signed as a condition of his employment with Trump. Trump’s legal team further alleges that Cohen made these false statements with “malicious intent and to wholly self-serving ends.”
The lawsuit goes on to detail Cohen’s numerous public statements, including two published books, a podcast series, and appearances in mainstream media, all while ignoring “cease and desist” orders. Cohen’s actions are described as constituting “other misconduct” in addition to breaching his attorney-client relationship and confidentiality agreement.
“Continuous and escalating improper conduct” has caused “vast reputational harm” to Trump, leaving him with no choice but to seek legal action.
The lawsuit alleges Cohen has, in recent months, ‘increased the frequency and hostility of the illicit acts’ and ‘appears to have become emboldened and repeatedly continues to make wrongful and false statements about Trump through various platforms. The lawsuit, filed by former President Donald Trump’s legal team, claims that Cohen’s “continuous and escalating improper conduct” has caused “vast reputational harm” to Trump, leaving him with no choice but to seek legal action.
“Such continuous and escalating improper conduct by [Cohen] has reached a proverbial crescendo and has left [Trump] with no alternative but to seek legal redress through this action,” the lawsuit states.
The suit further alleges that Cohen’s actions have breached his attorney-client relationship, violated contractual terms of a confidentiality agreement, and caused harm to Trump’s reputation.
The lawsuit filed by Trump’s legal team against Michael Cohen comes in the wake of Trump’s not guilty plea to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in Manhattan court.
These charges are related to alleged hush money payments made before the 2016 presidential election. However, a source close to Trump’s legal team clarifies that the lawsuit against Cohen is “a totally separate matter” and has no connection to the Manhattan DA’s case.
Cohen, who previously pleaded guilty to arranging hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal, maintains that Trump directed the payments. Despite pleading guilty to several federal charges in 2018, Cohen continues to deny any wrongdoing regarding his role in the hush money scandal.
Aside from the charges related to hush money payments, Cohen pleaded guilty to making false statements to a financial institution, Congress, and tax evasion, for which he received a three-year prison sentence.
The Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York decided not to charge Trump with regards to the hush money payments in 2019, and the Federal Election Commission closed its case on the matter in 2021.
In response to the lawsuit, Cohen’s attorney, Lanny Davis, called out Trump for using the legal system to harass and intimidate his client, saying “Mr. Cohen will not be deterred and is confident that the suit will fail based on the facts and the law.” Davis added, “Is there anyone in America, aside from a shrinking minority base of believers, who takes Mr. Trump seriously when he files these lawsuits?”
In a federal lawsuit filed in the Southern District of Florida, former President Donald Trump alleges that his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen breached his attorney-client relationship, leading to “vast reputational harm” and is seeking more than $500 million in damages.
The lawsuit claims that Cohen spread “falsehoods” about Trump with “malicious intent” and breached his contractual obligation to maintain confidentiality.
The lawsuit also highlights Cohen’s previous statements, including his claim that he had “been admiring Donald Trump since high school,” describing him as a “wonderful man” and “the greatest negotiator on the planet.” This lawsuit is unrelated to the recent case in which Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in New York. Cohen’s attorney, Lanny Davis, responded by calling the lawsuit an attempt at harassment and intimidation and expressing confidence that it will fail.
The lawsuit cites Cohen’s previous remarks about Trump, such as when he stated that Trump “deserved” his “loyalty” because “one man who wants to do so much good with so many detractors against him needs support,” and when he called Trump “an honorable guy.”
Moreover, the lawsuit accuses Cohen of unlawfully converting Trump’s business property by falsely claiming a business expense and demanding $74,000 more than what was actually owed.
“In doing so, [Cohen] was reimbursed based on the fraudulent misrepresentation, and accordingly converted $74,000 from [Trump,]” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit cites Cohen’s own book, “Disloyal,” as evidence, in which he admits to having “lied” about the reimbursement amount he was owed for an expense made on Trump’s behalf. The book states that Cohen instead “loaded up” and “sneakily upped [his] bonus” to “counter screw” Trump.
While Cohen resigned as counsel for the Trump Organization in January 2017, he continued to represent Trump personally until June 2018.
The lawsuit then delves into Cohen’s “personal and professional downfall,” referencing the FBI’s raid on his home, office and hotel room in April 2018. The warrant reportedly included references to Cohen’s father-in-law’s loans to a taxi fleet operator in Chicago, worth tens of millions of dollars.
According to the lawsuit, Cohen’s father-in-law was charged with “conspiring to defraud the IRS and pleaded guilty to money laundering charges in connection with accounting practices related to his New York taxi business.”
The lawsuit cites reports that suggest “prosecutors had evidence that also implicated [Cohen’s] wife in potential criminal activity,” but notes that she “was never charged.”
The lawsuit also refers to the federal charges against Cohen, particularly the December 2018 sentencing memo for U.S. v. Cohen, which states that each of the counts he pleaded guilty to “involved deception.” The sentencing judge at the time accused Cohen of engaging in “a veritable smorgasbord of fraudulent conduct.”
The lawsuit cites federal prosecutors who claimed that Cohen’s crimes were motivated by “personal greed” and that he “repeatedly used his power and influence for deceptive ends.” The suit also points to Cohen’s “improper, self-serving, and malicious statements” about Trump, his family, and his business, which the suit claims “constitute repeated and substantial violations of his continuing fiduciary obligations as an attorney.” According to the lawsuit, Cohen chose to capitalize on his confidential relationship with Trump to pursue financial gain and repair his damaged reputation, all fueled by animosity toward Trump and his family.
The lawsuit demands that Cohen be held accountable for his actions and seeks “actual, compensatory, incidental, and punitive damages in an amount to be determined at trial, but expected to substantially exceed $500,000,000.”
The suit also points to reports that indicated prosecutors had evidence implicating Cohen’s wife in potential criminal activity, but she was never charged. The lawsuit further cites the sentencing memo for U.S. v. Cohen in December 2018, which states that each of the counts Cohen pleaded guilty to “involved deception,” and the sentencing judge described Cohen as guilty of “a veritable smorgasbord of fraudulent conduct.”
