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Michael Cohen, the one-time attorney and fixer of Donald Trump, is asking for donations to help cover legal costs as the former president is seeking $500 million in damages against him.
On Wednesday, Trump sued Cohen while accusing his former lawyer of "spreading falsehoods" about the former president that were "likely to be embarrassing or detrimental, and partook in other misconduct in violation of New York Rules of Professional Conduct."
Complaints in the lawsuit include Trump saying Cohen wrongfully called him "racist" in the lawyer's 2020 book Disloyal. Trump's lawsuit also alleges Cohen violated a confidentiality agreement by publicly discussing his work with the former president in his books, podcast series, and television interviews.
"The timing of Disloyal's release, just prior to the November 3, 2020 Presidential Election, suggests that [Cohen] intended to improperly disclose [Trump's] confidences when it would be most lucrative to do so—and while Disloyal would be sure to have the most damaging reputational effect," the lawsuit said.
Cohen's lawyer, Lanny Davis, dismissed the suit from Trump as "frivolous."
In a tweet Wednesday night, Cohen said that despite Trump's attempts to "intimidate and harass" him, the lawyer will "NEVER stop fighting and holding him accountable for his dirty deeds."
Cohen's tweet included a link to a GoFundMe page where he is seeking money for his "American Patriot Legal Firewall." The page has raised more than $8,000 at the time of publication, with a goal of $100,000.
"Michael's commitment to American democracy, his fearlessness to hold truth to power, and his willingness to stand up against the dark forces of the MAGA movement come at a great cost, both emotionally and financially," the description page reads.
"By contributing to this fundraiser, you will be sending a powerful message that we will not be silenced for telling the truth and intimidation will not be tolerated."
In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to federal tax crimes, lying to Congress and to campaign finance violations in relation to hush money payments paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal to keep alleged affairs between them and Trump a secret ahead of the 2016 election.
In March, Cohen testified to a New York grand jury as part of a separate hush money investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office, which resulted in Trump becoming the first U.S. president in history to be charged with a crime.
On April 4, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with the hush money he instructed Cohen to pay Daniels. Trump also denies having an affair with Daniels in 2006.
In a statement to Newsweek about the lawsuit, Davis, Cohen's lawyer, said: "Mr. Trump is once again using and abusing the judicial system as a form of harassment and intimidation against Michael Cohen.
"It appears he is terrified by his looming legal perils and is attempting to send a message to other potential witnesses who are cooperating with prosecutors against him. Mr Cohen will not be deterred and is confident that the suit will fail based on the facts and the law.
"Is there anyone in America, aside from a shrinking minority base of believers, who takes Mr Trump seriously when he files these frivolous lawsuits?" Davis added.
About the writer
Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, and Florida ... Read more