Trump discloses payments to attorney who paid off porn star
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has formally disclosed he reimbursed his attorney more than US$100,000 (S$134,000) last year, apparently in connection with hush money.
The documents released on Wednesday by a US government ethics body do not specify the reason for the payments to lawyer Michael Cohen, who paid US$130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 election.
Daniels claimed she had a tryst with Mr Trump in 2006 while he was married. He denied the affair and initially denied knowledge of the payment, which Mr Cohen has acknowledged was intended to stop her from going public with the allegation.
A footnote to disclosures submitted to the Office of Government Ethics said Mr Cohen had incurred "expenses" on Mr Trump's behalf in 2016 of between US$100,001 and US$250,000.
"Mr Cohen sought reimbursement of those expenses and Mr Trump fully reimbursed Mr Cohen in 2017," it said.
Mr Trump's filing states he was not required to disclose the expenses. But a letter to the Justice Department from Mr David Apol, acting head of the ethics body, said the payments were indeed required to be reported. - AFP
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