President Trump and his lawyers have made contradictory statements about a $130,000 payment to Stephanie Clifford, a pornographic film actress known as Stormy Daniels.
Jan. 12 | Michael D. Cohen
“President Trump once again vehemently denies any such occurrence.”
In an email sent to The New York Times after The Wall Street Journal reported about the payment, Mr. Cohen, the president’s longtime personal lawyer, did not address the payment but denied that Ms. Clifford and Mr. Trump had had an affair.
Jan. 17 | Michael D. Cohen
“It’s old news that wasn’t true then and not true now.”
After In Touch magazine published excerpts from a 2011 interview with Ms. Clifford in which she said she had a sexual relationship with Mr. Trump, Mr. Cohen again denied that such a relationship existed. “This is not breaking news,” he said in an email to The New York Times.
Feb. 13 | Michael D. Cohen
“I used my own personal funds to facilitate a payment of $130,000 to Ms. Stephanie Clifford.”
In a statement to The New York Times, Mr. Cohen acknowledged for the first time that he had a role in the payment, adding, “Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly.”
March 7 | Sarah Huckabee Sanders
“There was no knowledge of any payments from the president.”
“I’ve had conversations with the president about this,” said Ms. Sanders, the White House press secretary. “He has denied all these allegations.”
April 5 | President Trump
“No.”
This was Mr. Trump’s response when he was asked by a reporter if he knew about the payment to Ms. Clifford. In what were his first public remarks about the matter, Mr. Trump denied knowing about the $130,000 payment. He added, “You’ll have to ask Michael Cohen.”
April 26 | President Trump
“He represents me, like with this crazy Stormy Daniels deal, he represented me.”
In a telephone call to “Fox & Friends,” Mr. Trump distanced himself from Mr. Cohen but acknowledged that Mr. Cohen represented him in connection with Ms. Clifford.
May 2 | Rudolph W. Giuliani
“The president repaid it.”
Mr. Giuliani, one of the president’s lawyers, told Sean Hannity, the Fox News host, that Mr. Trump reimbursed Mr. Cohen for the $130,000 payment. “That was money that was paid by his lawyer,” he said. “The president reimbursed that over the period of several months.” The statement contradicted what Mr. Cohen said about using his own money to pay Ms. Clifford. It also contradicted Mr. Trump’s statement that he was not aware of the payment.